Both are actually possible, as are a few other causes. Let me see if I can
explain it at all.
Lets start with the rear spring. We'll use a simplified spring, with just one
leaf that breaks completely. It's a fixed spring, bolted ridgedly to the
differential. If the rear spring were to break dead center over the
differential, then the loss would be equal on both sides, and the rear end
would settle equally. But if the spring breaks on one side, then that side
loses all strength, while the other side retains its strength because it's
still fully bolted to the differential. The side with the break then drops to
the ground, while the other side stays at its normal ride height.
But wait, your car's a swing spring! What I wrote above would be accurate for
the earlier fixed springs, but not the swing spring that pivots freely, right?
Not quite. The swing spring has one leaf that is fixed. That one leaf
controls the rear body roll. Being one leaf, it is very easily damaged, and
the damage tends to show up dramatically because it is just one leaf. This is
why the weight of a driver can have such a pronounced effect on a swing spring
Spitfire.
Of course, springs are composed of several leafs, and they don't all break like
the simplified spring I used above. The damage and results are not so
dramatic, but the concept is sound in its presentation of the cause and effects
(within degrees of tolerence).
So the swing spring is easily deflected with body roll, showing dramatic camber
changes as a result. You can observe this by jacking up either front corner of
the car. Now, if the swaybar were twisted, this certainly would result in a
camber change out back. Quite a change on the swing spring because there is
only one leaf resisting body roll; less camber change on an earlier fixed
spring rear Spitfire because all the leafs resist body roll.
But wait, there's more! It can't be all blamed on the swaybar. If the front
springs aren't equal, it would give the same result. So too if the frame were
twisted. Anything that would cause the front suspension to not impart equall
forces on each side of a level frame would result in cockeyed camber. So don't
just install another sway bar, find out what component (or components) is
causing the rear camber problem.
>>> Michael Hargreave Mawson <OC@46thFoot.com> 04/13 1:19 AM >>>
My '77 is the same. The body also leans heavily to the driver's side,
and a bit to the back (i.e. driver's side rear quarter is the lowest
part of the car; passenger side front quarter is highest). The rear
spring feels completely dead on the driver's side, and therefore I am
having this replaced next week. A lot of people have told me that the
lean is only partly explained by a duff rear spring, and that a bent
anti-roll bar at the front is probably the primary cause. This is
supported by the fact that when she is parked on a flat surface with the
driver's side front wheel on a ramp, magically she sits level (and the
back wheels are both just slightly off the vertical).
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