Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Maintenance & Servicing Rear axle locked solid on Plus 8

Last week I backed the car out of the garage down the gradual slope to the centre of the "T" of our cul de sac when the back axle locks solid on application of the brakes and will not release - this was preceeded by a slight clicking noise from the back axle area. Try as I might trying to pull it forward under power, smelling clutch at the first and only attempt so shut her down and start thinking as rain is threatening and I'm blocking the whole close off. I have the car 8Mtrs from the garage now so I can only think to take a rapid trip to Dartmouth hire shop where on the floor as I walk in I spot one of these (they are used to move pianos etc)



and ask do they have another one, yes they do so for £12 for 24hr hire I head back home. As it is a Plus 8 it has a limited slip diff so both wheels have to be suspended. So lift up the rear and place a dolly under each rear wheel whilst choking the front wheels. Grab the good lady and my neighbour (ex marine) for a little uphill struggle into the garage with herself leaning in the drivers side and steering (7" rims) and pushing and us two grunting at the rear, we make it in the garage as rain starts.
On strip down after 2 hours of hitting the nearside rear drum with a two and a half pound lump hammer with a bolster on it's edge to ease the rear drum off, all is revealed one of the cup spring washers on the lead shoe has let go as the centre has become fatigued and the "cross" has all but disappeared as below lower a phone picture only. This caused the shoe to attempt to go diagonal locking everything up solid.



I was just very lucky this happened at home and not Ascot this coming weekend at Red Bull Air Race I kept reminding myself.
So when checking your rear brakes give these a good check or like me replace them my nearby MOTing garage in Totnes gave me a set for free.

Looks like you caught a bullet there Richard.

All the more reason for getting down and checking front suspension and both front and rear brakes every few months. Nothing beats keeping an eye on things ,( or getting someone like Colin (Spanner Juggler) or indeed your local dealer, to do it for you if you don't feel confident.)

Not suggesting you should take it to Dave W' s level where every job turns into a product improvement project ;-) , but regular attention is definitely the best policy.

I had that happen on an Thames 15cwt I used as race transporter many years ago in the middle of Bradford on the way to a meeting, came to a screeching halt at the side of the road, stripped the wheel down and found the cup washer stuck in the gap between the drum and the shoe, made a right mess of the drum. A biker pulled up and asked if he could help, jokingly I said I could do with a lathe to skim the drum, my mate runs a garage he said, hop on the back and we will go and see if he is at home. Luckily he was at home, do you know how to do it he said, not a problem. He opened the garage pointed at a huge old DSG lathe, Don't kill yourself and let me know when you finish, job done, went to give him some folding for his troubles, wouldn't here of it, back to the van, assembled offending wheel with a bodge of a clip to hold retaining spring and on to meeting. Who was riding in another class, the bloke with the garage, remained friends for many years and still exchange xmas cards. Its a small world.