Blind Moose Returns

[BobbyD]

Well... I've got the Blind Moose kit and I've got the 1-1/4" angle iron for the brace.......but it's 7 degrees F out side soooooo....... it'll be a few days before I attack this. Maybe I'll have pictures and text by the end of next week.

 

[Trick6]

Bob:

Was "that guy" able to get you the shocks quicker?

 

[BobbyD]

Perhaps I am missing something, Bob. Don't you have to drill holes in both the frame and the shock mount, to attach the extra bracket? Or are there existing holes that get reused?

Randall.....the Blind Moose bracket bolts directly to the old lever shock mounting holes. I just got around to making up the extra brackets and I can see where the cars can be a little different. Herman told me that 18" of angle iron bent at 40-45 degrees would give me plenty of extra length that I'd have to trim away later. And that I'd need to make two cuts for two different bends. As you can see in the picture, 18" barely gave me enough length. I did the cut up top which gives me 40-45 degrees but the bottom hits right on the tie down bracket so there's no need for the bottom cut. I don't think Herman has the tie down bracket on his car.

 

[Trick6]

Bob:
I am thinking of turning the angle of the brace material toward the inside. As the angle stock turns 40-45 degrees down toward the frame, I will remove one of the rails of the angle iron when it contacts the frame and run the other rail by and bolt it to the frame as normal. I believe that the install will look better and not suffer from the tension or compression forces placed on it.

Just a thought that I am working on.

 

[Got_All_4]

I'm beginning to wonder if all these failures and potential failures is worth the conversion. Last summer I was going to do the conversion when I started to hear about these problems and decided to stick with the original lever shocks. I don't really mind the ride. Is the ride difference worth the concern of failure haunting you and always comming up with these fixes?

 

[Trick6]

The fun of it for me is always upgrading and improving the car. It isn't for everyone. Tinkering is my affliction. The lever shock ride for me suffered. It was soft in the corners and there is no fun in sticking a corner and the rear end goes wishy washy. Nope. I love the stiff teeth destroying suspension. But, that's me.

Oh yea. I like anchovies also.

 

[BobbyD]

I'm beginning to wonder if all these failures and potential failures is worth the conversion. Last summer I was going to do the conversion when I started to hear about these problems and decided to stick with the original lever shocks. I don't really mind the ride. Is the ride difference worth the concern of failure haunting you and always comming up with these fixes?

I asked the question in 6-Pack and I'll ask it here...... Has anyone had a problem with the Blind Moose conversion who added the extra brace? Herman added the brace years ago and no one puts more miles, especially long distance miles, on a car than he does. So far no one has said they've had a problem which leads me to believe that it's a good design as long as you add the extra brace. Or maybe it's a bad design because it requires the brace! In any case I'm almost done with the conversion and the brace. When I get my site updated I'll let you know.

 

[Got_All_4]

I must say that I've never driven a TR with the conversion and I'm all for upgrading, just don't want to tear up my car. For now I'm going to stick with the original geometry but going to add my Addco heavy (7/8") anti sway wars front and back and watch for more subject matter on this issue before I make the conversion. Now I've been wondering what issues I'll run across with the sway bars.

 

[TR6BILL]

I'm beginning to wonder if all these failures and potential failures is worth the conversion. Last summer I was going to do the conversion when I started to hear about these problems and decided to stick with the original lever shocks. I don't really mind the ride. Is the ride difference worth the concern of failure haunting you and always comming up with these fixes?

In a word....No

 

[BobbyD]

Bill.......I'm still waiting to hear if anyone with the extra brace has experienced any of the problems that people without the brace experienced. So far only a couple of people, you included, have had a failure but you didn't have the extra brace and I don't believe your mount was the Blind Moose mount. Same idea but made by someone else. So we know a couple of people who have had a frame failure after installing the mount and I know that Herman has the mount <span style="font-weight: bold">with brace</span> on all of his Triumphs and after about 5 years and tens of thousands of miles, there's no sign of any frame stress. Last year someone in here or in 6-Pack put together an order for a whole bunch of these to be made up. I'd love to hear what their experience has been. Ideally the bracket should be sold with the brace but making one up is easy enough to do and doesn't cost much.

When people saw a picture of my existing shock conversion, picture below, they told me that it was unsafe and that it would rip the sheet metal and was doomed to failure. I just removed it and will update my site later but will tell you that after 11 years of use, the sheet metal is perfect and the bolt holes are still perfectly round.

 

[swift6]

Oh yea. I like anchovies also.

 

[RomanH]

I installed Herman's brace in the fall of '07 after having the rear cross member fail that spring. I met Herman at VTR in Valley Forge and we discussed this very issue and he showed me his car. After the convention I promptly built this upgrade and have been very happy with it. I have driven my car about 5k miles mostly on the potholes that we call streets in Chicago and everything looks and feels to be holding well. I check the frame rails regularly and have not seen any new cracks develop since the install.
A perceived side benefit seems to be more positive handling in the curves since all movement is taken out of the shock mount. The only negative is that the ride is harsher.

 

[Got_All_4]

Hope this photo comes out but this is the conversion I was referring to. It came out of an old Moss catalog. I believe it would spread the load out and save your frames and no unsightly supports to deal with too. I also don't like the fact that these conversions limits the size of the tires you can use.

 

[Got_All_4]

Bobbyd
Hi this is Larry TR3250. I've been participating in this discussion on the tube shock mounts. I got a favor to ask. If you have some time would you take a measurement of the top 90 degree bracket from the center of the shaft to the inside of the bracket? I thinking of a better less bulky way to support the tower of the shock mount. Thanks!

 

[BobbyD]

Larry...check your PMs