Rotoflex rebuild

[brucer]

Hi everyone first post here. I have has my MKII Viteses for a few months and been working through the many issuers with it. But I am stumped by a problem with the rear suspension. The drivers side at the rear has always been high (Possibly passenger side low) so I set about rebuilding/rebuhsing the rear. I have now completed this with a new N/S damper and all new bushes. Unfortunately this has not fixed by problem. There is very little travel on the O/S suspension and I can't fit the bump stop on the shock leaver. I have had the spring out and it looks fine to me and appears to be reasonably new (limited knowledge here).

I have noticed that on the O/S the wishbone is wider than the boss on the vertical link requiring a 1/8 inch of washers to take up the gap. This was not the case on the N/S. wrong wishbone or vertical link possibly or just one of those things?

Is it possible that I have the wrong spring and how would I tell if I did? I had one hell of a job getting th ebolt at the top of the vertical link into the  spring eye bush.

Thanks in advance for any help or advise you can offer.

Bruce

[Clive]

Some pics would be helpful.
When you say very little travel, is it because the suspension is low?

You say the os has always sat high (and ns low) but comment about the lack of travel on the os, and not getting the bumpstop in. Seems confusing!

Have you tried turning the spring around? I know it is a pain on a rotoflex car......

[brucer]

Thanks for the quick response Clive.

I did think about turning the spring round and I will give it a go. I will try and post some pictures when I have it all back together again. It is hard to explain but when the car is together and down on its wheels, looking from the rear the body is high on the RHS. This is caused because the suspension is low and hence the shock leaver is too close to the chassis to get the bump stop in ( not the bump stop on the body but the one between the chassis and the leaver arm). Pic below of where bump stop is.

[Steve AKA vitessesteve]

Mk2 Vitesse lovely car, but the rear suspension can be hard work.  Post a few photos and I am sure we can help you.

Have you been to a local club meet yet?  Seeing another similar car up close can be very helpful.

Bruce have just edited your post to make the image show up.

Car may go down a bit after you put it back on its wheels and the suspension has settled.

Are all the joints in the suspension free to move?  Seized bits can make the car feel and look lob sided.

[brucer]

Hi Steve,

Not sure how I find my local club. I am already a member of TR register but no Vitesse Knowledge there.

It was all sneezed up on the OS but all bushed and lubed so should be free now. When I put it all together and loaded up the suspension, with a jack, to tighten it all up, there was just very little suspension movement before the chassis lifted off the jack stand.

I think I will put it all together and take some pictures. If I find the local club I can drive it to a meet for some advise. It is all taxed and MOTed.

Just need to raise the enthusiasm and stamina to take the NS apart again so I can refit the srping, then put it all back together again. :o

Cheers
Bruce

[dave mc]

I have the exact same problem but hoping that when the body goes back on the weight of the body will push down on the suspension and help to raise the lever arm off the bump stop,

My bump stops are fitted but are getting crushed by the lever arms.

Having said that, I'm not too hopeful as three of us have stood on the rear spring and that didn't make any difference! :((

[Nick Jones]

Suspension geometry means that they don't settle much unless rolled backwards and forwards.  TRunnion bushes also tend to be stiff when new which doesn't help.

Whereabouts are you?

Cheers

Nick

[brucer]

Hi Dave,

Body still on mine. Is it just one side that you have the problem and are you using the original spring?

Bruce

[garyf]

It is a Pain working on the Mk2 Rotoflex suspension.

Have you got a spring lifting tool for a start, these help a lot.

Also the Mk2 Vitesse spring is a different profile to the earlier types here's a pic of a refurbished original spring?

If your based in the Midlands your welcome to view the rear suspension on my car?

Reagrds

Gary

[brucer]

Hi all thanks for all the responses. I live near Stansted Airport in Hertfordshire so not near any of you.

Gary I have a long length of Iron pipe and some rope which works OK as spring lifter.

Here is a picture of my spring looks very similar to yours but not a shiny. My diff has six holes to attach the spring. Is this correct?

Bruce

[brucer]

I have found my local group (North London) so I will go along to their next meeting to see what is occuring.

Bruce

[garyf]

6 holes is correct for the Rotoflex spring.

It certainly looks like the correct spring from the photo, 11 Leaves and the correct outer U Clamps.

One way to double check the spring is to original factory dimensions is measure from the underside of the middle of the bottom leaf to the floor when the spring is on a flat floor or workbench in its normal fitted position?

This should be 165mm give or take a couple mm.

Also the Eye to Eye length form the centre of each hole should be 1014mm, aain give or take a couple of mm.  

[Mark Hammond]

Dampers should be replaced in pairs generally as it is good practice.  Is the rear trunnion seized as this can cause ride height issues?

Mark

[dave mc]

Replaced both my dampers at the same time. New trunnions too. Same on both sides - both bump stops are being crushed.

[garyf]

2191 wrote:

Replaced both my dampers at the same time. New trunnions too. Same on both sides - both bump stops are being crushed.

Dave

With the Car jacked up this is normal, also if you only have a rolling chassis it will do this, mine did?

When you drive it the wheels should settle to give around 1 or 2 degree's positive camber and be off the bump stops?

Gary.

[dave mc]

OK thanks Gary- yes rolling chassis at the moment so you've made me feel better about that thanks.

New exhaust from Canleys arrived today so I'll put that on over the weekend hopefully and then its time to trial fit the body!!

[garyf]

Trial fitting may try your patience ;D

Start with the Front Tub, Then Rear tub Loose, Doors then finally the Bonnet.

If you've done a lot of bodywork repairs then prepare to have fun, not!

I used no end of Stainless Steel repair washers on the Front tub rear body mounts to tilt the tub to ensure the quarter lights didn't catch the Windscreen surround :-/

There is a link on Steve Weblins blog I reckon to the original Factory Instructions for body fitting and adjustments, well worth a read before you start?

[dave mc]

Its a job I've been putting off for far too long - I know what a P.I.T.A it can be  ??)

[Steve AKA vitessesteve]

garyf wrote:

Trial fitting may try your patience ;D

There is a link on Steve Weblins blog I reckon to the original Factory Instructions for body fitting and adjustments, well worth a read before you start?

Also on my website: http://vitessesteve.co.uk/ServiceTrainingNotes

[garyf]

Thats the One Steve, cheers ;)

A fascinating read, all explained thanks to Mr Alf Welch ;D

Marvellous!