Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Maintenance & Servicing 4 seater Plus 4 rear shock absorber removal.

Due to my offside rear shock absorber unscrewing itself from its' top mount, I have to remove it to screw it back in again, but whilst the bottom mount is easy to undo, I cannot for the life of me see where the retaining nut is on the top bolt. I had hoped that the bolt would screw into a threaded chassis insert or similar, but it just goes around and around when trying to unscrew it, which indicates there is a nut on the other side, but how the heck is it reached?

Whilst asking for advice, I cannot see how to reach the battery either, is it from the top by removing the rear seat somehow, or dropped down from underneath, after removing the axle :xmaswow:

Answers here - or on a postcard please, and ASAP so I can use the car again and my wife is already planning a Christmas Day outing. :xmascheers:

To the left in this picture you can just see the upper shock absorber mount. The damper in the centre is the air spring system recently fitted to my car. It seems that the rear seats and the centre console had to be removed. Hopefully there is an easier way.

Harald

The battery should be accessible from the passenger seat rear footwell. There is a shaped panel that can be removed to reveal the battery and allow the retaining frame to be loosened. That on my four seater anyway (1990 version. In mine its just held in position by the surrounding carpet.

Afraid I cant advise on the more thorny issue of the shock absorber.
John

Not had a problem Paul, is your a very late car? My 08 +4 4 seat was tight for space but you could see the nut working from above. In fact it was the bolt head that was difficult as they had put the fixings in with the nuts rearward meaning the wood had to be relieved a tad on one side to get the bolt out. The battery is a real fiddle, the seat cushion comes out but is held at the rear by 2 small fixings only visible after you push the cushion down in the corners. Sounds worse that it is, once you have done it you will have the cushion out in a couple of minutes, the battery is accessible from above but I always lower them down on a trolley jack after un-bolting the frame, it's just 2 lower and 1 upper fixing (assuming yours is the same as an 08 car?).

Paul, the rear telescopic shock mount is bolted through a flange on the 'Rear Telescopic Mounting Bar' with a bolt, distance piece, washer and bolt, remove the seat and it is very easy to work on. Have pictures so you can PM me if you need any, but it is very simple.

David, 2001 4/4 4 seater.

Paul
Your rear seat base is secured by 2 Allen Key bolts that go through the back of the base.
Drop the seat back down and you will see the line of studs in the leather. Lift them up and peel the leather back and you will find the bolts.
Once they are out pull the base forward and lift out in a scoop motion under the seat belt bolt.
You will then see the battery. shock absorbers, axle, springs etc and it is easy to work on.
I replaced the rear springs, battery and U bolts through this aperture.
When you replace the base make sure the front is located in the cross rail. You should not be able to lift it, then bolt up the Allen screws.

Thank you all, that should give me a head start when I get back out to the garage at the weekend. I didn't want to start pulling out the interior trim if
I didn't need to, but it sounds as if it is necesary.

Has anyone had problems with the shock absorber shaft unscrewing itself from its' top mounting? There is a surprisingly small amount of thread, around 1 cm,. I was was pleasantly surprised to note that Morgan are using Bilsteins on my late 4 seater as well.

I'm surprised Morgan have made the access to the battery so awkward on the recent 4 seaters - sounds a bit of a pain

I've got mine on a trickle conditioning charge at the moment and it takes me 2 mins to un-pop the carpet from the rear footwell and remove the battery cover panel to expose the terminals

Paul mine did the same,easy fix but a bit awkward to get too having said that i was quite happy with the rear set up on the four seater never had any issues unlike some on here,there havent been many changes on the four seater over the last 6 yrs only cosmetic change is the recess filler cap which was needed,have you still got all your fingers new four seater owners know what i mean

You can get quite slick at it.
The problem is knowing how to get at it in the first place.
This is something that should be in the handbook.
Replacing a battery is often done at the roadside as low battery means everything closes down on modern cars.