Spitfire Mk3 swing axle of swing spring?

[rossybrown]

Hi all,

Could somebody kindly let me know how to determine if my Spitfire Mk3 has the original style swing axle or has been converted to swing spring?  

I read something about the only difference being the leaf spring? Also that you can tell which style is fitted by counting the number of bolts on the spring centre mount - 6 being the original swing axle or 4 with two plugged indicating a later swing spring has been fitted?

When I was refurbishing the front brakes I wrongly bought standard items only to find GT6/Vitesse front suspension had been fitted to the car. Therefore before I buy any rear suspension components I would like to know what's currently fitted.

Thanks in advance,

Ross

[Paudman]

Quickest way of telling is to remove the spring cover plate and look at the number of studs / nuts coming through the top plate - four (one on each corner) is swing spring, six will be non-swing fixed.
This should not affect the other rear suspension components, any conversion I've ever done has been the spring / housing only, all other components were left as original.

[JohnD]

See: http://www.rimmerbros.co.uk/rimmer/triumph/spitfire/susp#Rear%20Spring,%20Fittings%20&%20Shock%20Absorber

for pictures of the original swing axle (top) and swing spring suspensions.
Click on the pics for an enlarged version.

John

[rossybrown]

Thank you both,

As per the attached(?) it looks like somebody has 'upgraded' mine to a swing spring which saves me.

Cheers,

Ross

[Nick Moore]

Hi Ross,
Nice car! Red is known to add at least 10mph to the top speed, make it more attractive to women and take ten years off the driver's age.

That spring looks like an original swing axle spring, bolted to a later 4-bolt diff. The later diff may have been fitted to change the ratio, or just chucked in when the old one got too noisy. Don't worry about the spring now though, the car's not been written off in 41 years, so you should be able to keep it out of the ditches. You'd be better to get her on the road first, get a feel for the handling and then, if you think the rear end's antics should be tamed, try a Spit1500 for comparison.

Have fun, hope you get on the road soon.
Nick

[rotoflex]

I agree, that doesn't look like a swing spring.
A swing spring has a sort of metal box around it where it sits over the differential
(part # 159641)

[rossybrown]

Ok, thanks both. I'm assuming the later diff is a little higher geared so that will no doubt be of use.

I've been through a stalled pahse on the project over the last 8 months due to moving into a new house and all the inherent diy that entails!  Still the garden has been transformed from piles of rubble to what should in a few weeks be a low maintenance garden (read more time to spend on the car not gardening) so I plan to restart project spit.  

I've made up some hubcentric spacers for the dolly wheels as normal flat spacers worried me, so on with them, in with the new rev colunter and speedo and then last of all the damn electrics - yuk...

I appreciate the support.

Ross