a couple of questions about springs

[tr6lover]

hi guys, i have a 70 tr6 and i rebuilt the rear suspension which had badly worn springs, looked nice but the suspension kept bottoming out. anyway i had bought a set of springs on ebay a while back which are new but they make the car sit too high. they have 8 coils for the rear and are the same length as originals uncompressed. i plan on changing them with good parts springs when i get some money but has anyone cut the taller springs we are getting today to bring the car back down to where it should be? i was thinking about this and i know that it will make the springs stiffer. also i was wondering if anyone could post the buckeye lost thread again? im looking for the pdwa article. thanks
Randy

 

[piman]

Hello Randy,

the problem with cutting springs is that you lose the flat bottom (or top) coil. You need to make up some sort of adapter for the spring to sit square.
Surely a set of springs of the correct specification is not expensive?

Alec

 

[TR6oldtimer]

The Wiki Triumph page has a link to the Buckeye 'lost' pages near the bottom.

https://www.britishcarforum.com/tikiwiki/tiki-index.php?page=Triumph

 

[TR3driver]

the problem with cutting springs is that you lose the flat bottom (or top) coil.

However, with care and lots of water to keep things cool, you can grind the last coil flat again.

 

[foxtrapper]

You don't need to worry about flattening the bottom of the coil, it will sit well enough once the weight of the car is on it.

I've been running cut coils off and on for many years on various vehicles.

 

[tr6lover]

thanks a lot guys, the springs in the back ride nice but make it look like a freakin suv! ugh.....like i said i want to buy goodparts springs but just dont have the money offhand so i guess it will have to wait. does anyone have a set they didnt like and would like to sell them? anyhow thanks for the link to the articles, the problem with my pdwa is that it is leaking slowly from the switch, through the top where it plugs in, not where it screws into the pdwa. of course this part is no longer available from the major 3. thanks
Randy

 

[TR3driver]

the problem with my pdwa is that it is leaking slowly from the switch, through the top where it plugs in, not where it screws into the pdwa. of course this part is no longer available from the major 3.

It's not the switch's fault; it isn't supposed to have fluid under it. One of the piston seals is leaking. The later seals should be available.

 

[tr6lover]

thanks tr3driver, i was looking at the switch and kind of thinking that maybe it wasnt supposed to seal and that something else was wrong...this is an early car (70) so hopefully i can find seals but ill refer to the article to see what it says...or ill have to hunt down a late one. anyone got an extra pdwa?
Randy

 

[TR3driver]

BTW, TRF does list the switch, as P/N GI64677381.

I've seen PDWAs on eBay, seem to recall someone was even selling pistons to convert early units to the later O-ring seals.

 

[RonMacPherson]

Another option is find a wrecking yard. Get an Early Acura Legend(pre 89) rear springs same diameter, close in rating(I forget now what they were, as it was almost 20 years ago when I measured them) And they can be cut to any length you want at very little cost.

 

[piman]

Hello Randall\Foxtrapper,
sorry but no, it doesn't work well. The end coils are not wound to the same pitch as the rest of the spring so you will not get a full flat 360 degrees. As for just cutting and fitting, forget it, that bends the spring. In the U.K the word is Bodge, I don't know what you call it over there?

Alec