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Hi can someone please put me right with these radius arms, just taking them off my 1960 Minor, i presume one is the original and one replaced with a newer one, as the car is not going to be an "original" rebuild, whats the implications of re using them ? as both have very good bearings with no play , is there any tracking issues ?

Bottom one is original style, top one is later.

Personally I'd re use both of them, but I am sure that some folks would rather scrat around finding a second early type to make a matched pair.

Functionally, they are identical.

Cheers Mark

was hoping you would say that, my only real worry was the tracking and keeping the car "straight"

If i find one to make a matching pair before its fitting time to make them match I may do that

If you're not bothered about the originality, I'd either shelve the original type one, in case a mate ever turns up, or flog it - no doubt it would fetch reaqsonable money.
I would be curious as to whether the newer ones may be stronger too?

Didn't the early cars have bushes in both ends before they worked out a bearing in the Inboard end would stop that end from siezing? Off hand, I can't recall when they changed over.

GraemeC wrote:If you're not bothered about the originality, I'd either shelve the original type one, in case a mate ever turns up, or flog it - no doubt it would fetch reaqsonable money.
I would be curious as to whether the newer ones may be stronger too?

Yeah if a good matching later one turns up I think ill do that Graeme

The early ones were welded up from sheet metal and the later cast. The early ones did have a bushing at both ends. I'm not sure when the change over came I know my 64 1071 S has the early ones. There always seemed to be some concern about rust issues with the early ones. We have early ones on a vintage car here in the states and after a long weekend of Nick Swift bouncing her off the curbs if they are not broken they won't be. On my vintage car I machined bushing for the inner end of the later arms. They get so little use and there is so little movement. I also machine a tube to connect the two bushes. The old steel tubes were great but the new plastic tube will rupture under grease gun pressure. If you work on enough arms you will find one full of grease. Steve (CTR)

billycooper wrote:Hi can someone please put me right with these radius arms, just taking them off my 1960 Minor, i presume one is the original and one replaced with a newer one, as the car is not going to be an "original" rebuild, whats the implications of re using them ? as both have very good bearings with no play , is there any tracking issues ?

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The newer arm, pictured at the top, seems to have a hydrolastic quadrant on it, can anyone tell from these pics if its a hydrolastic arm or if the quadrants are interchangeable

neither of those arms are hydro

the hydro ones have the tapped boss for the bump rubber, so are easily spotted - you can use them on a dry car of you press the stubs outand swop them for dry ones (so you can fit the shockers), but its a load of hassle

the hydro quadrant will fit on a dry car, but maybe throws the handbrake cable / adjustment out as the little stopper bit is in a different place???

Fab !

Strange, I can't see the pictures.

sorry, if you go to the start of the thread, Cheers

Thank you, I should have tried that.