Vintage Minor Register

Started work on the front axle and brakes today. We have a pair of wide rim drums, so have decided to fit these to the front axle in an effort to help with the marginal braking. The rear drums had a strap round, which I assume is designed to help stiffen the drums up. It had a double ended bolt with a left hand thread one side and a right hand thread the other. Of course no matter how careful I was and applying plenty of heat they both sheared...so we had to make new ones. Tricky little things to make...used stainless in an effort to stop them seizing again.

Hi Bruce,

Good work with machining those left hand threads!

Those bands are not to stiffen the drum, they are anti-squeak bands. They should have a strip of rubber fitted between them and the drums. While these were not fitted to every Minor on production, I have photos of cars at the factory that are fitted with them. Perhaps they were fitted it the brakes squeaked on the factory road test.

Here's aMorris Motors close-up of the prototype Semi-sports. It shows road mud, but the wider shot shows it to be unlicensed.

Thanks Ian,

Lovely photo. There was no sign of rubber between the band on our drums. I will fit a thin strip in that case for originality sake.

Thanks,
Bruce