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Bugger! Front suspension issue[s] - need some help

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tdskip

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Well, those of you that had faith I'd not screw up the front suspension rebuild have been sorely disappointed (you'll get over it I'm sure). I finished the rebuild, made sure everything was tight and then took her for a drive. Once she settled in she was rubbing her tires when I made any sort of turn.

Some background - this is the car that had the bent spring pan.

1) Should the car settle after 10-20 feet of driving?

2) Ideas as to why she was lower on the driver side than the passenger side despite using the same springs and bushings all the way around?

3) I installed the shorter 8.75 tall by 3 inch (interior diameter) wide front springs from this thread;

Old thread on springs

which suggest I need to go back to regular height.

4) The original springs are slightly uneven in height as you can see here and look slightly bent. Am I correct in that due to the height mismatch and bend that they are scrap?

1974TR6frontsuspension13.jpg
 
Wait a second - the problem might be me. I reserved my wishbone arms per Williams <span style="font-weight: bold">and</span> put on lower springs. Combination of the two is too much I think....
 
Tom,

Redo the wishbones and you'll probably be fine. I like the looks of the new spring versus the old ones.

How about posting a few pictures one of these days? It's been a while since you've shown an update.
 
You are giving me a headache. Back to the drawing board. By the Bye, did you get a replacement for that lower pan? They ain't fixable, ya know.
 
Hi guys - hope you both had a good long weekend.

Bill - I did replace the pan with a good one.

Paul - as much as I really do not want to disassemble everything I think I do need to pull everything back apart and reverse them. Seems like a waste to order a new set of regular height springs just to avoid the disassembly...

I need to check and see if I might have an extra spring collar stuck on the passenger side. I'm 99% sure there isn't, but that is a better reason for the car not to be level than the alternatives.
 
Don't know if it applies here, but on the GT6 there is an extra shim plate on the driver's side shock assy to account for the extra weight, in the case of the GT it's both driver and gas tank weight.
Mike
 
Should there be an alloy spacer on the TR6 front spring? I remember years ago having real problems with my TR4A. The manual I had for a TR4 and a TR5 showed the spacer and there was one fitted to my car. However, it was close to impossible to fit the new springs with the spacer and the car sat incredibly high. I then bought the works TR4A parts book and noticed the the 4A doesn't have a spacer.
Anyway, maybe you should have one and it is missing!
 
Hi guys - thanks for the help.

When dissassembled there were not any spacers, and I don't believe TR6s came with spacers from the factory.

After doing a bunch of semi-freaked out digging I think I have come up with the following summary;

1) The old spring collars/packing were thicker than the poly ones I replaced them with

2) The 8.75 tall Moss lower springs are likely going to require spacers to bring the ride height up a bit

3) The 205/70/15 tires I'm currently running on stock rims are too tall

4) Something else is going on here that I haven't fully figured out here that contributed to the driver side being so much lower than the passenger side (and it ain't me, since I'm not that heavy and it was lower still even once I was out of the car....

5) I <span style="font-style: italic"><span style="font-weight: bold">believe</span></span> I correctly assembled the wishbone arms so that isn't the problem...

74TR6frontsuspensionquestion.jpg
 
tdskip said:
I don't believe TR6s came with spacers from the factory.
Click to expand...
I believe that is true. However, there have been spring sets made that do require the spacers when used on a TR6. Some people believe that these sets were used by the factory on some TR5/250 and possibly even some early TR6.
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:]3) The 205/70/15 tires I'm currently running on stock rims are too tall[/QUOTE]But only by a fraction of an inch. I don't have the numbers handy, but the difference in rolling diameter was only a couple of percent.
 
Thanks Randall.

I just check out the pictures I took when I disassembled the car and look how much thicker the spring collar/spacers where that I removed.

The new poly spacers are paper thin by comparison

74TR6Before7-1.jpg
 
tdskip said:
3) The 205/70/15 tires I'm currently running on stock rims are too tall
Click to expand...
I've fitted the same size tires on my TR6; my research showed the OD of the tire matches very closely to original stock; I confirmed this on the speedo versus my GPS and the speed checks out identical. I don't think the tire is contributing to the problem.
 
Hi Graham - yes, should have been more specific. Too tall for what <span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="font-style: italic">I did</span></span>, not too tall to be a good choice. Sorry.

Between the 1.25 height difference on the spring and I'm estimating another .50 inch combined (top and bottom) on the spring collars I was just too much.
 
Could you have installed the upper fulcrum pin backwards or the lower fulcrum bracket upside down?
 
I think with those shorter springs you might need some alloy spacers. I did the same on my TR4 when I went with a shorter Triumphtune setup. The spring pads I don't think will gain you very much.

Randy
 
Hi guys - thanks for the ideas.

Keith - I double checked the fulcrum pins and they are in correctly, but I can see how installing those wrong would mess up the height.

Randy - that is where I ended up. I ordered a set of 1/4 inch spacers from Goodparts today. Fingers crossed.

Thanks for everyone's help and ideas to help me get this sorted out. It was a bit disheartening to not have the rebuild work out.
 
Even with the new spacers it does not explain why one side is higher than the other. Is the side that is to low the side that had the bent spring pan?
 
Hi Keith - you are right, that is still a bit of mystery. The point of the road where I checked the space was uneven and I think that made the clearance worse, or at least exaggerated since only the drivers side of the car was compressed.

The side that was lower, the driver's side, was the side <span style="text-decoration: underline">without</span> the bent pan. I took everything apart below the top a-arms (which are correctly oriented and installed) so once the spacers get here I'll reassemble and measure everything.
 
The way these cars were originally built, I'd be surprised if they were even within 1/2" when they were new. I guess that only matters when you've lowered it to where the wide tire is close to the wheel arch, looks like spacers are the next step; good luck.
 
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