Spitfire (or any small Triumph?) Front suspension rebuild - missing washers?

[IanC]

All,

Thanks for reading.

I've recently completely dismantled the front suspension, meticulously placing all the nuts, bolts, washers etc into labelled chinese take-away tubs.

I'm now re-building and have hit a snag.  When I've checked the diag's of the setup for the stub axles they all show washers between the back of the vertical links and the steering arms and also between the steering arm and the nut on the end of the stub axle (Rimmers diag part number WC112081).

I don't have any washers in my tubs so I'm wondering if the diag's are wrong or have I lost all four washers somehow.

Can you help please?

Thanks in hope.

 

Ian

[Pete Lewis]

have a look at OE parts list \|C/o canley's

Upper Wishbone, Vertical Link and Hub : Canley Classics

Pete

[IanC]

Pete,

Thanks for the link.  Will add that to my list of info sites. Canley don't show the washer between the link and the arm so I'm confident there wasn't one there.  They do show one under the nut though and I'm 99% sure I didn't have one so I'm going to add one.

 

Cheers sir.

 

Ian

[Colin Lindsay]

20 minutes ago, IanC said:

Pete,

Thanks for the link.  Will add that to my list of info sites. Canley don't show the washer between the link and the arm so I'm confident there wasn't one there.  They do show one under the nut though and I'm 99% sure I didn't have one so I'm going to add one.

 

Cheers sir.

 

Ian

There isn't one between the vertical link and the steering arm but there's usually a dust shield in that gap. 

For the stub axle I queried that myself way back with my 1200 rebuild; I was sent a few photos of various manuals and disc-brake conversion instruction leaflets and there's a washer featured. Check the length of thread and the size of the nut; some people use a full size nut which may not grip enough threads, which my mOT man tells me is a fail, so some suppliers will sell a half-nut that goes further along the axle threads.

 

 

[Pete Lewis]

my MkIV oe parts list shows a  WP0011   1/2" washer between the nut and the arm and the same between the arm and upright on the spindle 

Pete

[IanC]

Pete & Colin,

Appreciate the responses gents.  I'm happy there was no washer between the link and the arm in the first place.

 

Pete,

I think you responded to an earlier question from myself.  Thanks again 🙂

 

Colin,

Where did your picture come from please?

 

Enjoy what's left of your weekend gents.

 

Ian

[NonMember]

40 minutes ago, IanC said:

Colin,

Where did your picture come from please?

They look like WSM drawings to me. Note that Colin's are for a 1200 Herald with disc brake (type 12) conversion. The GT6 and Vitesse are similar but the 13/60 and later Spitfires have a different setup.

[Colin Lindsay]

2 hours ago, IanC said:

Colin,

Where did your picture come from please?

As Rob says, early Workshop Manual for one and disc brake conversion instructions for the other.

[Pete Lewis]

theres something in the memory fog that they introduced a washer to pitch the track rod end away from the disc but the washer on the stub moves it closer  or was it to even up the splash plate thickness   this washer has some history but !!!!!!  

some parts lists show it some dont 

pete

 

 

 

[griffipaul]

My Vitesse mk 2 has spacers on the stering arm I presumed they were to ensure cleaarance between the vertical link and the arm castings such that the machined faces clamped together.

[Peter Truman]

My Mk2 has a washer (around 1/16in) on the stub axle locknut & it's never been removed in 54 years, had the beast 50 of those years! 

[Colin Lindsay]

This is the expanded drawing for Herald 13/60s so 1967 thereabouts. Interesting in that a) there is a washer shown at the stub axle nut but b) there appears to be a second washer on the other side of the steering arm; both part 16. Curious! In any case there should be no gap between the steering arm and where the bolt goes into the vertical link, I've always found that any gap is taken up by the disc shield without the need for shims or washers.

                 

 

[Pete Lewis]

it is surely only used (as some do some dont)  to maintain arm  alignment when the water shields are fitted under the front bolt face 

after all  you can  but shouldnt    pitch the two faces 

Pete

[daverclasper]

On 03/04/2022 at 11:41, Colin Lindsay said:

some people use a full size nut which may not grip enough threads, which my mOT man tells me is a fail, so some suppliers will sell a half-nut that goes further along the axle threads.

Is a half nut more secure than a longer one protruding? (as I can't see why?), or just what the MOT stipulates, in case the screw/bolt is not the correct length?.

[NonMember]

36 minutes ago, daverclasper said:

Is a half nut more secure than a longer one protruding? (as I can't see why?), or just what the MOT stipulates, in case the screw/bolt is not the correct length?.

If we're talking nyloc nuts, then the full nut protruding isn't getting the benefit of being a nyloc. Otherwise, no real difference that I can see.

[Peter Truman]

I thought the engineering rule was  there should be 1 to 2 full threads protruding from the nut!

[NonMember]

That's a good rule for getting the right length of bolt, but filing the nut down to achieve it won't make it any stronger or more durable. I suppose it might make it slightly less likely to undo when the bolt has gone rusty but that's rather too late to be useful.

[PeteH]

Occasionally, the machine shop would turn out the odd over length Bolt. Which when assembled protruded too far and needed to be trimmed down. This would often be tasked to the apprentice school, with instructions to take it back to length with 1-1/2 threads protruding as assembled. As these where often 2" dia or larger. The job would be handed to the latest "offender", by the Sadist in the white coat, with instruction to complete the task with a Hacksaw! and finish off with a File. IF it was in EN9, the blade count could be somewhat high.

Pete.