TR2/3/3A TR3 rear spring to axle joint

[JPeter]

Is there suppose to be a spacer of some kind between the top of the rear spring and the axle flange?
My pins on the top of the springs are too tall and prevent the spring from seating corectly outo the axle flange.
The pin is clearly .090 inches too tall.
Have other folks just ground off the top of the pin until it just clears?
None of the usual suspects show any such spacers in their catalogs.
I realize that the pin keeps the axle and spring keyed together.
Any comments will be appreciated - thanks.

 

[Tinkerman]

Hi:
I finished my frame about a year ago. I'm going to try to attach a picture. There was no spacer. As I recall there was a hole in the axel flange and that is where the pin went. DO NOT grind down the top of the pin.
Regards, Tinkerman
Guess I can't attached a picture. If you send me a PM I will email the picture to you.

 

[Alan_Myers]

Hi,

I agree, that "pin" should fit into a corresponding hole on the axle pad. The pin is there to keep the axle from shifting any direction. If it doesn't line up or something got bent somehow, it might take a little fussing to get it to align and fit into place. On my TR4, the axle pad on one side was bent enough to keep the two from fitting together. I ended up heating the axle pad with a welding torch and bending the pad back into shape with various tools. It's now a good fit.

However, yes, at some point, spacers were used on only the RH (passenger) side of the cars (in the U.S., i.e. with LH drive cars). The spacer lowers that side a little bit so that the car is level when viewed from the rear, while the driver is in the car (without a passenger). In other words, the spacer was used to offset the slight settling of the suspension whenever the driver sits in the car. The spacer is roughly 1/4" thick.

I think the spacer was added sometime during TR3 production. It was continued on through TR4, at least until the rear suspension was revised around CT25xxx-something). Spacers are often incorrectly reinstalled on the wrong side, or left out completely.

Spacers were not used when heavy duty leaf springs were installed, only with the standard rate springs. There is some question if spacers were ever used on the passenger side of RH drive cars in England.

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[barneys56tr3]

hi J,
I just finished installing new leaf springs on my tr3. The head of center bolt was definitely to long. I removed the bolt and hack sawed pins head to the proper length. Put everything back together and it works fine.