TR4/4A TR4 vs 4A front springs

[mondialo64]

Are the Tr4 and 4A front coils interchangable?
661-630 $66.50 COIL SPRING (approx. 9 3/4" free length)

TR2-4 to CT29984

versus

661-650 $30.95 FRONT COIL SPRING, 'long'-approx. 10 1/4

I actually want an additional bit of height to keep larger wheels from bottoming out. Only 1/2 inch difference. Any issue with the packing pieces? are they common?

Thanks Charlie
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/eek.gif

 

[Simon TR4a]

Can't answer for sure but I think they changed from a metal packing piece to the rubber rattle preventer and the spring length changed, possibly may have been a spring for export markets with rough roads. I grew up in Africa in the 1950's and 1960's and remember my dad checking the ground clearance figures when shopping for a new car!

The price difference makes me wonder if singles or pairs are being quoted.

Won't the car ride awfully high with larger diameter wheels AND taller springs, or are you planning to use low profile tyres?
Simon.

 

[Alan_Myers]

Hi,

Those springs are fully interchangeable, per service bulletins and the factory repair manual. Be sure to change springs as a matched set. With the later/longer springs, just leave out the aluminum packing pieces. Ride height will be about the same. The free length of the springs isn't a good comparison, since it doesn't consider their compression under load.

The rubber anti-rattle grommets are the same. You use a total of six per car with the aluminum packing pieces, four per car with the longer springs and no packing pieces.

Newer springs *might* have less sag or be a little stiffer initially to prevent tires bottoming out in all but the most severe bumps. There are also "heavy duty" or "perfomance" grade springs that are quite stiff and unlikely to let the suspension bottom out. An anti-sway bar would also likely limit travel.

Alternatively, you could add some height by putting some specailly machined metal spring spacers in or those twist in spacers that go into the spring coils or might even be able to fine tune things a little by adding a rubber anti-rattle grommet or two at the top and/or bottom of the springs.

But I'd seriously think twice about this because it will mess up the car's front-to-rear balance, not to mention look odd with the car's nose up in the air. Plus, on these sports cars (as opposed to Jeeps and SUVs) most folks look to reduce ride height for better handling, not increase it.

Cheers!

Alan Myers
San Jose, Calif.
'62 TR4 CT17602L (lowered to 4.5" ground clearance, stock is about 6")

 

[mondialo64]

Right now I sit with 4" of ground clearance which is fun but to close. Top of fender has an 1" at the top an a bit less at the top rear of the front tires. They are 205 14 period mags. great traction but bottoming out. who has the stiffer springs? I think the moss price was each.

 

[Alan_Myers]

If you are running 14" wheels and the car sits that low and has so little clearance, maybe someone has already removed the aluminum spacers from a set of the shorter springs. That was a common "lowering trick" in the old days, but really doesn't pre-load the shorter springs enough. The aluminum spacers are 1.25" thick.

I had a set of 14" mag wheels on my TR4 originally, but they had too little offset. I don't know what they were off of. Wider track made the car really stick in the corners, but I never could get adequate clearance with those wheels, even though they were smaller diameter. I even tried a 195/60 or 65 tire, but they still kissed the fender on hard cornering.

About 5 years ago I finally ended up getting a set of 15" x 5.5" wheels with the correct offset, now clad with 195/60 Goodyear tires. No clearance problems and room to lower the car more, if I choose. I probably will because there is presently 2.5" clearance between the tire and the edge of the fender, which looks a little much.

Moss, Victoria British and others sell the heavy duty springs. Shop around. Moss is about the most expensive place to buy most parts. Try TRF, British Frame & Engine, and some of the smaller shops.

If you need a set of the aluminum spacers, you'll probably have to track down some used ones. Triumphs Only might have them, or Ted Schumacher at TSI. Or, post a request here and see if anyone has a spare set.

Be a little wary of using HD springs up front with standard leaf springs in the rear. I'm not sure how they will balance. Might be okay without a front sway bar, but might be too stiff with one. I guess the only way to be sure is to try them and see if it works okay. I've got HD both front and rear, plus a .75" front sway bar, Konis up front and HD lever shocks at the rear. It's a damned stiff setup! You can hardly bounce the car at all. I'm working now to lower the rear about 1.5" with spacers between the springs and the axles (4" between the tire 60-series tire and edge of fender). I may end up going to a softer setup eventually, if I can't stand the ride! It should corner like it's on rails, though!

Alan Myers
San Jose, Calif.
'62 TR4 CT17602L