TR2/3/3A TR3 Rear Springs

[mountainman]

Can someone tell me why the passenger side leaf spring has two small extra plates on it?
Thanks Greg

 

[TR4nut]

I think it was to accomodate fat-bottomed American drivers! Though I thought those extra plates were on the drivers side..

 

[TR4A_IRS]

It looks like the plates fell off the driver's side. Do we see evidence that they were there at one point?

 

[pjsmetana]

I think it was to accomodate fat-bottomed American drivers! Though I thought those extra plates were on the drivers side..

Some of us have bigger wifes

You think maybe one side is original and the other side is a replacement?

 

[Moseso]

When I took mine apart, there was one of those plates on each side.

 

[Don Elliott]

My 1958 TR3A had them on the passenger's side from new in 1958. When I put new springs on in 2000, I put the extra plats from the original springs onto the new ones which didn't have them. Bill Piggott's book says these were put on sometime during the TR3 production (or maybe very early TR3A) and they stopped putting them on during the late TR3A production. It seems that in England and other countries, they were on the left side (also the passenger's side). The reason for these has been debated before and some say it's to help level the TR when there is no passenger and/or when the road is crowned (sloped towards the ditch).

My photo is from 1988 when I was doing my restoration.

 

[Geo Hahn]

Perhaps this is one of those counter-intuitive things -- adding that short leaf lowers the body on the side it is on.

It works like a spacer that has the effect of raising the axle relative to the spring which is the same thing as lowering the body relative to the tires. Thus, an added leaf on the RH side (passenger in a LHD) would counter the heavy driver &/or the lefthand sag that sometimes develops over the years.

I may try this on my TR4 as the droop is noticeable when I'm in the seat.

 

[TR4nut]

Perhaps this is one of those counter-intuitive things -- adding that short leaf lowers the body on the side it is on.

Ah yes, thanks - makes more sense to me now.

I may try this on my TR4 as the droop is noticeable when I'm in the seat.

Based on my earlier comment, I'm very sorry to hear that Geo! :lol:

Randy

 

[Geo Hahn]

Well adding that leaf looks a heck of a lot easier than losing 20 lbs.

 

[Adrio]

I am sure there are millions of people who would agree with me when I say it is not possible to lose 20 pounds.

 

[mountainman]

Thanks Don, I feel better now knowing that the extra plates are suppose to be there.
Greg

 

[TR3driver]

and some say it's to help level the TR when there is no passenger

I can't quote the reference offhand, but I have read that there was a racing class where the rules stated the car had to sit level "as raced". In order to sit level without a passenger, the spacer was added to the passenger side. The change can be seen in the SPC, early rear springs were the same part number while the later ones had different part numbers for the passenger side. The only difference was the addition of the spacer(s). But the apparently original springs on TS39781LO had only one spacer instead of two, so perhaps they were added "as needed" or something like that.

 

[TR3driver]

I am sure there are millions of people who would agree with me when I say it is not possible to lose 20 pounds.

Losing 20 pounds is easy! The hard part is not gaining 30 pounds while doing it!

 

[DNK]

Randall- you been away, was thinking yesterday hadn't seen you moniker for a while

 

[TR3driver]

Randall- you been away, was thinking yesterday hadn't seen you moniker for a while

Yup, still out on the road with only occasional Inet access. Hopefully back next week. Sis' wedding went perfectly and no one has heard from her or my new B-I-L since (which is as it should be).

With luck, we'll be in Carlsbad Caverns in a few hours.