480lb Springs + Potholes = Stressed Driver!

[Anglefire]

1 hour ago, clive said:

Bastuk in Germany were the cheapest supplier a while ago. 

 

Assuming XE rates in the conversion from EU to GBP then the total is about £471 - which is £8 or so cheaper than Europerformance. But I did also include nuts and bolts for the front and the upper spring plate too. Not sure about delivery costs.

Seem to have ordered them - still don't know what the delivery costs are. Very strange. Seemed to be cash on delivery. Also odd.

[Clive]

I know mufink! Mine came from Rimmers at Stafford, show offer. £160 a set IIRC!!! But that was a long time ago. Think that was when I picked a used SAH 6 cylinder rocket cover up off their stall for £15. Should have kept it rather than passing it on to a mate......... would have paid for a decent short holiday now.

[yorkshire_spam]

I'm running standard shocks on the front of the Spitfire 1500 but slightly lower 330lbs springs.

On the rear standard shocks and a new spring (which needed a lowering block to get it to ride at the right height), but it's too "bouncey" so when I can afford it I'm going for Koni shocks on the back.

The first time I ran it at "Autobahn speed" the steering became frighteningly light, but by lowering the front slightly and stiffening a little it's transformed the car at speed. Feels very solid and planted, but at the same time doesn't shake your teeth out on yorkshire roads.

[Anglefire]

Total cost, delivered, is €560 - front and rear shocks, front spring plate, nuts bolts for the front (I have rear nuts & bolts in stock) and standard front springs. I’ve not found them cheaper anywhere else including eBay. 

So I’ve confirmed the order. Still don’t know when they will come, but there is no rush. 

[ShaunW]

7 hours ago, yorkshire_spam said:

The first time I ran it at "Autobahn speed" the steering became frighteningly light, but by lowering the front slightly and stiffening a little it's transformed the car at speed. 

Can I ask what distance you've got from the hub to the arch, front and back? Mines 12.75" all round but I was tempted to drop the nose a tad. I've certainly got enough clearance because I'm on relatively small 185/60/13s. 

[yorkshire_spam]

40 minutes ago, ShaunW said:

Can I ask what distance you've got from the hub to the arch, front and back? Mines 12.75" all round but I was tempted to drop the nose a tad. I've certainly got enough clearance because I'm on relatively small 185/60/13s. 

Happy to measure for you next time I'm out in the garage Shaun.... I'm on 175/70r13 on 5.5J minilites (JBW minilights actually)

I can't find a picture with the spacers fitted. But here's one of what it looked like with just the springs changed, front end is about half an inch higher now.

(https://yorkshire-spitfire.blogspot.com/2017/07/still-not-sure-about-ride-height.html)

[Clive]

At the front I am running 480lb springs with an engine that is identical in weight to a triumph 4-pot. Rear is CV rotoflex-ish with a fiddled-with spring of unknown strength (I intend buying a new one, but in a quandary as to which one, thinking uprated gt6 Rotoflex, need to work all that out though) and Koni all round.

Have sat at over 100+mph on the autobahn, and was heading up to 120 (got to 116 but an inconsiderate Merc pulled out ahead, then the opportunity was gone) at those speeds the car feels very planted, and fairly civilised. The aerodynamics seem to work pretty well, way better than expected. This was running 185/60 14 tyres@ 25psi which seems to work best.

Today I was pottering around a crazy-busy Brighton with all its potholes. A bit bumpy, but I really doubt much harsher than a std setup.

[yorkshire_spam]

Hub centre to bottom lip of wheel arch, 12 3/4" rear, 12 1/4" front. 

[Anglefire]

Also means I’ve got to buy a spring compressor  ?

and an oil gun. 

Call to the club shop me thinks. 

Edited June 29, 2018 by Anglefire
Grammar

[dougbgt6]

Ah! Another customer for the club shop Mega Pumpinator!

[ShaunW]

Thx yorkshire. I'm not a million miles off then. 

On closer inspection I think it's the front of my bonnet that needs to come down 1/2" rather than the suspension. 

[Anglefire]

On 6/29/2018 at 5:51 PM, Anglefire said:

Total cost, delivered, is €560 - front and rear shocks, front spring plate, nuts bolts for the front (I have rear nuts & bolts in stock) and standard front springs. I’ve not found them cheaper anywhere else including eBay. 

So I’ve confirmed the order. Still don’t know when they will come, but there is no rush. 

Well, the bill is sat in my pending section of the credit card - £496 delivered. So about £30 more than the Euro one I mentioned before, but I do have a few other bits and bobs which come to a lot more than £30.

[rlubikey]

220lb "standard" Moss springs arrived on Friday, fitted on Saturday, but no time to test drive. Now I know why people like lowered &/or harder springs - I had to go out and buy a spring compressor to get the devils in! There was me thinking they could be compressed on the adjustable shock seats like the 480lb jobbies!

Cheers, Richard

[Anglefire]

My bits and bobs from Germany arrived today. Just got to work out how they all got together - though also need a spring compressor.

[rlubikey]

So, here's my report on the new springs. This is an "engine back" Spitfire 2500 PI, so there's almost as much weight on the front as a GT6, but the C of G is further back and lower. It's built from a Spitfire - no "Gitfire" here! First thing is that I was surprised how long these supposedly standard Moss 220lb springs were. My adjustable spring seat Protech dampers are on their lowest position and the front is fractionally higher than before. The lower wishbones are angled about 2' below horizontal (they were adjusted to horizontal before). So if you want some adjustment, don't rely on your dampers, buy lowered springs. The dampers are still on their softest setting - no change there.

After 2 weeks of driving most days (7-mile commute plus some longer journeys) the new springs don't make the car feel at all "wallowy". In fact it still feels quite taught, but more "supple" over undulations. It has definitely reduced the tendency to "crash" over potholes - the whole car shakes less. I really couldn't say whether it has more oversteer (which I think is what softening the front does - is that right?) as I barely get the chance to take it that far round here.

One thing I think - the back (long shaft swing-axle) tends to get unsettled less by severe bumps/ruts than before. Is this because there's less coming through the chassis from the front?

Overall, while I'm not the fastest of drivers and don't tend to use the road as my personal race track, the Spit still feels well balanced - nicely planted on the road - but more supple and I don't get the strong impression that either the car or me is going to get shaken to bits. I've probably lost a few seconds around a race track, but I never do race tracks so don't care. I could always swap the old springs in if I did.

This is all very subjective of course. But I'm not afraid to say if nothing's changed or something's got worse. If there's anything I've missed then let me know and I'll try to answer.

Cheers, Richard

[rlubikey]

Oh, "flickability" - especially one mini roundabout - seems just as good. Seemingly no tendency for the car to wallow or roll.

[Pete Lewis]

Rear end bunny hops on pot hoes is normally down to incorrect rear end toe in,  maybe the new set up is more accurately set than the 

previous set up ?

Pete

[dave.vitesse]

I left by Vitesse with the standard springs mainly for comfort. With the original set-up there is more travel in the suspension than with shorter springs and you can feel the suspension soak up the most of the bumps. There is more roll of course with the standard set-up but then you just make allowances for it. 

If you fit SPAX front dampers the spring seat is lower and hence even standard springs the front is lower by at least an inch.

Dave

[rlubikey]

On 20/07/2018 at 07:59, Pete Lewis said:

Rear end bunny hops on pot hoes is normally down to incorrect rear end toe in

Just a little addendum to this. I'd been playing with the toe-in/out adding and subtracting the shims, all to no avail!

Then one day I went to pump up my clever "Max-Air" Monroe ride height adjustable rear shocks but my digital pressure gauge was playing up and I put too much air in. Letting the air out (there's a schrader valve) I got some slippy yellow fluid on my thumb - oil from the damper(s)! One of the Monroes was nadgered. Some new cheapo ones and my rear end is no longer playing hop-scotch along the road.

The thing is, it's been like this for years ... but still passing MOTs! I think the 480lb front springs (now removed) and the light Spit rear end must have been hiding the fault.

The air-adjustable rear dampers were to avoid that sinking feeling when a bike rack is fitted. This was the situation on my old blue Spit.

It's been reported that Monroe quality is down the drain these days, so a bit of research and I've discovered that a USA company called Gabriel do a similar range of dampers called Hijackers - and there's an equivalent one (for a '62-82 Corvette) which should fit the Spit, part number 49304.

Cheers, Richard

PS: Still loving the 220lb front springs. Just wish I'd found slightly shorter ones so I could fine tune the ride height.

[dougbgt6]

Richard,

seems very high on the front, but I suppose those may be VERY heavy bikes!

Are you coming tonight? I've bought an rlubikey heater valve and have questions.

Doug

[rlubikey]

Hi Doug - I'll be there.

See you later, Richard

[GT6M]

thee,s

http://www.dfaulknersprings.com/acatalog/2.5-Inch-ID-8-Inch-Free-Length-Standard-Spring.html

or thee,s

http://www.dfaulknersprings.com/acatalog/2.25-Inch-ID-8-Inch-Free-Length-Standard-Spring.htm

 

If yer running 220 LB springs, then there summat amiss wid yer idea of a decent ride

 

Im now  running 1200,lb,ers, after trying  800,  900, 1000,  and its alot better ride than  any thing else ive tried.

but need shocks t,match,

I gave a olde set of 600,s  { meb,e doon t,500 ish with age !! }  to a bloke on here, he said they were fine,

contrary to what all others had said.

 

On yours  Rich, wid engine set back a wee bit,  900-1000 lb,ers  wid re valved shocks will be just right,!!

 

M

 

 

[dave.vitesse]

How you drive and maybe your age can have a big influence on things.  But I found 400lb short springs difficult on roads with a rough surface. This was with a Triumph Tune upgraded front anti-roll bar, the back end being Rotoflex. On a Gitfire. OK on the track, but not so good on some of the bumpy rough roads. It's true you do need much better stability if you increase the performance. However, 130MPH and zero to 60 in 6 secs is not a lot of good if you have to shut down to 20MHP on a poor road surface.

Maybe it's just me.

Dave

[rlubikey]

Thanks Markus - I hadn't thought of bypassing the Triumph vendors. But Dave's right - the 480lb springs are great on smooth roads. Trouble is, the roads round here are increasingly rubbish since 2008. I'm not too bad at scanning for potholes and steering round, but in many places it's more a case of spotting the odd bit of smooth road in amongst the rubbish surface. I wouldn't mind so much if the Bankers were cycling to work these days.

Cheers, Richard