Rear Leaf Spring

[Darren Groves]

As part of my list of winter jobs I was thinking about a new rear leaf spring. Any recommendations or places to avoid or just a matter of shopping around for the best price with the usual culprits? 

Darren 

[Colin Lindsay]

They're probably all made at the same place anyway, so it comes down to reliability of the seller rather than any vast difference in the spring...

This lot however don't have Herald springs advertised, I've e-mailed them asking if they made any but got no reply. Might be worth another enquiry?

http://www.gbsprings.co.uk/heritage-car-springs/

[Andrew]

Hello Darren

Have you tried Fitchetts or Canley classics?

 

Andrew

[Darren Groves]

18 minutes ago, Andrew said:

Hello Darren

Have you tried Fitchetts or Canley classics?

 

Andrew

All the usual traders list them, just wondering if anyone had experience of who's supplying good quality items or rubbish. 

Thanks

Darren 

[Badwolf]

Got mine from Paddocks. That's when they told me I had been running for 10 years with a MkIII spring on my MkIV spitfire. Now it has the correct spring, the bodywork is sitting about 3 inches higher and a much better drive..... wonder why?

[AidanT]

Have a look at this thread  Details of BBC

 

Aidan

[Darren Groves]

On 10/13/2017 at 3:48 PM, Andrew said:

Hello Darren

Have you tried Fitchetts or Canley classics?

 

Andrew

Just in case anyone is thinking of getting a rear spring from Fitchetts, they no longer sell them....

Darren

[Pete Lewis]

Roger used    GB  on his 1500   drop him a line  and see how its going , certainly very much cheaper

http://www.gbsprings.co.uk/heritage-car-springs/

 

Pete

[Colin Lindsay]

See my post further up, they don't list Herald springs and didn't reply to my e-mail enquiry a few months ago, so I can't confirm if they sell them or not.

[68vitesse]

There was a batch of badly made rear springs, I still have one lying around in a shed. The ring on the end of the second leaf is far to big and touches the brake pipe where it leaves the rear brake cylinders on a Vitesse. One of the suppliers mentioned list the same spring for the swing axle and rotoflex Vitesse.

I ended up using the best of my old springs after rebuilding it with new poly buttons which I cut from a sheet of polyurethane from eBay.

Regards

Paul

[Badwolf]

When my new spring was fitted, the garage used the bushes that came with it from the suppliers. I am shortly going to replace the rear UJs so will have to disconnect the bolts. Is there a better bush to go in the spring eye or will the ones supplied be as good a anything else. Might as well do the job properly when I put it back together.

[Colin Lindsay]

4 hours ago, 68vitesse said:

There was a batch of badly made rear springs, I still have one lying around in a shed. The ring on the end of the second leaf is far to big and touches the brake pipe where it leaves the rear brake cylinders on a Vitesse. One of the suppliers mentioned list the same spring for the swing axle and rotoflex Vitesse.

I ended up using the best of my old springs after rebuilding it with new poly buttons which I cut from a sheet of polyurethane from eBay.

Regards

Paul

There weren't badly made springs, they were correct for certain models and incorrect for others - suppliers were selling one-size-fits-all for some time. The larger eye version is for Spitfire 1500, I converted my GT6 to swing spring and used a S/H spring only to find it hit the rear brake hose. I bought a proper late-GT6 spring and it was a lot smaller, so nowhere near the rear hose. Of course I had to replace the rear wheel cylinder and hose too due to the damage that the spring had done whilst driving. 

[Darren Groves]

11 hours ago, Pete Lewis said:

Roger used    GB  on his 1500   drop him a line  and see how its going , certainly very much cheaper

http://www.gbsprings.co.uk/heritage-car-springs/

 

Pete

 

8 hours ago, Colin Lindsay said:

See my post further up, they don't list Herald springs and didn't reply to my e-mail enquiry a few months ago, so I can't confirm if they sell them or not.

 

Will give them a buzz tomorrow.

Darren 

[68vitesse]

Still say the spring is badly made, it is not a swing spring, the eye of the second leaf should be a tight fit to the bottom and top of the first leaf eye. It would probably be ok on a Herald as it has smaller rear brakes but as the spring eye is not properly supported could lead to fatigue failure of the main leaf.

Regards

 

Paul

 

[Unkel Kunkel]

I bought a ( Spitfire Mk1V) spring recently  from one of the “big name”  suppliers.

Apart from it arriving promptly and being well packaged, I was disappointed:

• The first inkling  it might be different to the one I was replacing,was the way the carrier  struggled with it to the door - It weighed  so much more than the old one!
• The lower leaf was  over 10mm thick, the original being 6.8 mm(pict)
• The thicker lowest leaf meant that the swing “box”  can not close down on the diff recess.I don’t know how significant this- but it doesn’t look right(pict).
• The “buttons ” / spacers - two were completely misplaced  from their recesses and also” squigded”  / torn.
• The  central stud (which locates the lowest leaf in the diff) threaded and bolted end was excessively long so that with its securing nut it  obstructed the  sleeved bolt  that goes between the lowest and the 2nd  leaf in the “swing box”.Attempts  at fitting this shattered the sleeve and bent the bolt(Yes , I know, it was silly to attempt to fit it..)

I suppose I could have shortened the stud bolt ;replaced all the buttons ; ignored the size differences of the leaves and the weight  but  I think  something unless  something is advertised  with information about it being  different,even  if it is upgraded   from the original, then it is reasonable  to assume  that what you will get will be  reasonnably “like for like.”

I asked the firm if they could  give further info./ discuss  / confirm it was OK for me to use.

Certainly  what followed was a rapid  and civil reply, but there was no engagement in a discussion about the issues, only  the suggestion to return it.

I opted to clean up  and refurb.my old spring and return the “new” one.

From the internet, for less than a tenner, I got a length of UHMW polyethylene rod  ( better than Nylon  or Teflon ,apparently).I did find it very” stringy” and a bit frustrating for  an amateur like me to turn but finally produced some “buttons” for the spring.

Have yet to fit it on the vehicle.

 

[John Bonnett]

My recommendation would be to go direct to Owen Springs in Rotherham. They make them and you cannot do better than a Sheffield spring. In addition to the standard springs they will at no extra charge uprate to your specification.  Nice people to deal with too.

[Gully]

The replacement spring on my GT6 is a Heritage Spring from GB Springs - no issues with it a couple of years in.

Gully

[Pete Lewis]

The gap under the swinger box bottom plate is ok , it has to clamp the fixed leaf , just  a thicker leaf leaves a bigger gap

All the swinger conversion kits ive seen have a bracket and short bundy to relocate the wheel cly hose away from the eye

Or it clatters through the brake pipe.

On my Vit6 saloon  the swinger was a  compete waste of time ,with no ride travel and bottomed shockers.

Agree a std  fixed spring should have a much tighter  rolled eye 

[Guest]

Darren.

Is your spring just worn or another issue ??

Regards.

Richard.

[Darren Groves]

9 hours ago, classiclife said:

Darren.

Is your spring just worn or another issue ??

Regards.

Richard.

I have a collection of rear end noises and it looks a little saggy, so I've decided to replace bearings, UJ's and spring as part of my winter 'to do' list.

On 10/16/2017 at 7:12 AM, John Bonnett said:

My recommendation would be to go direct to Owen Springs in Rotherham. They make them and you cannot do better than a Sheffield spring. In addition to the standard springs they will at no extra charge uprate to your specification.  Nice people to deal with too.

Owen Springs quoted £189+VAT & Shipping.

On 10/15/2017 at 11:23 AM, Colin Lindsay said:

See my post further up, they don't list Herald springs and didn't reply to my e-mail enquiry a few months ago, so I can't confirm if they sell them or not.

GB Springs I spoke to yesterday morning and waiting on a call back.

Darren

[Waynebaby]

Darren,

From my experience on my GT6 I found that a new rear spring made the wheel camber excessively positive (I think this is quite common) After a year of driving around with two bags of sand behind the seats to counteract the rather alarming lift-off over-steer I've decided to fit a 1/2" lowering block. You might want to consider buying one now and saving yourself a job later on.

Wayne 

 

[Pete Lewis]

always,  always,   recheck the rear wheel toe after a spring change or adding a spacer    most important if you dont want bump steer , bunny hops 

and side stepping back end .

just need two of these and a tape measure across the beams  .  aim for 0- 3mm  max toe in preferably  laden 

most specs ask for 150lbs on each seat  some gt6 specs are given unladen 

Pete

[Gully]

6 hours ago, Waynebaby said:

Darren,

From my experience on my GT6 I found that a new rear spring made the wheel camber excessively positive (I think this is quite common) After a year of driving around with two bags of sand behind the seats to counteract the rather alarming lift-off over-steer I've decided to fit a 1/2" lowering block. You might want to consider buying one now and saving yourself a job later on.

Wayne 

 

Mine had a half inch lowering block fitted with the new spring. After a couple of years and a bit of settling, I'm thinking it could be removed now, but like everything else on a rotoflex back end that's painful just to contemplate! 

Gully

[PeteH]

Hi

Question.? My 13/60 came with the "swing" Axle conversion. Having stripped and Cleaned the Spring I have reassembled it as it was removed. However I have a sneaky feeling that the Bolt through the "Bridge" Clamp Is being crushed. (pic 1). I note in the Picture posted by Vanadium 23. There is a plate under the "Bridge" Clamp?, which was not there on mine. So Question?, do I fabricate a plate,? what thickness is recommended?. I have a stud which holds the lower spring to the Axle, which was VERY proud. I used a thin nut and Shortened the stud, which improved things BUT the cross bolt is badly bent. I am tempted to remove that bolt all together?. But unsure at this juncture as the that wisdom?. Ie; it is there and should have a purpose?. (see Pictures) The Canley "swing" picture shows a Plate? Which suggests to me that this is not a Canley Product So Who?.

Browsing the Net I see this on U-Tube (Pic grab), which appears to show the same setup but without the Cross bolt and Tube?. (on a Spitfire).

 

Edited November 26, 2017 by PeteH
More Information.

[Pete Lewis]

Ive never seen one without the first leaf plate fitted btween the leafs

It was the worst modification I ever had on my Vit6  far  too much body roll.   

Pete