Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Maintenance & Servicing First time greasing front suspension

I am with Bob, I thought the dance meant the nodding bonnet. So JohnV6, thank you for clearing this up for us.

You will know it when it happens. Quite disconcerting when you first experience it. My old +4 suffered from it.

Grease it and drive it. Make no changes until You see obvious problems. When You do, and You will, post the problem on Talk Morgan. The advice You will receive to TM will be varied, but mostly varied as to how much it will cost. Also try to do everything Morgan Yourself. You will see that expensive modification do not solve the problem You are trying to fix. The first maintenance issue is Brakes. They are simple. In the UK You have MOT which is really a help. In the US We do not have MOT so I have a "Spring Maintenance Schedule". For example Next Spring I will change the Brake Fluid on My +8 as it is 2 years old. At the same time I will check the brake lining both front and rear and replace as needed. Now You would think You could do this without advice. Brake Fluid absorbs water. You need information on what Fluid to install. Also Brake lining can be hard, soft, etc. You have a light car. I am very picky about brake lining. TM can help. And soit goes!

I assume you have he standard suspension set up with steering damper blades and the bronze plate. Phil at Allon White advised me that prising the plate away from the hub slightly as you pump grease and watch for grease appearing in the small gap you have created was a good method for the lower end. I use a pneumatic grease gun as this frees up one hand to lever the plate.
I never leave greasing go more than 1000miles, usually 600-700, and always before a weekend away.
30k+ miles so far and no play in the kingpins (hard chrome version).
Grease is cheap so no excuses.

31k+ on original factory pins. No gaiters. De-greased annually around rebound springs. Well greased every 500 miles top & bottom. No play detectable. Key to longevity? DIY and then you KNOW it’s done right!

I’d also recommend a greasing after driving in heavy rain, the lower springs get pelted, always seems a bit dry afterwards.

Sospan, it is standard set up I have and I did manage to lift the bronze damper and see grease emerge from the gap, however, I had to lift it using a block of wood and a jack as suggested on Gomog as could not get a pry bar between the plate and the stub axle shelf. As simple as it may seem to do, I don't quite know how I'm to get the pry bar in.
Perhaps someone could post a photo of its location and if i should hammer it inbetween plate and shelf initially.
Thanks for the recommendations and tips Deejay and ewn, I've covered 800 miles and decided it's time to lube to be sure of longevity.
I've not yet checked for any play as spent yesterday at the NEC but hope to get it checked later.
Button, as you, part of my enjoyment of owning a vehicle like a Morgan is being able to get your hands dirty and save a small fortune in labour costs and learn something in the process, hope your Spring service schedule goes to plan.

Thanks again All,
Andy.

Quite a lot of the stuff you read on t'internet tends to fall into the 'Counsel of perfection' category. Yes, in theory it would be ideal to lift the damper to ensure that grease is getting in there.

Do many of us bother to do so every time we grease? I very much doubt it, I certainly don't. The problem is, especially for less experienced mechanics, is that if one tries to slavishly follow over-complex procedures it can turn a quick and simple task into a major production that becomes a chore rather than a pleasure - and consequently is less likely to be carried out.

A few quick squirts and a wipe around every 500 miles is far far better than leaving it 2k miles because one can't face the rigmarole of following every piece of instruction one can find.

As for using a block of wood and a jack rather than a crowbar, it seems like a much better idea to me. Whatever works for you.

Every 500 miles might seem like a bit of an overkill but believe me, it's not.

In the summer, when I was doing quite a few miles, I ended up at about 1500+ miles and when I did grease them I emptied virtually a whole Mini Wanner Gun into each stub axle. I.e. they were more or less empty.

Admittedly it was hot and the grease was particularly runny but it does prove that the grease does disappear quite quickly.

Don't be tempted to think that this greasing regime is an old wives tale.

It's essential.

Do it every 500 miles..........

Now, where to carry my grease gun and a tub of grease when I go touring in France next year?

I load my grease gun fully, wrap it in a rag together with some rubber gloves, stick it in a plastic bag and slide it under the driver's seat. I've never needed to regrease more than once, you can get away with much longer intervals with hardchrome kingpins.

You need to use a flexible delivery tube to get it to fit under there, though..