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Spitfire leaning Spit
- Thread starter tomkatb
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R
RonMacPherson
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Which corner is lower? Which spring did you replace?
Remember when checking ride height to measure all four corners.
When one corner goes up, opposite corner goes down. Might have a spring problem on the other corner.
Remember when checking ride height to measure all four corners.
When one corner goes up, opposite corner goes down. Might have a spring problem on the other corner.
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Shocks won't help, as they don't "suspend" the car. Some folks use air shocks to "fix" the problem; I consider that yet another band-aid fix. As Ron suggests, you need to look at the front suspension as well as the rear.
What spring did you use to replace the old one? "Stock" or "heavy-duty"? I've long had the theory that the ever-heavier "Federal" Spitfires -- with the rear frame extensions and heavier bumpers and overriders -- were often just too much for the stock spring. I've no conclusive evidence to prove my theory, except that I've seldom seen this classic "sag" on MkIV Spitfires with the same swing-spring (albeit with the shorter rear axles), nor have I seen much of it on early 1500s.
What spring did you use to replace the old one? "Stock" or "heavy-duty"? I've long had the theory that the ever-heavier "Federal" Spitfires -- with the rear frame extensions and heavier bumpers and overriders -- were often just too much for the stock spring. I've no conclusive evidence to prove my theory, except that I've seldom seen this classic "sag" on MkIV Spitfires with the same swing-spring (albeit with the shorter rear axles), nor have I seen much of it on early 1500s.
Mine sat 1" high on the right side. I swapped the front springs/shocks side for side, and the difference became 1/2".
I have also tried biasing the rear spring by stuffing some rolled-up inner tube between the leaves on one side. This didn't work as well as I thought it might.
Maybe I have a twisted frame?
You could get the Spax adjustable perch shocks, but you'd just be masking the problem. (You would probably wind up with more weight on two diagonal wheels...plus they are coraaaazy expensive!)
I have also tried biasing the rear spring by stuffing some rolled-up inner tube between the leaves on one side. This didn't work as well as I thought it might.
Maybe I have a twisted frame?
You could get the Spax adjustable perch shocks, but you'd just be masking the problem. (You would probably wind up with more weight on two diagonal wheels...plus they are coraaaazy expensive!)
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If that's what you really want (and I still think it's a band-aid...but lots of people swear by these), here's a link to information on the air shocks.tomkatb said:
I installed the Monroe MA-785 (for corvette) air shocks.tomkatb said:
You need to cut the steel sleeves that come with the shocks, and I had to reuse some of the rubber from the old shocks. It's not a hard swap.
Also, to correct lean, you need to buy extra fittings for the air shocks to separate the two sides.
myspitfire
Jedi Warrior
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In my case(a 1980 Spit)i replaced the spring with a new Moss spring($265)& installed Monroe air shocks with independent split schraders & my problem went away.With the 2 schraders i can independently adjust the pressure in each shock. 25# on the left & 30# on the right.
Ken&Whitelightning
PS;If your running stock springs on the front you can also fiddle with the tire pressure in the right front for some compensation at the left rear.
Ken&Whitelightning
PS;If your running stock springs on the front you can also fiddle with the tire pressure in the right front for some compensation at the left rear.