A tight and fresh front suspension is key to a comfortable (and safe) driving experience. Over the years, suspension components age out, wear out, or just plain fail, and this can cause headaches for anyone faced with this reality.
Unlike a more modern car, which would employ ball joints in its front suspension, Bugeyes and Spridgets alike (and many other British cars from the era) use what is known as a “King pin” front suspension system. Whereas a ball joint pivots in whatever direction is necessary for proper suspension function, a King pin is a rigid link between the upper control arm (or in the case of a Sprite or midget, the shock absorber) and the lower control arm, and utilizes a screw, known as a fulcrum pin, to obtain its travel.
Of course, as with any metal-on-metal component, these fulcrum pins wear against the control arm’s threads over time, creating wear, and, ultimately, slop. In the photo below, you can see what we can only describe as the most worn-out fulcrum pin perhaps in the history of British automobiles, pulled from a Bugeye in this week for a suspension refresh.
A worn fulcrum pin such as this is not only unpleasant in terms of driving experience ( a tight front end is good!), but also poses a safety concern. Pictured below are a few examples of other severely worn suspension components, all of which warrant a hard look at a complete suspension overhaul.
The best course of action you can take with your front suspension is to take the opportunity to install all-new front suspension components. New complete drum brake king pin assemblies are not available new, and as such need to be rebuilt; we have all of the components available in our major rebuild kit, which you can order by clicking the photo below or by clicking here. the only downside to this is you will need to ream the bushings for the king pin once they are installed, which requires special equipment.
Though a full king pin refurbish is a wonderful way to reset the clock on your Bugeye’s front suspension, a much easier and better way to proceed is by taking the opportunity to convert to front disc brakes. Our front disc brake conversion kit comes with a brand new, pre-fitted front disc brake king pin assembly (meaning no bushing reaming needed), as well as all of the braking components necessary to convert to the superior front disc brakes. Later Sprites and Midgets will already have front disc brakes, and as such, this kit will serve as a rebuild kit for your brakes and front king pins. This, coupled with two new control arms (sold separately), new lever shocks (also sold separately), and some smaller items like new rubber bushings, and and your front end is better than it was when it was fresh off the factory floor! Click the photo below to learn more!
Additional parts that you will want to consider changing while you are rebuilding your front suspension are pictured below; among them is another great front end upgrade, our tube shock conversion kit, which eliminates the oft-leaky front lever shocks and replaces it with a much more durable, much easier-to-service tube shock setup! You can learn more about the front tube shock conversion by clicking here for a handy article regarding them. Click the photos below to learn more about the other front end components available in our parts catalog, or click here for our complete line of front suspension components!
