Rear spring and ride height

[Kevinrpayne]

Hi all. I have a GT6 mk3 and have had to replace the rear spring a couple of times but now I’m concerned about the latest spring.  First time I replaced the spring it was because one side was considerably lower than the other and a got a Rimmer replacement but I ended up with positive camber that was never resolved despite putting a paving slab in the boot. Tried a spacer that helped but not enough.  Was recommended to get a jigsaw racing spring and initially much better but now several years later I’m running too low and am dragging the exhaust on grass down country lanes.  Have gone to Canley this time and the spring shape is massively different see attached 

assembling the spring into the centre block was a nightmare and involved several g clamps to compress it to allow me to fit the swing bolt. Never been this hard in the past.  Very stiff spring in comparison to jigsaw one ?

I’ve installed the spring and attached the ends only at this stage but the centre block stick out the top of the access plate.  Doesn’t feel right and I fear I’ll be back to massive positive camber.  What’s about normal ? 

options could be a spacer ( do I need longer studs if so who sells them )  or mix spring leaves to adjust the stiffness and shape ?

[Badwolf]

Can you turn the spring around to see if the camber problem moves to the other side?

[Colin Lindsay]

My 'original' Mk3 swing spring (on the MK1, converted by me) lasted about five years and gave up. Terrible quality. The Herald spring I fitted to my latest car was so strong it wouldn't reach the diff if fitted to both uprights first, so needed a lot of persuasion - however as Matthew says it has settled and is now fine.

As for g-clamps on a swing spring.... that's normal.

[Pete Lewis]

i dont understand  you fit the spring to the diff in its free state and jack the upright to fit /align  the eye bolts

canley sell longer studs for the fixed spring/spacer arrangement  but there should be no reason on a swing box 

Pete

 

[Colin Lindsay]

6 minutes ago, Pete Lewis said:

i dont understand  you fit the spring to the diff in its free state and jack the upright to fit /align  the eye bolts

canley sell longer studs for the fixed spring/spacer arrangement  but there should be no reason on a swing box 

Pete

 

No: YOU fit the spring to the diff in its free state and jack the upright to fit. Others like to experiment, and fail, and THEN do it properly.

(Actually I rebuilt this one and it was so stiff the rear upright wouldn't pivot far enough to allow the bolt to fit, so I had to try a few variations.)

 

[Pete Lewis]

before i had many clues i sheared a output shaft on my 59 948 rust bucket back in the 60s and in dads garage witha torch released the spring to drop the diff ( yes i then found you didnt have to ) learning curve as a teenager and the spring whacked up to meet the floor , dont remember how i got it back down think it was with 

a long stud found on the truck lineside  but we all have a learning curve it never stops 

Ive just found if i get up too quick i stagger  and  fall over in the garden parchute fashion 

Pete

[Kevinrpayne]

Hi. Thanks the car slope was on the original spring - long gone and not replicated on either of the two replacements 

yes I thought about the packer and have one somewhere but I’m going to be close on the studlength. Any ideas where I can get long ones ? 
 

thanks Kevin

[Kevinrpayne]

Pete. Thanks for reply I’ve never used that method. When I needed to do it first time I was “taught” by a member of the club that what you do is to insert ( one at a time) 4 long studs in the diff with a lock not at the top and a single nut keeping the diff in place.  Slowly you release the tension on the studs and hey presto the centre part of the spring comes up and then you can easily release the bolts at either end.  Fitting is the reverse.  I presume with your method I’ll need the spring lifter that is in the club shop. I did wonder why it was necessary ! 
 

ok so none of you have gone for the “ mix the leafs between the two springs “ option so think I’ll play safe and fit the spacer and see what I get. Think I might get a lifter as I suspect I’ll be revisiting the subject again soonish 

 

thanks to all

 

kevin

[Pete Lewis]

 

you only need a lifter for roto flex rear drive shafts as they give a lot of resistance + the spring 

on std drive  shafts i have only ever needed a little work with a jack on the upright do one side at a time 

is your  GT6 std or rotoflex ?? 

Pete

 

 

[Kevinrpayne]

No mine is a later one with solid shafts

 

so what’s your method for spring replacement? The ends can’t be released until the tension has been relieved and the only way to do this is to either release the centre or support the end of the springs ? 
 

regards

 

kevin

[Pete Lewis]

to release the tension lift the car  and remove the eye bolts then undo the box   leave enough room to extract the length  of the spring 

from memory remove the box through bolt lift the box off  and to remove the spring remove two of the studs 

pays to discon the shockers from the upright 

Pete

[Kevinrpayne]

Yes. Been there and almost got the T-shirt. Very tight doing it in a single garage. 

[Badwolf]

I came up against Lady BW's Micra. At least that was moveable.

[Kevinrpayne]

Thanks all. Job accomplished. I fitted the new spring and had absolutely massive positive camber - the new spring ( Moss) was about 40 mm more curved than the one old jigsaw racing one of 5 years vintage. I thought about spacer blocks but actually mixed the old and new together to make a composite spring up. Good results see attached 

I’ll try driving a few months and if I need to drop further I’ll swap another leaf out. 
 

what I didn’t get was that the 7/16 nut I bought from Rimmer had the correct thread size but outside AF was smaller and shorter even though both were nylocks thoughts ? Kevin