Jensen-Healey Front Suspension Improvements

Healey Journal

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Having decided to upgrade the suspension and engine I didn't want the car to just sit around on sawhorses like my Big Healey for months on end while I did the work and farmed things out to experts so I set about acquiring the major suspension components so that I could take my time and have everything done right. So I watched e-bay and got sets of front and rear components without too much trouble or much money. I stripped everything down, had it all sand-blasted, and then primed it with POR-15 anti-rust primer and then painted them gloss black. So everything looks very nice indeed when put together with the new hardware....

I bought all new hardware, new polyurethane bushings; shock absorbers and uprated springs. I also got an anti-roll bar to finish uprating the suspension. The brakes too were improved with larger calipers, Mintex pads and new disks. New wheel bearings and seals were also installed.

Everything went togeter well. I did have the new bushings pressed in by a local garage so that thankless task was outsourced. All parts seemed available new but for the bump stops- the old ones cleaned up well with white spirit and a stiff brushing, then a coat of "rubber" paint made them look as if they too were brand new. The rubber cushions fit to the tops of the springs were badly worn and I although I could find new ones they were very different looking- thin and flat where the old were quite thick and better molded to the shape of the spring. I hope these work... we'll see.

The spring compressed and the stub axle installed. This needed a bit of effort, and I used the stub axle and ball joints to help pull it all together.

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