>Phil
>Forgive me for asking, but what makes you such a proponent of the
>lever shocks?
Quite a number of things. If I was designing from a clean sheet of
paper, I might do what you have done. It sounds like a very clean
set-up, but, as you say, it took some work. It probably was not
cheap, either.
As I'm sure you know, space for dampers is quite limited. The
conversion kits using brackets all tend to take up various amounts of
space on the wheelwells. Some of the designs are also not engineered
well and can cause more problems than they solve, especially on a
marginal frame. Given a choice, I'll take slightly wider tires.
Tony's RATCO coil-over design uses a Monroe shock inside the stock
spring. It's nicely engineered; I looked at it at the VTR convention.
He claims the Monroe was the only shock he could find on the shelf
with the pin mounts top and bottom and the short length required. To
my mind that's a severe limitation, particularly if Monroe decides to
obsolete that part. The damper itself may not be well suited in terms
of jounce and rebound rates, but I don't know that. If/when I order
one of his frames, I will certainly have it made to accomodate the
lever shocks, as a fall-back position, even though I will probably
buy his coil-over set-up.
As for lever shocks, I guess I'm satisfied that they work well enough
for the car as I drive it. I don't autocross or race, so I don't need
the suspension control required by those activities. When I rebuilt
my car, I installed Apple Hydraulics heavy-duty levers, which seem to
work just fine. I haven't experienced any bottoming. I have also
installed TRF's "rally-grade" springs, which are stiffer and add 3/4"
or so to the ride height. The ride is very compliant and gives a bit
more suspension travel, useful for the rough paved and dirt roads in
these parts. I guess I'm also something of a purist and willing to
stay with the old design because it's an old car.
If you have any photos of your design, I wouldn't mind seeing them.
Kind regards,
--
Phil Barnes (peb3@cornell.edu)
Middlebury Center, PA (visit our new location!)
'71 TR6 CC61193L (30 year owner)
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