Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Morgan Three Wheeler & Super 3 Chassis Cracks- Lower Front Wishbone Mount

I have read much on this subject and will repeat what I have said on private mails to other owners with cracks in this area.

I do not feel that the problem is poor design or poor welding but the lack of post welding heat treatment. Welding cold metal causes problems in the heat affected zone adjacent to the weld. Welding a tube on two sides causes great stress in the area around the weld. A welded repair may well suffer the same fate as the original. I have repaired my own crack and have subsequently treated the tubes on the inside with linseed oil in the same way that aircraft fuselage space frames are treated. A full description of my work will appear on my website as soon as I have time to write it all up.

My conclusions are best guess based on long and hard won experience. What we need here is a qualified metallurgist to study the situation and write up a report. Do we have one on the list of forum members?

The chassis tubes, by the way, are electric resistance welded tubes of mild steel, not seamless drawn tube which might have been better but would still not be immune from the same stress issues.

Oh yea, I do like the smell of realisation and common sense in the morning (night for most of you.....)

After so many chassis cracks have appeared I thought I had better have a look at mine as I hadn't inspected it since last year.

Armed with a powerful LED torch I checked every part of the front chassis tubes and found no signs of cracking whatsoever, thankfully.

For those who do not know the car it is a Feb. 2013 with 15k miles.

I wonder if the Empire kit has something to do with it?

Read - Morgan Three Wheeler » Cracked and bent chassis, page 25 on...

Interesting read on 4 wheel Morgans suffering frame cracks:

https://www.morganexperience.com/phorum/read.php?5,11894

Obviously of no direct relevance to the three wheeler but it makes you think !

That is on a 1953 car, though. Morgan frames are flexible almost by design, and it's no surprise that after 65 years you'd see a crack or two.

Yep. One or two had started on my '76 4/4 back in 2005/6.

I did a search for Cracked and bent chassis and found nothing directly list as this.

Can you post a link to the page you're referring to?

Thanks.

Dan try looking at:-

Talk Morgan » Forums » Morgan Sports Cars » Morgan Three Wheeler » Cracked and bent chassis .

It is one of the largest threads on TM.

N.B. a post from hbatts as a guide

10/7/17
Yes I have a 2012 with the Empire kit, but I fitted it just after it came out--what 2013? My crack did not appear until AFTER I fit the triangular brace the the factory dreamed up to avoid the frame cracking issue. In fact I fit the frame "upgrade" in fall 2016. I found the crack in winter 2017. I have no idea what exactly what caused the crack and I'd sure like to know.

Hope that points you in the right direction and is helpful.

Cheers

Dan , just to make it easy, you were one of the contributors to that thread so look for it in your posting list.