Marlin suspension front and rear

[phild]

This has possibly been discussed before but I will witter on. The other week I happened to walk past a Morris Minor with no front valence and noticed the tie bar mounts, this got me thinking about some of the recent posts about lack of marina suspension parts available. I know BL raided there parts bins to build the Marina, which implies that they would make as few changes to tooling as possible for the components. Looking online a lot of the components look the same I could not find out the length of the torsion bars but they looked much the same. If anyone has access to a morris minor it may be worth getting a tape mesure to the parts.
This could be helpful for two reasons, The parts themselves and a possible reduction in the harshness of the suspension due to the spring rates.

Vehicle weights

Marina 940 KG

Morris Minor 762 Kg

Marlin 600 Kg

Front suspension

A look online will show plenty of MM torsion bars available old and new

Rear suspension

If the Rear springs are the same length, spacers could be put on the spring mounts and axle mounts adjusted.

Other options if they are different lengths could be welding new mounts or approaching MM specialists and asking questions (If they can make torsion different bars and springs for Minors they can make them for Marinas)

I expect to get shot down by those who know more than me but I thought was still worth putting the ideas out there as it may stimulate other options.

Cheers Phil D

[FranklinLeicester]

Re: Marlin suspension front and rear

My local garage is run by a Morris Minor fanatic and when he does the MOT he always passes the comment that there was nothing wrong with the Minor chassis parts so why did they go to the trouble and expense of changing everything. He claims there are no common chassis parts on the 2 cars.

[stevejgreen]

Re: Marlin suspension front and rear

There is nothing in my experience that transfers directly from a Marina to a Minor though there are generic similarities.
Minor owners seek out Marina parts to improve performance, particularly braking, not the other way around.

There are only two available torsion bars that fit a Marina, distinguishable by their diameters.

[HairyDave]

Re: Marlin suspension front and rear

If there is a supply problem with torsion bars, might it be time to think about wishbones and Coilovers? I know it has been mentioned before.

[stevejgreen]

Re: Marlin suspension front and rear

If there is a supply problem with torsion bars, might it be time to think about wishbones and Coilovers? I know it has been mentioned before.

I don’t think there is a specific supply problem.
This whole subject still revolves around the bad press that the Marina got when it was first released.
The Marina suspension was designed with the weight of the engine in front of the engine, the rack behind the weight of the cast iron boat anchor.
The roadster is nothing like a Marina, it’s a compromise.

[HairyDave]

Re: Marlin suspension front and rear

I've had a few Marinas and I found a big meaty anti-roll bar made them handle very well, for a 'cooking' saloon car. Understeer was almost eliminated.

[duncan]

Re: Marlin suspension front and rear

Putting a "big meaty anti-roll bar" on the front will INCREASE understeer!!

[stevejgreen]

Re: Marlin suspension front and rear

The subject is not the Marina but the application of Marina parts in a different configuration in a very different vehicle with very different weight distribution.
The Marlin Roadster is a bunch of compromises often based on unknown as in estate or saloon, donor vehicles.
There are only two standard torsion bars for a Marina. Much of the suspension comes from tyre wall deflection with tyres around 20psi.

[HairyDave]

Re: Marlin suspension front and rear

Duncan, I found with brisk driving of Vans, saloons 13&1800, estates 18 &1700 it made them handle loads better when driven briskly.

Obviously as Steve Green points out, the Roadster is a very different ball game. My 1800 does not have an anti-roll bar.

[stevejgreen]

Re: Marlin suspension front and rear

Duncan, I found with brisk driving of Vans, saloons 13&1800, estates 18 &1700 it made them handle loads better when driven briskly.

Obviously as Steve Green points out, the Roadster is a very different ball game. My 1800 does not have an anti-roll bar.

Is that a front anti roll bar?

to help others which torsion bar did you prefer, which donor, what part number, and what diameter?