Rear wheels - how to make them sit vertical?

[Rubce]

Hi All

One thing that always bugged me about our GT6 was the way the rear wheels pointed inwards at the top despite having a new rear leaf spring fitted 3 years ago. Someone in the TSSC mentioned that a while ago that he had fitted packers to his cars rear spring to make the wheels sit vertical. I also vaguely remember reading an article in a mag where the GT6 had been modified to take coil springs at the rear.

All comment or suggestions on the above appreciated.

Thanks

Bruce

[thebrookster]

First things first, you do not want the rear wheels to sit completely vertical!! Might look good, but you'll be able to drive round any corner again!!

You do not want an excessive amount of lean, but you do want a touch (this is camber, if you weren't aware). I can't recall what the optimum amount is, no doubt someone else will be able to help there :)

Secondly, as of yet no-one has managed to get the coil spring mod completely sorted, although there is a thread on here very recently on the subject, so that could well be more of a headache than you anticipate ;)

[Rubce]

Hi

Yes I was aware a small element of camber was required but I think our car has an excessive amount but perhaps that is just in my mind as I am comparing it to our Stag. How can the camber be adjusted on a GT6?

Cheers

Bruce

[CharliesStag]

The camber will look excessive in comparison to the Stag if the Stag's subframes are in good order; the ROM quotes the rear wheels of Stag as having zero camber pretty much.  However, Chris Witor (and in David Vizzard's early publications of the 6 pot saloons) reckon that 1.5-2 degrees of negative camber on the rear of a road car can be beneficial.

As said, dependant on which suspension setup your GT6 has, a small amount of camber on the rear can be beneficial in an attempt at reducing 'tuck-in'.

As for the coil spring mod, there is someone who is close to getting a working version ready.

[GT6 M]

1, you dont want em verticle,  1.5 to 2 degs neg at rest
2, you can alter camber by  either packing lower arm out for more, or making lower arm go further into chassis.
Or adjustable bottom links.
All involved.
have you got the right spring,!!!
as you may have a de cambered spring init. which will give moer camber.
M

[Clive]

If it is a non roto GT6, it may be that the rear spring you were supplied is actually a spitfire one, so not strong enough, therefore sagging a bit giving excessive camber. Saying that, there are some poor quality springs about. A local club member bought a new one (totally unused, off a private seller) at a show. It sagged more than the old one once settled in. That was spitfire one too, in a spitfire.
Not sure who is selling proper GT6 ones these days, or who sells the best quality ones. It may be batch dependant :-/

[Bradley1500]

I fitted a new rear spring on the Spitfire last October time, and the bloody thing never settled down (much).

If I had of been keeping it I would of fitted an inch spacer block to lower it a bit.

You can sort of see here (picture taken a year later!) the positive camber I still had.



I bought the spring and two new shocks from Abingdon MG (I know, I know) they were a pleasure to deal with and a good price too.

http://www.jagspares.co.uk/abingdon/CarSecView.asp?CarModel=GT6&CarSection=SUR&perpage=10

[SpitVX]

Sorry Clive I am prob missing something here .
If the spring is too weak surely it lengthens pushing the top of the wheels out , meaning positive camber , no ?

[heraldcoupe]

matgt6 wrote:

If the spring is too weak surely it lengthens pushing the top of the wheels out , meaning positive camber , no ?

No, in it's static laden position, the spring should be virtually flat, so at it's maximum length. Any deviation up or down will shorten it's effective length.

To return to the OP, fitting a spring spacer will increase negative camber, so not the desired effect in this case,

Cheers,
Bill.

[Velocita Rosso]

4992 wrote:

I fitted a new rear spring on the Spitfire last October time, and the bloody thing never settled down (much).

If I had of been keeping it I would of fitted an inch spacer block to lower it a bit.

You can sort of see here (picture taken a year later!) the positive camber I still had.

That effect ,if not settling could also mean you have short shafts(MK3) fitted instead of the longer 1500 (by one inch)

[Clive]

heraldcoupe wrote:

No, in it's static laden position, the spring should be virtually flat, so at it's maximum length. Any deviation up or down will shorten it's effective length.

To return to the OP, fitting a spring spacer will increase negative camber, so not the desired effect in this case,

Cheers,
Bill.

But there is another on non-roto cars. The rear driveshafts are solid, with a pivot at the diff. So the softer the sring, the more the shafts pint up, and the wheels are fixed at 90 degrees to the shaft. That gives more negative camber too....

[GT6boy]

I'd be pleasantly surprised to find if anyone stocked or manufactured leaf springs specifically stiffened to the correct GT6 spec, as compared to a generic one size Spitfire/GT6 fits all.

Are you confident you have the correct set-up currently at the back? It's not clear what your car is, I'm taking it it's a late mk 3 GT6 with Swingspring?

My late mk3 GT6/Spitfire was fitted with the incorrect variety short radius arms, instead of the longer Spit style, or even better, the correct specific GT6 late mk3 versions. I only say this as it would be unwise to take it at face value that your car is nescessarily as it left the factory....

[GT6boy]

...and Bill is spot-on regarding the fitting of the spring to diff spacers, that'll increase negative camber further. Very good it is too!  :)
Unless you are after serious 10/10's track day improvement, there is no reason to go beyond what Triumph fitted. It does a perfectly acceptable job, if set up correctly and maintained well.
Diagnose the underlying condition before you decide to amputate the rear end!  ;D
Oh- and another Bruce with a GT6- lovely!
  Regards
    Bruce.

[Rubce]

Hi All

Thanks for all your replies. I should have said that our car is a late mark 3 non rotflex. Can someone please advise of the correct lengths for the radius links and drive shafts so I can check the came gas the correct bits fitted. The spring is one I purchased from Paddocks three years ago.

Regards

The other GT6 loving Bruce :)

[Velocita Rosso]

GT6boy wrote:

I'd be pleasantly surprised to find if anyone stocked or manufactured leaf springs specifically stiffened to the correct GT6 spec, as compared to a generic one size Spitfire/GT6 fits all.

Are you confident you have the correct set-up currently at the back? It's not clear what your car is, I'm taking it it's a late mk 3 GT6 with Swingspring?

My late mk3 GT6/Spitfire was fitted with the incorrect variety short radius arms, instead of the longer Spit style, or even better, the correct specific GT6 late mk3 versions. I only say this as it would be unwise to take it at face value that your car is nescessarily as it left the factory....

...Canley`s

[GT6 M]

Bruce, not fancy dee,n this,!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhT3C9mHLZ4&feature=player_detailpage

M

[Rubce]

796 wrote:

Bruce, not fancy dee,n this,!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhT3C9mHLZ4&feature=player_detailpage

M

eeeerrrrrrrr let me think about that!
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

No! :P

[IVANHOE]

I have some experience of the same problem. Please check your tracking. If the rear wheels are toe out they are always trying to wind themselves out from under the car, flattening the spring out and giving negative camber. If you reverse, the problem goes the other way and you get positive camber. Try it and see. Sorting the tracking sorted it for me and I now understand why, I couldn't get my head around it initially.

[SpitVX]

heraldcoupe wrote:

No, in it's static laden position, the spring should be virtually flat, so at it's maximum length. Any deviation up or down will shorten it's effective length.

To return to the OP, fitting a spring spacer will increase negative camber, so not the desired effect in this case,

Cheers,
Bill.

Thank you for that bit of education Bill , I always assumed there was still some arching left in the spring , there we go . Matt .