What have you done today with your Austin Seven

[Robert Leigh]

The other end of the spring is free to move in relation to the axle to a limited extent, and when this happens the axle will pivot slightly in the new anchorage. It will be a very small movement, and possibly in practice it will not cause a problem.

[Steve Jones]

After you'd done something, have you ever wished you hadn't bothered?

Steve

[Alan]

Depends on who disagrees with you and who doesn’t

[Mike Costigan]

OK, so I'm showing my engineering ignorance here, but why are you locking the nearside shackle? Surely you need to lock the offside to preserve the steering geometry?

[Alan]

Doesn’t make a deal of difference which one you immobilise. The result is the axle can’t move side to side. Bits of old tyre wedged in have the same effect but it’s not really elegant is it?

[AustinWood]

Not elegant but simple, cheap and effective,

[Tony Griffiths]

Instead of a piece of old tyre, a slightly better-looking solution might be a rubber block that some of us have used to fit on hood-support brackets, like these. Perhaps with a half-round slot filed oor milled across the middle - to register against the curved end of the spring - it could be 'squeezed' into place and so held securely?

[Alan]

Tony you have reminded me. A long time ago, probably nearer to 50 than 40 years, I acquired a box of sundry Austin 7 spares. Apart from the nippy gearbox and carburettors were several figure of eight rubber blocks, exactly the right size and shape. Should still be there somewhere but I suppose the rubber has perished.

[Dave Mann]

I can see the logic of these mods but in 50 odd years of driving Sevens I'd not experienced kick back through the steering on uneven roads and no trying to dive into the bushes (or the HGV coming the other way) when hitting a bump or pot hole maybe because I try to avoid pot holes. Then about 10 years ago I tried a set of Longstone tyres and found the problem, a phone call to Longstones advised me to try 30 psi or more that made it worse. After a particularly alarming run I fitted the Avon shod wheels off another car and retraced my journey with no alarming incidents and I phoned Longstones to order some Avon tyres. Try ours was the response, I have and the car is all over the road was my reply, what tire pressure are you using? 30 psi as recommended, at that pressure the car will be all over the road try 20psi do you still want the Avons, yes please. I did try 20 psi which was marginally better but I'd lost faith in Longstones.

[Tony Griffiths]

Tony you have reminded me.  A long time ago, probably nearer to 50 than 40 years, I acquired a box of sundry Austin 7 spares.  Apart from the nippy gearbox and carburettors were several figure of eight rubber blocks, exactly the right size and shape. Should still be there somewhere but I suppose the rubber has perished.

Alan, might you have some pictures of the 'figure of eight' rubber blocks - and their dimensions? I'd be very interested to see what they look like.