rlubikey Posted June 26, 2018 Report Share Posted June 26, 2018 The roads round everywhere are rubbish these days, I'm sure it's not just Berks. So, I've got a Spit-6 with standard swing-spring/axle at the back and 480lbs springs up front, running on 185/65 tyres & 5.5J steels and Protech dampers on softest setting. I'm not too bad at scanning the road for pot holes & avoiding them (comes from being a cyclist!) but these days it's hard trying to find a piece of road which *HASN'T* got a pot hole. CRASH - oh, there goes another one. Poor Spit; it's getting shaken to bits. So, I'm thinking of changing the front springs - it's not as if I ever do track days. It seems my choice is:- Standard 180lbs (according to teglerizer.com) GT6 Std 200lbs (as above) 220lbs (Moss et al) 262lbs (Rimmers "uprated") 330lbs (Moss et al) Well, 330lbs is only about 30% softer than my 480lbs. 262lbs is 45% softer than 480 and 45% harder than stock. However, I think I'm tempted to go for the 220lb springs and see how I get on with them. They're 22% harder (although Moss call them standard) than stock Spit or 10% c.f. GT6. I've always thought that Triumph got most things right and we don't give them nearly enough credit! Suspension spring rates are something they tweaked on different marks of our cars, so I think they probably spent a lot of time working on this. I would be interested in peoples' views, but I just want more comfort until we get better roads. I'll keep my hard springs in the vain hope that one day, before I can't drive any more, that might happen. Cheers, Richard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougbgt6 Posted June 26, 2018 Report Share Posted June 26, 2018 Richard, I remember a time when the roads were almost as bloody awful as now. How did they get better and slowly worse again?!! I was young then and so was my GT6. Triumph designed these cars for those crap roads, so yes, back to the original, for the time being. Doug Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NonMember Posted June 26, 2018 Report Share Posted June 26, 2018 I've mostly kept to standard springs on all mine. Even the TR7, with the Sprint engine, was on original saggy and wallowy. Held the road a darned sight better than the stiffened, hardened, boy-racered one that a friend of a friend had. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpitFire6 Posted June 26, 2018 Report Share Posted June 26, 2018 Hi, I'm running 330# on 175/55/15's. Spring heights adjusted to make wishbones parallel to the ground. Dampers set very low. Harsh as ****. Richard, I will be interested in how lower # springs will behave. Might try 220# myself.. Cheers, Iain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Lewis Posted June 27, 2018 Report Share Posted June 27, 2018 Triumph used chassis dyno and months of testing and measuring to get a spec that does what it says on the tin To give a stable result that woild take you shopping , holidays and enjoy abit of tearing aound its not easy to play with supposed upgrades Which are leveled at guess work and wallet devouring aftermarket upgrades Changes to suit a racer are not much use on the open road or everyday fun I would advise stick with the tried and tested ...abandon the boneshakers Pete in dinasaur mode Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anglefire Posted June 27, 2018 Report Share Posted June 27, 2018 As i've posted before I think, my springs were an advisory at the last mot due to surface rust so have been thinking of changing them as well as the shocks - but I've not do so yet. Clive gave some recommendations as to shocks and I think springs - but I think I will be sticking with standard - we have too many speed bumps round here that are just not pleasant to have to drive over. The club does a good range - and I guess they are recommended - but do they maintain the correct height with standard shocks - as I know some springs either raise or lower the car and you need adjustable ones to compensate? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougbgt6 Posted June 27, 2018 Report Share Posted June 27, 2018 Mark, I also got "rusty springs" advisories. What do they expect, they're road springs, the clue's in the name they're on the road, where it's sometimes WET! However, after the third advisory they wore me down and I got new standard springs and Gaz shockers from the club shop. There was no difference to the ride height. I bought the fixed pan shockers, not the adjustable pan. I still have the shocker adjustment but I can't move the spring up and down, unnecessary and a bridge too far for me. The difference to the ride was fantastic, I no longer have involuntary teeth chatter. I'm not sure the springs couldn't have been cleaned up and repainted, but they were 40 years old and the new ones cheap enough. The shockers are well worth it. Doug Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clive Posted June 27, 2018 Report Share Posted June 27, 2018 Mark, just do not buy the STD black cheap shocks. Honestly. Anything but those. I would find some kyb off eBay if you want non adjustables...probably about the best you are likely to find at good prices. As to springs, if yours are otherwise good condition a dentist and paint will see them sorted. O idea about the club springs, but some sellers just list one for spitfire, avoid those. each model has a different strength and fitted length. So which would it fit? I think that is why many early cars sit way too high and silly at the front. Along with the cheap shocks with the pans set too high.... However, the club used to sell uprated springs, stronger but same unfitted length. Which made the cars sit higher. Fine for off road rallying, nothing else! Hopefully they have sorted that now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
68vitesse Posted June 27, 2018 Report Share Posted June 27, 2018 When I rebuilt my Vitesse many years ago bought standard springs but ended up buying uprated as it lowered the front simply because I thought it looked better. Regards Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougbgt6 Posted June 27, 2018 Report Share Posted June 27, 2018 Clive, The club shop have individual springs for each model, I've seen them, all neatly colour coded. Additionally they come as standard or heavy duty. The catalogue recommends adjustable pan shocks for heavy duty. I omitted to mention previously the CS shockers are GAZ. They also used to stock Monroe but no longer do, I think it was Bern told me Monroe are no longer what they were. And as I said before, standard springs, standard shocks and everything is the right height. Doug Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anglefire Posted June 27, 2018 Report Share Posted June 27, 2018 54 minutes ago, clive said: Mark, just do not buy the STD black cheap shocks. Honestly. I was thinking standard springs rather than shocks - shocks, I was going to go with either adjustable or one of the ones you have mentioned in the past! KYB probably if non adjustable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clive Posted June 27, 2018 Report Share Posted June 27, 2018 Good news they specify springs for each model. Not so good about the uprated springs....I expect initially it was an oversight, "make them the same length" but of course they won't compress as much. Still, with adjustable seats they will be ok, but that isn't the point, they should work with fixed pan shocks. I expect monroe have been bought up by firstline or similar... another brand name that has no connection with the product quality we hope for. Ho hum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clive Posted June 27, 2018 Report Share Posted June 27, 2018 2 minutes ago, Anglefire said: I was thinking standard springs rather than shocks - shocks, I was going to go with either adjustable or one of the ones you have mentioned in the past! KYB probably if non adjustable. Koni. Really are the best mass produced shocks. Valved in a different way to spax/Gaz so cope with heavy use much better. The ones on my spitfire are now 21 years old, and still on the same settings as when new. And they do have a tough time... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Lindsay Posted June 27, 2018 Report Share Posted June 27, 2018 12 hours ago, rlubikey said: The roads round everywhere are rubbish these days, I'm sure it's not just Berks. The old joke is that we used to drive on the left of the road, now we drive on what's left of the road.... However: my road has recently been resurfaced for five miles from one village to another; the usual tarmac / asphalt then tons of stones on top which passing cars are meant to compact down before the rest is swept away. Would have been a lovely job when finished however white-Subaru-man decided last Sunday to head out and perform a few doughnuts, which in the hot weather has resulted in large circular gouges and dips sunk into the surface which are already a nightmare to drive over in a modern, let alone a Triumph... you can bet they won't be back to repair them for another few years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rlubikey Posted June 27, 2018 Author Report Share Posted June 27, 2018 Thanks for your comments everyone. Colin - I do detest "tar & grit" as a surface dressing. Sometimes I imagine whole Scottish mountains have been ground up to become dunes of grit at the side of Oxfordshire roads. Clive - agree it's not good (just cost saving) when they spec. one spring to cover different mks & models. Pete - yes I agree, they *did* know what they were doing and spent a lot of time & money designing our cars. Do you think input from the marketing people probably made the engineers err on the soft side for suspension. (Like the recent thread on steering rack rubbers.) No dinosaurs here by the way, just a wealth of experience. Mark & Iain - I've ordered the 220lb springs so watch this space and I'll report back. Doug - better roads? It seems like they're digging them all up to "upgrade the drains" for all the new housing that's going in. It's deffo. been getting worse over the last 4 or 5 years. It was my drive over to Yattendon on Saturday that made me think how bad it was ... well just everywhere! Cheers, Richard 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougbgt6 Posted June 27, 2018 Report Share Posted June 27, 2018 Sorry Richard but if I got to choose my gut instinct is for drains! db Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rogerguzzi Posted June 27, 2018 Report Share Posted June 27, 2018 Hello All We are touring Spain (see thread) and the roads are so GOOD and SMOOTH but as a mate said we have paid for them! Roger P s even the mountain passes (see thread) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris A Posted June 28, 2018 Report Share Posted June 28, 2018 Yes the roads are good in Spain now, EU funds. When we started going there it was quite different. Spain also has 'claimed' all the stock of left over roundabouts in Europe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Jones Posted June 28, 2018 Report Share Posted June 28, 2018 I think use of low profile tyres ( and I'm calling anything under 70 section low) has a very dis-improving effect on ride. I have 300lb on my Vitesse with Konis on their lowest setting. Konis are significantly better than others in my experience. Works for me. Tyres 175/70 R13. Ride comfort for all small chassis Triumphs is ultimately limited by short-travel inherent in the suspension design. Nick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Lindsay Posted June 28, 2018 Report Share Posted June 28, 2018 1 hour ago, Chris A said: Yes the roads are good in Spain now, EU funds. When we started going there it was quite different. Spain also has 'claimed' all the stock of left over roundabouts in Europe. I love the Attiki Odos in Greece, 1.8bn worth of motorways that I use to get to the Peloponnese from Athens. "Cutting edge" roads with very little traffic and an absolute joy to drive on, so my money was well spent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gully Posted June 28, 2018 Report Share Posted June 28, 2018 7 hours ago, Chris A said: Yes the roads are good in Spain now, EU funds. When we started going there it was quite different. Spain also has 'claimed' all the stock of left over roundabouts in Europe. A chunk of the Spanish toll roads were built on an investment / return basis (effectively PFI), with UK listed John Laing Investments owning a substantial proportion of them. Not sure if they still 'own' them now, but when I worked for the JL construction business 20 years ago it always amused me how much of the group's profit derived from the toll roads - not actually building! Gully Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave.vitesse Posted June 28, 2018 Report Share Posted June 28, 2018 Yes been there. 440lb lower springs on the front and an upgraded rear rotoflex spring on the wife's Gitfire. With 185x70x13 tyres and up-graded front ant-rollbar. Rock stable at speed on a smooth road. But down to 15 to 20 MPH on some of the very bumpy and pot holed back country roads. Its a short travel jerky suspension. I left the Vitesse standard and just allow for it when driving. Adjustable dampers can help on standard springs on the Spit. And for road use would not go over 330lb. I agree with Nick re the TR7, even on standard springs 90lb and 180lb it has good road holding. I change mine to 220lb all round, its still very comfortable and has rock stable road holding. I agree with Pete, If you mod your car to a track spec then there will be lots of unwanted side effects. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anglefire Posted June 28, 2018 Report Share Posted June 28, 2018 Found a site that is doing koni classic front shocks (80-1388) for £125 inc vat each. And rears for £108. Are they the best ones to get? https://www.europerformance.co.uk/pages/products/product_info.mhtml?product=2572651;car=triumphspitfire https://www.europerformance.co.uk/pages/products/product_info.mhtml?product=2572650;car=triumphspitfire Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clive Posted June 28, 2018 Report Share Posted June 28, 2018 Bastuk in Germany were the cheapest supplier a while ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShaunW Posted June 28, 2018 Report Share Posted June 28, 2018 I've just rebuilt my front end and went for 220s and blue poly bushes. When I finally lowered it from the jack..... it was about 2" from the ground. I've got Gaz adjustables but they had to be wound up too far to get it sitting right. Pita having to take them off again. I drove over to rimmers and they swapped them for the uprated 262s. The heavier engine in a six needs it, 220s are more suited to regular spits according to the convos I had there. Fitted them and it's great now. Soft enough to iron out the bumps but firm enough to handle as well as can be expected. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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