Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Maintenance & Servicing King Pins & bush renewal

True for the later rack & pinion cars, as they changed to castor angle to 6 degrees to create a bit more lead. With the earlier cars equipped with steering boxes the castor angle is only around 4 degrees. Steering is a lot lighter anyway with these cars, and removing the damper blades can cause unacceptable amounts of the dreaded St Malvern's Dance. Some people fit telescopic dampers instead, but I find the damper blade system works fine as it is.



You are quite right, and I grow increasingly annoyed at the effectiveness with which the canard that "one cannot work on modern cars" has been foisted on us by the trade. The fact of the matter is that with the correct tools working on one's own car is far easier than it used to be. Plug in the diagnostics, read the fault codes, look up the references, take the appropriate action.

It's sad that fewer and fewer people are interested in doing their own maintenance, quite apart from anything else it pushes the costs of ownership up.

I 'upgraded' my front end suspension (June -13) with the Suplex kit and fitted specially made Vesconite Hi-Lube bushings along with lip seals (Note: there is no 'moist absorbing problem' with the Hi-Lube plastic).
So far I have only praise for the whole 'system' and you can read my summary in the Comfort_suspension thread: http://www.talkmorgan.com/ubbthreads.php/topics/152134/17
Like many of you, I think that some sort of 'gaiter' is needed to protect the lower end of the king pin. I will sort that when it gets warmer...

I also would like to take the opportunity to thank those of you who guided and supported me when I needed advice. Without this forum and your input I'm not sure I would have dared - thank you all and have a nice Holiday and a Happy New Year.
:xmascheers:

Well done Thomas! This solution should last you many tens of thousands of miles even without a lower gaiter.

Thanks Hamwich, I think so too and I'm really glad I finally got 'a round tuit'

Best not to delay putting on the gaiters (unless she is off the road for the winter)...

I appreciate your concern Moggo but she is well protected from the icy and salty conditions we have here in northern Sweden during winter. I will not wake her up until the bears have come out of their dens and the roads have been washed with a good spring rain.

Gents. Can anyone advise of a supplier for Vesconite Hilube bushes? Appreciated. Kevin

Hi Kevin,
Personally I have not come across a manufacturer of a "off the shelf" King Pin Bush in Vesconite Hilube. I think you will have instigate the manufacture of them yourself. If you do not have the facilities to undertake this yourself then you can approach any competent Precision Engineers who will able to produce them as they do not require any specialized tooling in the making them. I have made reference to this subject in a previous post
http://www.talkmorgan.com/ubbthreads.php/topics/218288/Re_Front_suspension_longevity#Post218288 The material itself you will have to obtain from Vesco as they seem to keep a tight control on its availability, but its website is very informative regarding the design of Bushes

Thanks Owen,
hate to continue the questioning but you wouldn't know the ID/OD/length etc? Appreciated again.
Kevin

Kevin,
The normal Bronze Bush has a O/D of 1.233", a I/D of 1.000" and a length of 2.5". Now when it is fitted into the Stub Axle tube, which is a piece of standard seamless tubing whose bore is not round, has a nominal bore of 1.250" and after being welded into the casting is not straight. With the tube elliptical and bent it requires the Bushes to be Line Reamed to remedy the errors and achieve function. That is why I bored the tube out, as mentioned in the thread I referred to previously, so that when the Bushes are fitted they are aligned together with a resultant fit which does not require reaming, which I think is how Morgan's may have approached the issue when fitting their Devol Bushes,
In conclusion if you are prepared to have your Stub Axles bored out to a true 1.250" I will let you have a drawing of the Bushes I designed for this application