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Re: Leaning Rear Wheel

To: Barry Schwartz <bschwart@pacbell.net>
Subject: Re: Leaning Rear Wheel
From: Joe Curry <spitlist@gte.net>
Date: Mon, 10 Aug 1998 12:12:42 -0700
My thoughts exactly

Joe

Barry Schwartz wrote:
> 
> >a rubber pad in the top of the clamp box in the middle of the rear spring.
> >Due to the driver most commonly being alone, the pad wears on the driver's
> >side more than the passenger side, and the sliding action of the spring
> >causes it to wear out.  With the pad worn away, and the weight of the car
> >on the spring, the spring no longer sits squarely in the clamp box, but
> >sits higher up on the worn side.  With the car stationary, each rear wheel
> >still carries the same load and so the rear spring still sits parallel to
> >the road, but because of the worn pad and the spring not re-acting squarely
> >on the clamp box, the differential, and therefore the chasis/body, lean over.
> ***************************************************
> I'll have to disagree with this article on this one.  The spring clamp does
> in fact have a rubber pad (actually, the one I have is plastic) between the
> clamp and the top most spring leaf, but the spring does not slide in the
> clamp, it rocks.  If you look at the design of the spring itself, you will
> see that the main leaf is securely clamped to the diff.  The other leafs
> are not clamped as such but retained (laterally) by a bump in each
> subsequent leaf and this bump (half arch) rocks or rotates slightly around
> a bolt with a sleeve around it.  This is what reduces the roll stiffness by
> allowing these leaves to rock about this axis contributing little if any to
> roll stiffness but still allowing support and springing in a purely
> vertical sense.  The pad usually doesn't wear so much as it deteriorates
> with age, and at any rate, is fairly thin and would contribute little to
> cause the body to lean one way or the other.  if the body is truly leaning,
> I would suspect a broken main leaf in the spring (had one of those), or a
> worn out one.  If on the other hand, the body is level to the ground, but
> one wheel is cambered much more than the other, I would suspect incorrect
> parts as I mentioned, or some type of damage-
> 
> Barry Schwartz (San Diego) bschwart@pacbell.net
> 72 V6 Spitfire (daily driver)
> 70 GT6+ (when I don't drive the Spit)
> 70 Spitfire

-- 
"If you can't excel with talent, triumph with effort."

 -- Dave Weinbaum in National Enquirer

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