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Rear Suspension.

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ecurie_ecosse

ecurie_ecosse

Luke Skywalker
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What is the consensus on this one?
The left rear seems to sag a little.But I can lift it a little and the suspension doesn't sag. But if I lean on the rear of the car,it sags again.
So I need clueing in on what the possibilities are. :rolleyes:

Stuart. :cheers:
 
not sure - I am working on the same issue. Just had my springs re-arched (cost $30 for both). Waiting for my poly bushings and whatnot should be on the way. I'll let you all know what I experience.
 
ONe question I would have - does anyone know where I can get some of the metal bands that wrap around the springs? I'd really like to disassemble mine and bevel the edges, clean, and paint them. I'd also like to do a very good inspection. I just don't know how to band them back up.
 
On the springs I've redone, I reused the bands after carefully taking them apart. 'course they were MGB springs.
 
Stupid question, but how do you take them apart? They aren't like the "slot and tab" kind I have seen in the past.
 
Bands are not available that I know of. They have a screw through them with a roller around it. Very close tollarances all.
 
I'm curious about the re-arching of the springs... i've heard of people swapping the springs from one side to the other only to be sadly disappointed when the car sat exactly the same as before! all that work for NO change, .. that is not even to have it list to right instead of the left..........


BUT...

look to see if the right front is higher than the left front, at the same time that the left rear is lower than the right rear....... IF this is the case then...


you can raise the left rear by lowering the right front!.. slide spacers the spring pan. i used three 3/8 washers times 4, replacing the stock bolts with longer ones. .. replace the bolts one at a time with the longer bolts, then you can loosen up two at at time and slide your spacers in. Ya don't even have to take it all apart!..
 
Pythias hit the nail right on the head!! I was perplexed by the same problem with a "list" at the rear that even a new set of leaf springs had not corrected. Worked on the front end and bingo!, the "list" was gone!
 
I'll definitely be watching to see if the front end causes this. I certainly had some rear spring issues, and as soon as this is back together and Mr Bush's tax relief money is in my hand, the plan is to rebuild the front suspension as well.

The wife and I are splitting it ($600 each), so hopefully I can get the whole front rebuilt with it and have enough left over for tires.
 
Another vote for lowering the right front. I added 3/16" spacers to mine and it corrected the problem.
 
Hmmmm....actually, the right control arm is newer than the left for some reason (DPO, I have no reason why). That could be it.



Anyone think I can get those bands unfastened without screwing myself over? I was going to put some plastic liner in between each leaf and bevel each edge. If I clean/paint them assembled they are still cruddy with surface rust between each leaf, and flexing will cause them to look like crap.
 
If you plan on useing the stock bands there is no room for anything between the spring leafs, even thick paint is a no go.

New bolts in the bands are a strong possibility. Cut them off carefully and only on the inside of the bolts that the tube covers. They are a real pain.
 
Just an idea...here's a photo of the rebuilt springs for my MGB racer...I turned them over & rearched backwards, removed a few leafs, & restrapped them with regular radiator clamps:

grmspringband02.JPG
 
But what do the springs roll on when they flex Tony. That little roller is in there for a reason, look at the wear on the spring where they move.
 
What little roller, Jack?
 
The tube that goes over the bolt that holds the two sides of the U shaped strap bracket together.
 
Only on the 1/4 elliptical Jack.
 
Ahh, did not know that. Thanks.
 
That's an interesting idea Tony! Have you ran them much? Did those "straps" hold up well?
 
I've run rad clamps on my racer.
I made the front ones tighter and the ones behind the axle less tight (so the springs could slide).
On average I broke 2 or 3 clamps per race, so a few years ago, I made straps out of steel strip (with a bolt on the inside of the spring to pull them together). Again, not too tight or the leaf spring won't work right.

You can sort of see my old rad clamps in ~This Picture~ . I don't have any pictures of the new clamps I made.
 
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