Spitfire Spitfire rear suspention problem

[TR_JOE250]

I have finaly gotten the 73 Spit I bought nearly a year ago running and driveable. It has a rebuilt motor, new clutch, dual Su's, header, and Monza exhaust. It runs and tracks well. My issue is that it sits a bit high in the rear and the wheels toe in instead of out like all my prevoius Spits. Anyone with any thoughts, experiance, or ideas about how to remedy this please respond.

Thanks, Joe

 

[Lionheart]

Well that's a first. It seems the most common nuissance problem is sag in the rear.

Here are some simple things (which is about all I can provide.)...

Of course, when you let it down off the jack, it's sprung up in the rear. A little rolling of the car makes it settle. You say you've driven it, so probably not the cause.

If you have severe toe-in at the rear wheels, they will "climb" while rolling forward.

If you tightened the suspension joints with weight off wheels, you could have some torsion stored in the joints.

Perhaps you can put spacers between the spring and diff???

FYI...there has been plenty of Spit suspension talk over on the Totally Triumph Network forums.

 

[70herald]

Couple of ideas
did someone put air shocks or something else not quite standard to make up for a bad spring?

As for the spring, there are different versions of the springs, and axle lengths in earlier vs. later cars. earlier cars had shorter axles and a matching spring. The spring for a "long" axle car obviously would be longer. Just maybe you have the wrong spring type. If it in fact will fit in, a to long spring would certainly cause toe in.
Yisrael

 

[Andrew Mace]

Some clarification:

I assume you don't mean toe-in or toe-out; that refers to a deviation from straight ahead. Instead, I assume you mean that the wheels are closer together at the bottom (positive CAMBER) rather than at the top (negative CAMBER).

And to expand on Yisrael's comments: which spring do you have? I suppose it's possible that someone put an earlier "fixed" spring in, but that doesn't seem likely.

I think "Lionheart" has hit on a very likely cause. However, I can't imagine any situation where one would need a lowering block on a swing-spring!?

 

[IanF]

I'm also having a tough time figuring out where the suspension could "store tension" if everything is lubricated properly. I have everythign torqued to spec and the joints move freely without excessive resistance.

A '73 is a Mk 3, correct? Which has the "wider" axles and springs? Is it possible someone installed the wrong axles from an earlier car?

 

[Andrew Mace]

A '73 is a 1500 in the US, and originally it would've had the wider rear track. and yes, it is possible to use earlier (shorter) axle assemblies, but that wouldn't be enough to account for this situation, IMO.

 

[myspitfire]

Would a REVERSED SPRING do that? OR maybe its the shocks dampers are frozen.Thought for TODAY.

 

[Andrew Mace]

It would be virtually impossible to reverse the spring, although some folks have reversed a leaf or two within a spring...but that's usually to lower the car and increase the negative camber.

On the other hand, frozen shocks, while not common, are a possibility....

 

[TheAssociate]

How many leafs are in the spring?


Adam.

____________________________________________________________
1973 Triumph Spitfire.