Interesting... A couple of years ago, when I was seriously into the EP
MGB, I designed some hypothetical composite springs that would solve a
lot of the MGB's rear suspension oddities.
For starters, I would build them with an I-beam from the axle forward.
This would give a rigid suspension member effect, as the I would resist
torsion and flex in the front half of the spring. This would avoid much
of the roll steer in stock MGBs, as well as eliminating axle tramp from
spring windup.
You could then design the characteristics of the rear half of the leaf
to do the spring work, in fact I think you can probably design progressive
spring rates into a composite leaf if desired. If nothing else, you could
put an adjustable rear shackle mount at the end of the leaf so that you
could adjust the ride height and spring angle for suspension tuning.
It would sure be great if they did this with the new composite MGB springs,
but I doubt it. As for application, I know that all Corvettes since
something like 1981 02 82 have used composite springs at the rear, and
at the front since 1984. Lou ANderson's Griffith (TVR with a Ford 289)
was sponsored by the company that makes these composite springs, and
was running with them at one point.
If I stil had an EP car, I wouldn't hesitate an instant to put them in,
assuming I could get the right spring rates. And if I do make the Green
Car my competition vehicle, I'll give serious thought to using them
in it. Composite technology is basically applying Space Shuttle materials
to a Sopwith Camel car...
--Scott
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