Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Classic Morgans (pre-CX) Rear Suspension

Driving my Roadster to the factory today and I'm more concerned about getting the front suspension sorted rather than the rear!
I thought I'd got rid of the dreaded front end shimmy.....it's back again

I'm considering fitting the Mulfab steering damper as a last resort. If that doesn't cure it, I suspect the car will go!!

My Old Mentor John Sheally II told Me. If you have St. Malvern's Dance, something is wrong. Find the problem and fix it. I have taken John's advice over the years. I always find out what is wrong, fix it. Problem solved.

Button

It's not about practicality is it though! Both Morgan's and Elise's are about fun, but in two different and yet paradoxically similar ways,they both try to be as light and simple as possible.

We have a 1967 Elan S3, a 2003 Elise type 25 with the Rover VVC engine and just got our 2011 Morgan 4/4 - all three are massively different and yet massively similar in that they are huge fun in their own unique ways, and all three deliver that grin factor. But in terms of practicality? I don't think that was in the design brief for any of them. They are what they are, sports cars that perfectly reflect their different era's.

For everyday "Practicle" use I have a Toyota HiLux ute and that is in its own way a great car too.

We like and enjoy driving all four, because of the different experience each affords.

Easy solution - order an Aero 8 with hard top. That way you get a Morgan with sorted suspension, she gets to ride around with a roof over her head.

It won't cure the problem, but it might mask it. Seems to me the best thing would be to chop it in for an 80th Anniversary 4/4. You know it makes sense!

Not about practicality but we like to tour ( three French trips last year and three planned for this year) which requires a car that is fit for purpose with an acceptable level of comfort.
Our fleet comprises of a Panda 4x4/ Defender 90/ Mini Clubvan for day to day stuff (the Mini is probably the best all rounder but the Defender is a keeper and the 11 year old Panda has sentimental value -my wife bought it from new with some of the money her mother left her)
New Plus Eights don't quite float my boat, in that price bracket I would be thinking Evora 400 Across the whole range of Morgan cars I would still plump for a 4/4
Sorry for the thread drift Jay - have you jacked the front end up and span the wheels and looked closely for tyre / rim run out?

That would be my next step. Swop the wheels front to rear, although alloys should be OK. Tyres might be flat spotted?

I would be inclined to think the same too. There must be something out of wack with the geometry.

Not to be discounted entirely are the tyres. You could try rotating the back wheels to the front and see if anything changes. The shopping trolley, a Subaru Justy, had a terrible problem and checking the alignment and balancing the wheels etc. had not effect until we changed the tyres. The originals still had tread but must have worn unevenly in some way.

PS. I see Dave beat me to it

If it masks it, that's fine by me. I've thrown money at it with new suspension, tyred, wheel balances etc but the dealers have never managed to sort it out. A front brake upgrade did help for some time but it's back to its old tricks again. If I had Buttons expertise I'd strip it down and check it all over minutely but I haven't got it. All I can do is check bolts for tightness, wheel bearings etc.

When I bought the car, it had only done 700 miles in 4 years. I'd put it down to the previous owner being too tall to drive it...Peter Jones from Dragons Den, but I'm beginning to think that he didn't enjoy driving it due to the problem. I noticed a couple of wheel balancing invoices with the documents!

At the moment I'm pondering over whether to continue throwing money at it or sell it.
It's not a car I particularly love unlike my old 4/4.

John, just my two cents, have you checked if the brake discs are well centered and weight balanced. Are the shocks really ok. If the shocks are not 100% it could cause too much self oscilation.