Rear Axle.

[Toby]

Wyvern do the modern oil seals but as far as I could tell they only fit in later (34?) and 8 hubs. I discovered this when doing the bearings on my saloon and changing hubs I discovered the type that are clearly minor but have a deeper machining for a modern type seal. So far I've done over 500 miles on the summer rally with no problems.

[Highlander]

The hub is at Sutton Rebore right now and Mike has not rung so fingers crossed. He was thinking of clamping it to the bench and honing it round(?!) He will press the bearing in (Bearing not old and in good condition) and drop it off on his way home from work. The diff cage is on the axle and bolted up!!!! I tried all morning to get the cage into the axle. As mentioned by someone on the forum they are heavy, OK on the beanch with two hands, but under the car with only one hand (very little room) it is impossible. I had no room under the car to put the diff on a small jack and also could not lift it onto the jack if I had the room. I tried pulling it up with rope but it kept slipping. Called out Molly who tried but when I swore she went back in!!!!! My brother came over from Cobham and with the two of us it went in almost like clockwork - one stud was squint which did not help but with a nut on and light tapping all was well and home she went. Everything turned and room for the three pronged coupling to fit the coupling. Tomorrow, after morning golf in the frost, hubs back on, halfshafts in and coupled up and away we should go to Brooklands Thursday. Watch this space. If all goes well I cannot thank this Register and foram enough. When you are miles from help and advice and when thing go wrong, and they do, it is a great comfort to know help is at hand. Happy New Year to you all and Simon I could not find that beer, TEA, but London Pride was on offer so come over and have a pint. Highlander.

[Highlander]

Mike from Sutton Rebore dropped off my hub and bearing on his way home - now that is service. With a lLt of axle oil, a tube of blue hermatite and honning out the hub round again £25. I thought this was fair. He had to take 7thou off in places aand said it had to be some whack to do that type of damage. He pressed the bearing home and it spins freely. Fingers crossed for Brooklands.Highlander.

[Ian Grace]

Excellent news Alister! Good luck, have fun and take plenty of photos!

[Highlander]

On the road!!!! The hubs and halfshafts all went on as per the book. A slight problem with the brake shoes, and this is what I was afraid of in taking the fat washer off the axle shaft, when tighten on with the counter shaft screw bolt (!) everything seazed. I slackened off the brakes and a bit better. The off side was the same. What I have done, and engineers stop reading now, I took the brake drums off and screwed the countersunk bolts only on the hub and halfstaft, this left the countersunk part proud (same as the fat washer, then the brake drums back on loose and bolted up the wheels - everything OK. After Brooklands I will have to look at this but the brakes worka and Brooklands is only 15 miles away. If you cannot understand the above all I have done is put the brake drums back without the fixing screws. I only drove the minor up and down the road but all seemed well. Axle silent and it seems tighter at the back. I hope this is the end of an interesting half hour job which has take 6 weeks!!! Thanks again for all your support (I will wear it all the time!!) Eight hours away from 2009. Happy new year to you all. Highlander.

[prharris25]

Well done, and a Happy New Year to everybody as well.

Paul.

[ian judd]

Are you sure you have the right backplates on the axle? Front and rear should be identical on a Minor; the Morris 8 rear backplate doesn't have the recess in the middle - it is completely flat. If that is the case you will need to get a pair of Minor backplates or a couple of Morris 8 fronts (which are the same). If you get fronts you just need to make the slot for the handbrake cable. I can't think of any other reason for your peculiar problems apart from someone fitting an 8 backplate - because it is flat the shoes are set further out and would certainly foul the drum.

Ian
Happy New Year!

[Trevor Wilkinson]

Not quite sure what you have done with the countersunk screws but when you tighten the wheel nuts they clamp the wheel, drum and hub/halfshaft all together. Be careful not to distort the drums if you are using the screw heads as spacers!

[Highlander]

A very happy new year to everyone. Just come home from a fantastic dinner and a few brandies. Thank you Trevor and Ian Judd, My back axle was updated before I purchased it 5 years ago. I have hydrolic brakes, a dip stick, and god knows what else. I have made the hubs, felts and thin washer as a morris minor. I have left off the thick spacer which would have brought the hub l/4" further out therefore I am l/4" further in. My back plate has the hydrolic drum fixed to it, a minor plate would not have this but does it make any difference? I am off to Brooklands today(it is 1am) come what may. I will look at thi9sn latest problem later. One last this the wheel nuts do not seem to do on very far! On far enough but the studs are still inside the nut!!!! Any comments.This could be the first blogg in 2009. Highlander.

[1936morriseight]

Hi Alister,

I'm not an engineer by profession, only a self taught (over 35 years Morris 8 ownership) amateur, however I wouldn't be entirely happy running the car re what I think you've done with the rear brake drums. Correct me if I'm wrong, but my understanding is that you've tightened the three countersunk set screws against the outer hub centre, the three countersunk heads therefore standing proud by approx 5mm above the mating surface of the outer hub / halfshaft and drum centre therefore acting as three spacers, you've then offered up the drums resting / balancing them only on the three flat set screw heads then setting the wheels on their studs and tightening up the wheel nuts. If this is true then as Trevor suggests you risk distorting the drums and damaging the wheel stud threads as the wheel centres will scuff on the threaded portion of the stud. I would also think the whole rear wheel set up could eventually become dangerously unstable (wheel wobble) - you may well get the 15 miles to Brooklands and back - taking it easy, but on your return, I'd immediately strip them down again and get to the root of the problem, which as Ian suggests must presumably be incorrect backplates fitted by the previous owner to accommodate the hydraulics.
The above is the reason why your wheel nuts will not tighten fully onto their studs - I personally wouldn't drive too far with the car in this condition.
It's very difficult to advise your next course of action without physically seeing what the previous owner has done to the car / what parts from other models he's fitted. Unfortunately I live at the other end of the country (far north) so can't help, are there any VMR members nearby that can call in and have a look at your cars set up?

Jeff
1936morriseight

[Highlander]

Have just returned from Brooklands. What a turnout! Over 50 vintage vehicles, 50 1930/40, and hundreds of 1940 to 70. I parked alongside a minor saloon, Fawn, UX 6524. I could not find the owner nor he me. I saw Roger Bird and he looked at my back axle and said it was from an 8hp. My Minor went the best it has ever gone and I am now sure my axle problem was with me when I purchased 5 years ago. The car is quiet, smooth on take off and reverse and seen much "tighter". Thanks for all the advice re taking it easy - I did. I will look at the brakes at my leasure. I am not sure if when tightening the wheel nuts the brake drum bottoms with the back plate. If this is the problem the easy way for me is to thick washer behind the couterset screws i.e. between hub and brake drum and the same between the Wheel studs and the brake drum - this will stop distorting. Roger told me the wheel nuts do not pull up to the ends of the studs. To answer Jeff's comment on useage I have used my minor a lot more than most - 2 to 3OOO mikles a year or 10000 in 5 years with no problem! One thing Sutton Rebore stated was the bearings had not been pushed, or tightened home. You could see on the inner race this 1/4inch mark. Anyway it is all water under the bridge now and to use another old Scottish quote - The mill is not turned by the waters that have passed. Ian I have many photographs which I will send snail mail. Highlander.

[Highlander]

We are almost there!!!! I have spent some time with the brake drums off and just looking. I had thought perhaps the brake linnings were not squared up to the drum but this is not the case. The problem is the brake drums bottoms o09n the back plate. I have put a thickish small washer between each wheel stud and put the drum back on and it is OKish. Question - Did early minors have a different brake drum? Are mine the right brake drums? I could machine 1/4inch off the outside edge BUT there is also a rounded indentation right arround the drum just below the outer edge which also bottoms. What is the answer. The cars goes well but I would enot be happy on a long run and I would like a few more turns on the wheel nuts. I have been looking at my Morris Minor operation Manual 1932 edition, page 23 "rear wheel hub and brake" The bottom right hand picture shows my felt washer (Which everyone told me to ditch) between the hub and the brake flange! I am now at a complete loss. If I had kept this felt washer I would be in the ight place but the lock nut would be only half way on. Off to bed. Highlander.

[ian judd]

I suggest you have another look at the backplates. If the previous owner put 8 backplates on this would explain all the spacing problems you have. You can see the difference ( if they are different ) by looking at them from the back without having to remove the drums. The Minor hydraulic backplates ( front and rear) are the same as the front ones on the 8 and have a sort of pear shaped indentation. This is what sets them in that crucial 1/4 inch. The Morris 8 rear backplate lacks this indentation, which will be why the extra spacer was put behind the bearing. I think it's unlikely that you have a complete Morris 8 backaxle as they are about 3 inches wider.
All these backplates will fit perfectly EXCEPT the REAR one from a Morris 8!
All the drums are the same dimensions apart from fact that the 8 has six studs and a tin rim screwed to the edge to keep water out.
Cheers
Ian

[Highlander]

Ian, Thank you for your comments. I have just been out to the garage, bitterly cold this morning in Surrey, and my back plates have NO pear shaped indentation. Just straight up and down. Does this mean I should be 1/4inch further out?,and how do I do this without the trouble of finding minor back plates and fitting them? I drove the minor to Cobham and back yesterday - 20 miles with my small washer conversion behind the wheel studs - all went well and I checked when I got home and everything still tight. I am still mystified re this 1/4inch washer. Is the minor axle tube from shoulder to end of thread different from an 8 tube? I must bring this saga to an end soon as it is getting longer than War and Peace!!!!!. Highlander.

[ian judd]

It really is just the backplate that makes the difference, because the 8 one doesn't have the recess it is set further out. The 8 has a bigger hub with a wider bearing so the drum is further out as well, which is why it doesn't touch the backplate.
Why don't you advertise for a couple of Minor backplates (front or rear) or 8 (front only) then at least you can solve the problem if your washer on the studs idea does not work out?
All the best,
Ian