npenney@mde.state.md.us on 12Jun2000 02:22 PM
To: Richard B Gosling/1M/Caterpillar@Caterpillar
spitfires@autox.team.net@INTERNET
cc:
Subject: Re: Swing spring / camber compensator
Retain Until: 12/07/2000 Retention Category: G90 - Information and
Reports
Caterpillar Confidential: Green
The swing spring is not a completely true swing spring. One leaf is still
attached rigidly to the top of the differential. If it were a true swing
spring, then the spring could not cause any body lean. However, since the one
leaf is still attached, that leaf can cause body lean. Being just one leaf
doing the whole job, it is quite subject to fatigue, and, the fatigue shows up
very visibly. If it were multiple leafs, this would be muted by the
additional
leaves. As you've surmised, many of the cars with a sag problem actually have
another problem entirely, often in the front suspension. However, the problem
can be masked (not fixed) by simply jacking the drivers side rear with the air
shocks.
The camber compensator works by resisting both wheels going down together. If
you jack the rear end of a spitfire up in the air, the cross spring pushes the
wheels down, and you get that pigeon toed look. A camber compensator is a
swing spring mounted upside down under the differential. It resists allowing
the wheels to come down together into that pigeon toed look. This pigeon toed
look is disasterous in handling, and has names like jacking, tuck in and such.
I guess, therefore, that the camber compensator must make the already stiff
rear suspension somewhat stiffer - not ideal for a road
car. The camber compensator is not relevant to my swing-sprung 1500 - I'm just
curious!
Richard Gosling and Daffy
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