Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Classic Morgans (pre-CX) First 500

Yes - I can see in hand book that sliding axles(whatever they are) need greasing every 1000 miles.

Looks like I will have to put the bucket and sponge down and get dirty.

It's the correct name for what is erroneously (in the case of Morgan cars) termed sliding pillar.
In Morgans the axle slides on the pillar. There were a number of manufacturers that did actually have sliding pillar suspension for a period, but somewhere in the dim and distant past a journo somewhere got his terms twisted (so what's new?? ) and 'sliding pillar' has stuck for Mogs too...

A careful perusal of your front suspension when you are down there with the grease gun may reveal all - and regard 1000 miles as the maximum mileage between greasing...

Cheers,

My nipple knowledge increases by the hour


Sliding Axle Suspension
The Sliding Axle Front Suspension.

From the first three-wheelers until relatively recently all Morgans have used a sliding axle independent front suspension system. In typical form the stub axle assembly slides up and down on a fixed axle pin (alternatively called a "pillar") located vertically between two tubular cross members which are part of a cruciform section bolted to the front chassis rails. It differs fundamentally to a sliding pillar system in which the stub axle assembly is integral with the pillar which slides up and down through a bush or bushes set in outriggers to the chassis. This Morgan system was always and traditionally described as a sliding axle system until an incorrect reference in an "Autocar" article in 1956 described it as "sliding pillar" an erroneous term which seems to have taken vogue widely since. The sliding axle assembly except for a few early four wheeler cars has two bronze bushes, top and bottom.

Shock absorbtion (ie springing) is provided by a large coil spring at the top which encircles the axle pin and bears on a flange on the stub axle assembly, and except for a few early cars, a rebound spring at the bottom. Damping has generally been via a telescopic shock absorber.

Lubrication. Generally via a grease nipple on the inner side of the sliding axle assembly. From the advent of the Plus 4 in 1951 until the 2000's the system was augmented by a one shot lubricator, operated from a foot-actuated button valve on the firewall which diverted engine oil via the top of the axle pin. The axle pin was grooved and the groove had a hole in it so that this oil supply could effectively reach the inside of the upper bush. With the car at rest, this groove and hole are roughly located centrally inside the top bush. On depressing the plunger valve, oil is fed at engine oil pressure through the hole and distributed round the groove to the inside of the bush. Suspension movement and the working clearances, which are fractionally more than those in the engine's crank and camshaft bearings, for example, are sufficient to ensure a good spread of lubricant. The effectiveness of this system can be gauged by the fact that if used regularly very little wear took place on the upper bush - the same could not be said of the lower bush, however.

The main reason for wear on the lower bush, and this area of the axle pin, is road grime, which when combined with the grease in the area makes a very effective grinding paste. The use of a cover or gaiter, described elsewhere in this manual, can significantly reduce wear.

The Morgan front suspension assembly is often criticised for apparently rapid wear, necessitating axle pin and bush replacement fairly frequently.

Image On link below

https://sites.google.com/site/morganatica/routine_maintenance/front_suspension_greasing

And for those who wish to avoid the whole issue....
http://www.librands.co.uk/pdfs/librands_morgan_suspension_system.pdf

£6,500 sounds expensive....

I have to say that I'd prefer not to have the greasing routine. Largely because it's a fiddle and I'm not entirely sure I'm doing it right.

Yes a bit rich that.

For me part of the attraction is the history of the sliding pillar set up surviving as a tangible link to H.F.S.

Besides you know it does you good having a little roll around under your loved one every few miles

The air grease gun makes the job easier - but I wished there was an easy way of knowing you've done it properly. Taking the wheels off makes it much easier.

Particularly now I figured which way the nuts turn.

Tum te tum.......

Oooh look. A monkey!

Considering all of the recommendations for Good Greasing, the state of the precious kit involved in the topic just makes me want to weep .


So look further down the index there for this one .

https://sites.google.com/site/morganatica/70-modifications/front-spring-gaitors

This early horizontal version was photographed at Brooklands Museum last year

It's the most interest I have taken in nipples since I met the
Although these seem even harder to get to, less fun and sadly need my attention more frequently these days

Just stop it.