What was the DPO doing?

[Jerry]

I am putting my BJ8 back together after many months of no work on the car due to working on the house. I have found the front spring are to have an extra part. The previous owner made a ring that would fit below the front spring. It would raise the spring about 1/4 of an inch. I have been trying to figure out why he made these rings. The car when I bought it had frame problems so I replaced the frame. The rings have been made for both sides of the car. They are not a commercial production, but cut out of steel.

Any ideas why?

Jerry

 

[Randy Forbes]

BJ8s sit higher in the rear, maybe he wanted to level it out...?

 

[Jerry]

That is possible but the frame in the front was visably bent up due to rust? You find the stragest things when you pick up a project started by somebody else. I find that he has purchased some of the replacement parts to fix say the front suspension, but never bought all the parts. A little here, a little there, strange. It is a good think that I like puzzels!

Jerry

 

[Keoke]

Hi Jerry, the springs may have been tired most are. If a 1/4" spacer is added under the front spring it will elevate the car's front end by 1/2". This is a pretty common method used to bolster a set of worn coil springs on the after market car parts scene. No substitute for new springs though.---Fwiw--Keoke

 

[Jerry]

He took both the front springs and rear springs to a suspension shop to be checked out and re-???. The notes don't say exactly what was done. The springs are still in the wrapping from the shop and nicely painted. Just for the heck of it, what is the height of the front springs on a BJ8?

 

[Keoke]

Jerry, ?????????---Keoke- /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/laugh.gif

 

[John Loftus]

He took both the front springs and rear springs to a suspension shop to be checked out and re-???. The notes don't say exactly what was done.

Probably the notes say he had the rear springs re-arched (more bend added to the springs .. hopefully tempered afterwards so they will stay that way longer). I think the spring height is suppose to be 10.50" but don't quote me. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/grin.gif

Cheers,
John

 

[vette]

Hi Jerry, Keoke is right about the use of the spacer under the coil springs. They are commonly used as a quick way to raise the height of the car. (it would seam the PO probably thought the Healey set too low, hmm, imagine that) Abeit that is all they will do. With attendant problems as well. Such as more stress on the suspension components because you are forcing the spring to compress into a tighter area when you button up the swivel pin. On a fatiqued spring you might get your original height back but the fatiqued spring will not have its responsiveness returned and a severly fatiqued spring might actually bottom out on sever compression. Best bet is to get rid of them and install good springs.