AH 300 ride height

[twigworker]

I have a 63 3000 in the shop that seems to be sitting even lower than it did when new. The owner is continually dragging the muffler and I am trying to offer a few options for raising the chassis ride height a little.

I know that I can build a set of longer shackles for the rear eyes and I know that the OEM shackles for the BJ7 and different than those for a BJ8, but I don't know if they would interchange or even if they are of different lengths anyway.

Another option would be to swap the OEM BJ7 springs for those that are supposed to be on a BJ8. I am told that the earlier springs will bolt in to LOWER the ride height of the later cars and it would seem that reversing that would get what I need.

If anyone wants to toss in any real world experience please do so.

Jack

 

[Dave Russell]

The Healey ride height is always a compromise. Raising the ride height increases the compression (bump) travel. At the same time it decreases the rebound travel.

The later BJ8's had increased frame clearance to allow for more compression travel without reducing rebound travel.

A car with ride height set too high will have little rebound travel & constantly top out over small bumps. Too low ride height will reduce compression travel, bad, while increasing rebound travel, good.

I've not tried late BJ8 springs on a early car but there are enough dimensional differences that it would not be an easy task.

As a rule of thumb, a dimension of 28 inches between lower top wheel well edge & ground is considered optimum on a late BJ8 & 27 inches on earlier models. Since ride height with new springs can decrease noticeably within a fairly short time as the new springs take a set, it can take a fair amount of juggling/refitting to get to the end desired result. I think all replacement springs are manufactured by the same company so there is not really much choice.

New replacement springs of the older design with double wrapped (military wrap) ends seem to have their own problem of the outer wrap not being tightly enough secured & constant rattling over small bumps. I tried tightening the gap with metal spacers which always worked loose in a short time. Finally inserted thick rubber pads on both sides of the outer leaf ends & no more rattles.
D

 

[bt7tricarb]

I used either Dennis Welch springs or Cape International uprated springs (can't remember off the top of my head) on my '62 during its rebuild. They are a bit stiffer, but nothing too noticeable. The ride height "looks" the same, but I don't drag bottom over speed bumps like I used to.

https://www.bighealey.co.uk/section.php?id=10&page=2

https://www.cape-international.com/capeshop.php?parttypes=36&thepart=11803

 

[KindredSpirit]

Got new rear springs off of AH Spares with an extra leaf in them.

Did the job! Happy out! No probs now.