Rear subframe

[Geoff Butcher]

Looking for the cause of the horrible crashing and banging from the back of my car I noticed there are two subframe mountings above where the hydragas units would be. The Haynes book only shows a mounting on each side at the front. Was this a Midas mod or has Haynes got it wrong?

Noise could be something to do with the fact that the o/s suspension doesn't move. I wasn't expecting that...

[ACourtney]

On the Metro, the back of the rear subframe is located by a pair of U-shaped straps that loop around the hydragas units, which will support it in droop, whilst there are a pair of thick rubber packers between the body and the back of the subframe to take the weight. Obviously, without the hydragas units, the U-straps become redundant.

The standard Midas mod is to drill a pair of 5/16" (or 8mm) clearance holes on the top rear corners of the subframe and to locate the subframe through the boot floor using some damper top type rubber mountings, This is best explained by viewing the manual (the Gold convertible one can be seen on the MOC website - http://midasownersclub.co.uk/downloads/ pages 37 to 39). You don't have to stick with the arrangement shown, the second rubber washer/bush could be underneath, between the subrame and the nut, so that only a penny washer and the bolt head show through the boot floor. The important thing is that two rubber washers/bushes are used on each so that shocks will be absorbed in both bump and droop, otherwise you will get much more noise coming through.

[Geoff Butcher]

Those bushes could do with replacing, not sure where to get such large ones, though.

I've found the cause of the banging and crashing. In 2014 I fitted a pair of Protechs, but I wasn't keen on them and after 3 months I got a mega-expensive pair of custom-made Ledas, one of which failed a couple of weeks ago. I then put the Protechs back on, and took one off today to find it's seized solid! I doubt whether they've done a thousand miles...I'm glad now I didn't sell them or someone on here probably wouldn't have been very pleased with me! The dead Protech is going back for investigation. That's two damper failures on the same corner in two weeks. I seem to be going through a bad patch

[max midas]

"That's two damper failures on the same corner in two weeks"
You don't ave a favourite local corner you like to speed round that turns the opposite way to the above mentioned corner by any chance?

[Geoff Butcher]

Speed round corners, moi? The failure modes were completely different, but it does seem odd...just a chance in a million, like the time I was struck by lightning

[Geoff Butcher]

The standard Midas mod is to drill a pair of 5/16" (or 8mm) clearance holes on the top rear corners of the subframe and to locate the subframe through the boot floor using some damper top type rubber mountings, This is best explained by viewing the manual (the Gold convertible one can be seen on the MOC website - http://midasownersclub.co.uk/downloads/ pages 37 to 39).

It seems I have belt and braces! One bush inside the car, one between the body and the subframe and one under the subframe.

[kelvink]

Well the braces would kinda work as an insulating bush but not too sure about the belt, unless of course it's elasticated