More front end progress

With some more thought and planning, as well as seeing JLH's front end as a sanity check, I was happy to get stuck in with the cutting discs and the next step of the front end. JLH are a small local company that specialise in Morris Minors, but are starting to branch into Spridgets too with go faster bits.

I say sanity check, as I had been thinking about where to put the coil over. As I imagine JLH found out, the only sensible way to fit one of a good length is to remove a chunk from the front of the suspension tower to allow one to get near to the plate the lever arms normally bolt to. I have seen short ones fitted up into the tower where the coil spring normally sits, but for a road going car that won't work well. I was a bit worried about cutting so much from the outer edge off, but as John has already done what I was thinking of, I now feel much happier about wading in. I just hope he knows what he's doing......

Before I got too stuck in, I wanted to cut the remaining bits of the front support brackets off. I had thought about keeping them, but when I sat and look at them in more detail, it's just not worth it as wider ones will do a much better job. To give better access I also cut the steering rack cross member out, as it's welds are cracked and it was going to have to come out at some point anyway. Now just helps make things easier.



This shows the line that I plan on cutting the tower back to. I expect this to cut back into the upper spring mount, but how much I'm not sure yet.



This shows the first level-ish cut made and how far into the spring mount it's gone.



With the now accessible welds ground back, I'm left with a fairly level surface to which I can weld a reinforcing cover plate as well as seam weld the tower where I can get to it. This plate will tie everything back together with in the tower itself. There will then be a second plate to link across to the upper left hand A arm mount, which will be set back into the triangular frame to the left of the tower. The box for the mount will be the full depth of the frame to make it as strong as possible. I won't be fully closing the lower edge of the spring mount to the cover plate, as the big hole in the bottom will be act as a drain should anything get in.



Before I can put the cover plate on I will need to sort the lower support brackets out, as well as clean and paint the inside of the tower, as the plate will limit access to the bits I need to weld. I suspect I'll have to make the brackets on the car from sheet, as I doubt I'll be able to make them in one piece on the bench.