Kris (and everyone else)
>My question is: has anyone ever installed a set of coil-assisted shocks
on the rear and >eliminated the leaf springs altogether?
>If this is a subject that has been covered already, and there exists FAQ's
on it, could >someone please guide me to them?
Well I know of two cars on which the rear end has been heavily modified, to
eliminate the leaf spring.
One of these is a road registered, heavily modified race GT6, which uses
coil over shock units, and a 'narrow' upper wishbone (ie pivoting arm about
as wide as the spring). This type of modifcation requires major
modifications to the body tub for mounts and clearance. However using a
lower wishbone and Mazda 323 (small sedan/hatch) from hubs and carriers the
car now has disks at the back, a more normal geometry, and the capability
to handle corners at much higher speeds than it was once capable.
The second was a spitfire that turned up at our last meet, which had had a
datsun (nissan) 1600 rear subframe grafted on to replace the back of the
chassis, this car also had disk brakes, and a rotary and 5 speed box (a bit
of a bitsa).
The real question is, is it required?
Well for most people the late pivoting spring will provide adequate road
holding (for that matter there are many of use who cope perfectly well with
the original rear end, and learn to set it up correctly, and drive to the
characteristics of the suspension).
If you wish to be able to blow race V8 MG B's into the weeds, or make a car
with the absurd acceleration/top speed of that rotary powered spitfire (I
have the remains of a second rotary spitfire in my mum's shed, the previous
owner gave up and I got the remains after a series of diff explosions,
large looses, and having to continually change his underware!) Then be all
means, engage a suspension design expert, get out the jigsaw, welder and
steel and go for it. Otherwise it is (IMHO) just a waste of time and money.
(I'm sure that could cost me some burn marks).
If you really don't want to have the original rearend, then get hold of the
rotoflex rear end from a GT6+ (mkII) or early MkIII and drop that in.
Bill and Sal Birney
'70 GT6+ (RHD)
'67 Spitfire MkII (restoration)
'69 Spitfire MkIII (Sal's, in queue)
birneybs@onaustralia.com.au
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