Spitfire 1500:Additional distance washer on diff front mounting.

[DerekS]

Good evening, this is the first time that I've posted a question on the new website. It's about a second washer on the left-hand side of the front diff mounting plate, described in the official British Leyland Parts Catalogue and Rimmers catalogue, as a distance washer, part number 134603. Bear with me!

I run a 1980 spitfire 1500, one of the last made. When I bought the car it had been fitted with a replacement diff and rear spring. Very often after a long run, when reversing, the car would judder, shaking the exhaust. I replaced the rubber mounting bushes last year with Polybush ones; it was obvious they hadn't been changed when the diff was done. While it has more or less cured the judder, it still isn't as smooth as I would like and it was only by chance that I was looking through a couple of parts catalogues when I noticed this distance washer, which was missing from my car. I ordered one on Friday from Rimmers and it arrived yesterday morning. In the catalogues it is shown as being fitted below the normal washer, i.e. the ones that are fitted to both sides; but the hole in the washer itself is the same size as the Polybush (the captive stud is stepped in diameter to suit) which suggests that it is fitted under the Polybush and then the normal washer under that, then the nut. If it was fitted as shown in the catalogues, given the different diameters, it would not be effective at all.That is how I have fitted it although it must be compressing the Polybush mountings on that side to some degree. The car is fitted throughout with Blue "Comfort" grade polybushes. (Superb.)

I take that it is there to stop the diff twisting under torque in reverse?

Sorry for being so long-winded!

So the big question is have I got it right? I have a variety of workshop manuals but none of the mention it!!!As always, your experience, thoughts and comments would be appreciated!

[Pete Lewis]

Certainly shows on Oe parts manual for both mkIV and 1500 as fitting between nut and first steel washer as packer on leftside only these would be swingers ? so who knows the relevance

 

at HQ fhere will be a service bulletin with some design reasons to introduce it

 

you need to get to lubenham and have a read

 

pete

[DerekS]

Thanks for the reply , Pete, I will leave the spacer on for a while and see how it goes. Meanwhile I would welcome any comments, good or bad! Best regards.

[Pete Lewis]

An odd design as it must pitch the rear mounts which are less flexible

Guess it must pre load the lh rubber but why its not for torque as its not on 2ltr cars

but seems only on swing spring spitfires

Many spits can suffer a lean but not to the left

 

it may just be to correct the effect of road camber which the swinger might show a lean or low n/s

 

which wont show up on the driveway

 

pete

[DerekS]

An update on an old thread, I posted it in the wrong category ,sorry. 

I've just been finishing off reading the October Practical Classics and on pages 112/113 Nigel Clark describes how his GT6 doesn't sit right suspension-wise and ends up fitting extra washers under the right-hand mounting point. Would this have the same effect as fitting this mysterious extra distance  washer to the LEFT hand mounting, the one that shows up on the parts diagram (part number 134603)? I initially noticed that mine was missing, they are available for a couple of quid, and fitted it  but wasn't too happy at the extra compression it put on the diff mounting (poly) bushes. As always, any thoughts would be interesting!