triumphs
[Top] [All Lists]

Re: Spit rear road spring

To: Edward Hamilton <hamilton@ptd.net>
Subject: Re: Spit rear road spring
From: Joe Curry <curry@wolfenet.com>
Date: Mon, 22 Dec 1997 16:48:31 -0800
Cc: Triumphs <triumphs@Autox.Team.Net>
Organization: Curry Enterprises
References: <349EBEBF.F625B66B@ptd.net>

Edward Hamilton wrote:

> In removing the road spring for general cleaning and overhaul I find
> that it had been in the vehicle backwards (according to the Haynes
> manual).  The manual states that the machined edge of the main spring
> should face the rear of the vehicle.  Is there really a front/back to
> this spring?  -- visually, I cannot determine any difference.  Is the
> general opinion that I install it the way that it came out (worked fine)
> or reverse it in accordance to the manual?  If I reverse it now, what
> will that do to the camber or wheel alignment -- if anything?
>
> Thanks in advance,
> Ed Hamilton

  Ed,

This is a real "Head Scratcher".  I examined the Haynes Manual, then both an
early spring and a late "swing-spring".  Here's what I can come up with.

The only difference that is obvious in either side of the early spring
assembly is the direction of the clamping bolts that hold the springs
together.  The nuts are on the "front" side of the spring.

On the swing-spring, three of the clamps point one way and the other points
the opposite.  Unless some dpo did some work on the spring, it must not make
a difference on the late model springs.

Apparantly the "front" marking is only on the early spring, as I can find no
such markings on the Swing-spring even though the Haynes manual says that
the spring clips have "front" stamped on them.  The only thing that the book
says that is apparant, is that there is a ground edge in the center of the
main leaf.  This is where the leaf mounts into the recess in the
differential.  That may be the determining factor.  I could tell by the line
of rust which way the spring was mounted and the ground edge was in fact in
the rear.  In that position, three of the four nuts on the clips were facing
forward.  I'll turn the other around when I rebuild it.

One other possibility (albeit quite a stretch) is that perhaps Triumph made
the driver side stouter than the other to compensate for the weight of the
driver.  I had previously thought that this may be a method to compensate
for the driver side sag that appears in some of these cars.  Simply reverse
the spring and the sag on the other side will be compensated for by the
driver's weight.  Oh well, just a thought.

If anybody has some additional insight into this, please let me know as
well.


Regards,
Joe Curry




<Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread>