©By: Jerry Willburn Formatted for the Morgan Web page by John T. Blair Originally written: circa 1995 Last update: June 14, 2009 The basis of this article (containing more than you ever wanted to know about front suspensions) was written by Don Morrill in 1971 and is presented here with some changes, updates and a few added sections. Introduction A high wear point on the Morgan, and believe it not not, there are a few, is the brass bushings that are pressed into the front wheel spindles, and ride on vertical kingpin (center pin). To check for wear, jack up the front end and have someone wiggle the front wheel about the horizontal (hold the top and bottom), and look formovement of the lower end of the spindle with respect to the lowerrebound spring. Bushing wear results in a certain vagueness in steering, and a feeling of front end looseness, but otherwise is not serious except in the extreme. Wheel shake is not cured by rebushing. Although the shake may disappear at first, when the bushings wear-in the shake will return. Wheel shake is usually caused by loose damper blades or square wheels. To gain familiarity with the front suspension, sketches are provided that show things ex-works. If your car has been repaired due to front end damage, a check is worth while to determine if everything is there, and properly installed. Most body-shops are relaxed about keeping track of attaching hardware, so some imagination might have been exercised during assembly. Most of the suspension hardware is Whitworth and holes are sized for the English bolts (Ed. later cars '70 on are metric). If American Standard has been substituted, additional hole clearance will result. Check for missing parts. As Mr. Morgan is not known for using two bolts where one will do, if you car is missing anything, the results will catch up. Make sure the shocks are secure at both ends, that the damper blades are intact, that chassis stays are tight, and the center pin bolt and nut are tight. Have someone rock the steering wheel about center and check for vertical motion of the steering drop arm (See Morgan Owners Manual -- the one that should come with the car) or motion of the damper blade components. Make sure the damper blade is sandwiched between chassis and metal strip but can move freely. Older (Drum Brake) Morgans do not have this aluminum spacer as shown. The spacer is mounted on the chassis Z-section but serves the same function. Areas that may require attention Shock absorber replacement Upper shock bracket replacement Damper blade replacement Front wheel bearings Center Pin and bushing replacement Cross-axle stay adjustment. Brakes and steering will be considered another day. Shock absorber replacement Use two 9/16" open-end wrenches to remove the two nuts at the top of the shock (one nut is used as a jam-nut). Push strut into the body of the shock. Remove the 5/8"-W nut at the bottom shock mounting stud. Work off the shock. Access for shock replacement is by jacking up the front end and removal of the wheels. I suggest putting a light coat of chassis lube grease on the rubber fittings at the bottom of the shock so it moves easily on the mounting stud. Replacement Shocks (Front only) Armstrong AT7/1401/C (Original Equip) Monroe 1027 C12C2 (Non-adjustable) Gabriel CSAA 45015 (Adjustable) Koni 80-1021 (Adjustable) Upper Shock Bracket Replacement Remove the shock from the top attachment (bracket) as above. Remove bolt that holds fender brace and bracket to upper cross-axle (this may be hard due to limited access at lower end); Wrench size is 1/4"-W, Open-end. Use 3/16"-W open-end wrench to remove one-shot lube fitting from the center pin bolt. Use 7/16"-W wrench to remove center pin bolt and free the Shock Mount Bracket. Access as per Shock removal, but cross-axle must be resting on support, front wheels off the ground, to prevent the center pin from separating from the upper cross-axle. Car must not be moved with the center pin bolt removed. You can have the broken bracket welded or purchase one from Club Spares, or from Isis Imports, or from England. (Ed. Or check the list of suppliers in the Suppliers and Cross-reference article on the Morgan Web page). Damper Blades Unless the brass portion that fits between the spindle and upper rebound spring has worn out or is missing, repairs will not require disassembly of the front suspension. The damper blades are designed to prevent the upper rebound spring from influencing the steering due to spring "wind-up". In fact the damper blades attenuate minor front wheel shimmy, and thus its name. Unless you have an early Series I 4/4, you should have damper blades with parts layout generally as shown in the sketches. The damper blade assembly consists of a bronze plate sandwiched between the upper rebound spring and the stub-axle casting. A wide strip of spring steel is bolted to the bronze plate and runs to the frame, where it is either bolted down solid (Series I 4/4) or it is sandwiched between a plate and the frame. There is a triangular metal shim at each end of this sandwich. The damper blades lie between the shims. Any fore and aft movement of the damper blade can, therefore, be adjusted out with the shims by merely slackening one of the bolts holding the assembly and tapping on the shim. This is an easy but important adjustment. If the slack in the damper blades is not taken up, wheel wobble (shimmy) often results. If the damper blades show excessive wear (see sketch), they should be replaced. Simply unbolt from the brass ring and slip them out of the clamp on the frame. Slip in the new blade and bolt to the brass ring. Do not forget to adjust the shims after replacement of the damper blades. Have someone rock the steering wheel and note the fore and aft movement of the damper blade. Their movement should not exceed 1/32". If it does, adjust the shims. Front Wheel Bearings Early (Drum Brake) cars up to about SN4203, have ball bearing front hubs with a distance piece between the two races. The outer race of the inside bearing is held in place by a screwed ring. This should be drilled and cotter pinned in place. Failure to do so may cause loss of the wheel (ask Ted Robinson). Later Disk Brake cars have roller bearings. Part numbers for ball bearing cars Inboard: Federal LS11 Outboard: Federal MS7 Seal: Aeroquip 962482A Part numbers for roller bearing cars +4 and 4/4 (5/8" Taper) Inboard: Inner Race (rollers/cage) Timken 1988 Outter Race Timken 1922 Outboard: Inner Race (rollers/cage) Timken 03062 Outter Race Timken 03162 Seal Aeroquip 962487A Part numbers for +8 and Racing Suspension +4 (3/4" Taper) Inboard Inner Race (rollers/cage) Timken 14125A Outter Timken 14274 Outboard Inner Race (rollers/cage) Timken 09067 Outter Timken 09195 Seal Aeroquip 900295A Hub Removal On disk brake cars, the caliper will have to be removed. The caliper is attached with two bolts (18mm), usually safety wired together. Do not remove the brake hose from the caliper. Hang the works on a coat hanger in some out of the way place. Remove the cotter key on the axle nut. On wire wheel hubs, rotate the hub until the two holes are aligned such that the pin can be worked out. On Drum brakes, back-off the adjustment cams. A 1" socket is required to loosen the spindle nut. Use 26mm if the nut has been buggered up a bit. Slip the hub off. Ball bearing hubs will require a puller. Screw the spindle nut part way back on when breaking loose with the puller. This will prevent the spreading of the spindle end from puller pressure. Clean the wheel bearings thoroughly and inspect them for any signs of pitting on either balls/rollers or races. Ball bearings can be spun (dry) while holding by the inner race at about 45 degrees from the horizontal. You can usually feel wear (pitting) as a "grabbing" feeling. Pack the bearings with clean grease and install in the inverse of disassembly. Be sure to cotter pin the retaining rings on inboard ball bearings. On wire wheel hubs, be sure that the right side and left side are not mixed. Mark them on removal! (Ed. This happened on my car, before I purchased it. Every couple of days, as I would go to stop, the spinner would fly off the wheel and down the street!.) Tension tapered roller bearings by tightening them to 20 ft-lbs of torque, and then back-off one "flat" on the nut. Disassembly of Front Suspension First: Degrease the front suspension. If a 25 cents car wash is available, use it. (Ed. For sure! Most of then now cost $1.00 or more.) The front end becomes unbelievably greasy due to oil from the one-shot lube and road dirt. I cut this corner last time and am still tracking grease into the house. Kerosene is OK, never use gasoline if you value your life! Remove Shock Absorber. (See above) Note: Steps 2 through 4 may be disregarded if the front suspension is to be disassembled to replace the brass damper blade ring only. Separate the spindle from the track rod. Remove the cotter key and castle nut (5/8" open end). Use a Snap-On puller (P/N CJ89A/CJ89-3) to separate. Clever people can get them off with a hammer, but I'm not one of them. Slip the puller "C" disk between the rubber seal and spindle arm and install the puller. Screw bolt end of puller onto the rod end bolt. Things will separate with a loud snap. Remove disk brake calipers. Hang the caliper on a wire as in hub removal. On drum brake cars the fluid line must be broken. Remove the hub (see hub removal). Remove bolts (2) at the bottom of the suspension, one also holds a stay that attaches to the chassis (1/4"-W). Place a jack which is about 8" extended, under the lower center pin retaining nut (between the bolts just removed). The car must be at least 12" off the floor to remove the center pin. Remove the one-shot lube fitting connection to the center pin (1/4"-W). Remove the center pin bolt (7/16"-W). As the bolt is removed, the center pin will move down due to the spring force. However, the jack will permit control of this force. After the bolt is removed, let the jack down SLOWLY. Next, carefully jerk the upper rebound spring out at the top. Use caution, as this spring will still be slightly compressed. (Ed. I usually put an old pillow under the fender well to protect it just incase.) The upper rebound spring and the cover tube can be removed along with the damper blade at this point. When you have all the parts disassembled you will find major wear to the lower bush, primarily on the inboard side (away from the hub). In extreme cases the spindle holder may also be worn. Bushing Fitting Removal and replacement of bushings consists of three major steps. Remove the old bushings. Install the new bushings. Ream the bushings to fit the center pin. Bushing Removal Removal requires a bushing tool (see sketch) that will push out the bushings and clear the ID of the spindle. Use a jack stand to hold the spindle, and a drift (rich mans or poor mans) to drive out the bushing. A brass knock off hammer is about the right weight. Both bushings are driven out from the same side. Bushing Installation Installation is best done using a hydraulic press (most auto machine shops can do this). In a pinch you can, with care, use the rich mans drift and drive them in. Bushing Reaming The post-installation ID of the bushings is smaller than prior to installation. Therefore, even though the bushings fit the center pin before installation, they will require reaming after installation. A reamer (J. C. Whitney, P/N 52-207) is adjusted progressively to remove more metal until the center pin will slide through the spindle with low resistance and very little play. A Modification We have had good luck at extending bushing life, and keeping the front suspension clean, by installing an "O" ring to keep the oil in and the dirt out. Drive the bottom bushing in about 1/4" deeper during installation. Cut off about 3/16" from you old bushing. After reaming, insert an "O" ring in the bottom and hold it in place by driving in the 3/16" piece cut from your old bushing (see sketch). Be sure that the grease hole at the top end of the bushing is not obscured. If it is, drill it through, taking care not by bugger up the threads. Assembly of the Front Suspension 1. The lower C/P retaining plate must be removed from the old C/P and installed on the new one. 2. Muscle the upper rebound spring and cover into position at the upper suspension member (don't forget the damper blade!), and drop a screwdriver through the center pin bolt hole to hold the spring in position. 3. Lubricate the spindle bushing area and C/P with chassis grease prior to assembly and perform a routine chassis lubrication when the job is completed. 4. Slide the center pin up through the lower rebound spring, spindle, upper rebound spring, and cover. Place the jack under the center pin nut at the bottom. 5. Work the center pin into the suspension using the jack. Watch out for the spindle hanging up on the cover (inside the upper rebound spring). 6. You will probably find that the jack will not force the center pin completely in as the jack will lift the whole car! The retaining plate can usually be drawn home by using long bolts. These will have to be replaced after the top is secure. Remember this when placing the jack so a bolt can be inserted into the holes. Note: We have installed an eye bolt in the garage floor. The cross-axle can now be chained down so that it will not lift. The assembly can now be jacked right home. This is a must if the engine is out of the car while doing suspension work. 7. Install the center pin bolt from the top into the center pin. Use a small mirror and flashlight to center the pin under the hole. This can be difficult! When the center pin is under the hole, thread the bolt home, and this completes the assembly process. Note: Do not try to thread the center pin bolt into the center pin by "feel". If you miss and cross thread the bolt, you will ruin both the center pin and the bolt. For the same reason, do not use the center pin bolt to jack home the assembly. 8. The hub, if removed, can now be installed. If you have tapered roller bearings, adjust for minimum play (tighten the spindle nut to 20 ft-lbs, then back off one flat). 9. Install the steering track rod if removed. 10. Install the caliper when the hub is on (Disk brakes only). Be sure to safety wire the bolts properly (see sketch). 11. Install the one shot oil pipes. 12. Adjust Drum Brakes. Cross-Axle Stay adjustment The purpose of the cross-axle stays is to triangulate the cross-axle beams into a rigid structure, and thus prevent flexing during bump and rebound. The cross-axle stays are adjusted so that they are always in tension. Too little tension and the front will sag. Too much tension may snap the stay. Tension in the cross-axle stays should be adjusted before having the front end aligned, and checked after alignment. Place the car on jack stands as shown. The weight of the car should be supported by the two inner stands. The outer stands could be distance measuring blocks. Jack on the outer end of one side SLOWLY. The cross-axle should lift simultaneously from both the inner and outer stands (see sketch). If the cross-axle lifts from the outer stand first, the cross-axle stay is too loose. Care should be taken not to jack the car too far off the stands. 1/2" to 1" should be sufficient. If the outer end is more than 1/4" off of the stand and the inner end has not lifted yet, the stay is much too loose. Tighten the cross-axle stay until the cross-axle lifts off of both stands simultaneously. The cross-axle is not properly tensioned. No advantage is to be had by significantly increasing the tension. Repeat the above steps for the other side. Safety comments During assembly ASSURE that the hubs have not been reversed. Look at each knock-off and make sure it threads in the same direction as the rear wheel on the same side. If you have removed the hubs, and install them in the reversed direction (threads going the wrong way), you will loose a wheel. It is no fun --- so check! Check every nut and bolt again after you have put about 100 miles on the car. Also check for wheel bearing play and take-up if required. Have the alignment checked after bushing replacement. When working on the front suspension, the cross-axle must be seated on jack-stands or their equal. Don't work on the car with it resting on the Morgan jack. (Ed. or cinder blocks - See Misc topics - Safety for a sad story.) Make sure the caliper securing bolts have been safety wired such that the wire will tend to tighten the bolts (see sketch). Be sure to bleed the brakes if the pipes have been disconnected (Drumbrakes). Adjusting Headlamps Adjusting the headlamps on your Morgan is a relatively simple task. All you need is a screwdriver and a wall to shine the lights on. Park the car about three feet from your garage door (or other wall) with the lights on low beam. You may need to do this at dusk or even in the dark to tell exactly where the light is shining on the wall. Mark the outline of the beam shining on the wall with a pencil and them move the car back 25 feet from the wall. The top of the low beam should be no higher than the top of the circle on the door, and no lower than the center of the circle. If the beam shines outside the circle, use the screwdriver to turn the adjustment screws on either side and above the headlamp housing. Turning the screws will cause the beam to move left to right, or up and down on the wall. A little experimenting will show you how to adjust the lights to fit the marks on the wall. Once the low beams are adjusted, the high beams should be in the right spot also. If you install halogen headlamps, you will find that the highly concentrated, white beam does an excellent job of illuminating the road at night. However, halogen lights must be adjusted more precisely, because the beam is more concentrated and there is less margin for error. Return to the Index of Tech. articles To email me with comments or questions.