Unkel Kunkel Posted October 2, 2017 Report Share Posted October 2, 2017 Can anyone through some light on this for me please? The parts suppliers list a “spacer washer “ but for “Left hand “ only for the front diff mounts on the Spitfire. Is this something to do with torque action on the mounting? I don’t have one of these fitted on my Mk 1V (just the thinner washers each side) - should there be one? If so,does it fit under the thin washer or above the bush? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clive Posted October 2, 2017 Report Share Posted October 2, 2017 I have heard this a couple of times over the years, but nobody has ever found one fitted to a car! Happy to be enlightened if anybody knows different, but fret not I reckon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Lindsay Posted October 2, 2017 Report Share Posted October 2, 2017 I have seen them fitted, but no idea why. Arguments range from levelling the car due to the weight of the driver always being on one side; to offset the rotation of the propshaft forcing one side of the car down, and the alignment of the planet Jupiter with the steering wheel. Take your pick! However, like the petrol additive tin thingies you see advertised, no-one seems to be able to prove that they actually do anything, or that the lack of them makes any difference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clive Posted October 2, 2017 Report Share Posted October 2, 2017 Out of interest, what cars did you find them on?I amthinking my experiences are mainly late60's heralds/vitesse, plus mkIV/1500 spits, plus a few mk3, and a splattering of GT6's. But not early heralds..... Thinking perhaps they were used on early cars?? at a guess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DerekS Posted October 2, 2017 Report Share Posted October 2, 2017 Part number 134603 in Rimmer's catalogue. I asked the question a while back and convinced myself it should have been fitted but was missing.(1980 Spitfire 1500) The mounting studs on the car underside are "stepped" in diameter and this dictates that it fits under the rubber mounting but on top of the steel washer. HOWEVER, fitting it compresses both the upper and lower rubber mountings and so must alter the alignment of the diff to the propshaft. The workshop manuals all say that with everything in place and torqued up, it should be possible to rotate the lower rubber mounting so the spacer is counter-productive; I've taken mine back off. I hope this helps but it's still a mystery! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DerekS Posted October 2, 2017 Report Share Posted October 2, 2017 P.s. I measured the distance from the garage floor to the top of the rear wheelarches, vertically through the wheel centre before fitting, after fitting and after removal of this washer and found it altered the measurements each side between 1/4" and 5/16", lowered one side/raised the other side. (Sorry for being so long-winded...) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unkel Kunkel Posted October 2, 2017 Author Report Share Posted October 2, 2017 Thanks everyone - and and I should have noticed it has been discussed before in April. I suppose this ‘73 Mk1V has done just under 100k without one of these so obviously not essential! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Lindsay Posted October 3, 2017 Report Share Posted October 3, 2017 15 hours ago, clive said: Out of interest, what cars did you find them on?I amthinking my experiences are mainly late60's heralds/vitesse, plus mkIV/1500 spits, plus a few mk3, and a splattering of GT6's. But not early heralds..... Thinking perhaps they were used on early cars?? at a guess. Always on Spitfires, Clive, not on anything else so far. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Caswell Posted October 3, 2017 Report Share Posted October 3, 2017 Its a bit like the packer that sometimes is found under the front suspension tower ?? in my case the L/H on a Vitesse.... another mystery to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unkel Kunkel Posted October 3, 2017 Author Report Share Posted October 3, 2017 I still just don’t get it at all ! As we know, there are 2 rear bushed mounting points secured by a log horzontal bolt and two front bushed mountings from which the front of the diff is supported/ hangs. So what effect can putting a spacer in just one of these 4 points have? if so why just the left.p and not the right? and if it is fitted how does it not compromise the tighting of that mounting? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DerekS Posted October 3, 2017 Report Share Posted October 3, 2017 It measures 2"o.d., 5/8" i.d. by 1/4" in thicknesses, when in place it compresses both the lower and the upper rubber mounts by that 1/4", I'm guessing that in doing so it's twisting the diff clockwise ever so slightly when viewed from the rear, hence the effect on the ride height. I had it fitted for around a month and it hasn't done the Polybush mountings any good at all, I would like to replace them again. It was suggested that perhaps the mystery washer would counteract any effects of torque on the diff but I am honestly no wiser. However, there MUST be a happy medium with the assembly detail in the workshop manuals stating that the lower rubber mounting washer must be free to rotate when everything is tightened up. Too free and you've got a sloppy mounting, too tight: are you affecting alignment? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clive Posted October 3, 2017 Report Share Posted October 3, 2017 7 hours ago, Colin Lindsay said: Always on Spitfires, Clive, not on anything else so far. Oh well,that is me wrong. My old 1500 spit was very original/unwelded when itcame to me. I swapped the diff on that (original diff) and deinately no spacer there. I suspect most of the cars I have had the diff out at some point priortomy ownership. I really cannot see a reason for them. Ho hum. All it will do is make the diff, and therefore the spring, lean to one side a little. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Lewis Posted October 3, 2017 Report Share Posted October 3, 2017 As these were at the end of the cars life I even wonder it there was a chassis buildproblem and this was added to correct a jig or fabrication problem ......BCPS bristish car production syndrome rife of the 70s Just a thought pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unkel Kunkel Posted October 3, 2017 Author Report Share Posted October 3, 2017 Hmn, I think on the basis that there wasn’t one there originally and it seemed OK = I cant make it better than OK but can make it worse, so I will not add one - is that a reasonable approach? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Lewis Posted October 3, 2017 Report Share Posted October 3, 2017 With the two bush rear end , packing the front frame can only pitch the diff, a little . This goes against all things sensible so , was it the chassis , the lean, the spring , or what Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DerekS Posted October 3, 2017 Report Share Posted October 3, 2017 I would say yes, that more or less sums up where I'm at with it... the mysterious spacer. My pet puzzle. (If you really want a puzzle or two to mull over, there are one or two anomalies in the workshop manual and car handbook wiring diagrams, particularly in the detailing of the oil warning light/PDWA warning light area, having the U.K. and North American mixed up... thread drift alert!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DerekS Posted October 3, 2017 Report Share Posted October 3, 2017 Pete: I really don't know to be honest. I started thinking that if the bolts that fasten the frame to the diff body weren't a dowelled fit through the frame, it introduced a further avenue for error/misalignment. The other factor was that the diff on the car is not the factory fitted one, the car's first owner had it replaced just before I got the car 10 years ago; he was advised to do this to cure a clicking noise from the rear! The top and bottom of it was that I was putting a lot of thought, time and effort into it and not actually achieving any improvement, but still not exactly happy with it either... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unkel Kunkel Posted October 3, 2017 Author Report Share Posted October 3, 2017 Many thanks everyone for your views.The consensus seems to be that the answer is .... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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