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A New Cure for Leaning Spit Syndrome

To: spitfires@autox.team.net, triumphs@autox.team.net
Subject: A New Cure for Leaning Spit Syndrome
From: Michael Hargreave Mawson <OC@46thFoot.com>
Date: Fri, 10 Jan 2003 19:10:57 +0000
Dear All,

As you may know, I have had a Leaning Spitfire for the past couple of 
years.   In that time, I have not specifically tried to address the 
problem, but, for other reasons, have fitted a new rear spring, new 
front springs, new front shock absorbers, checked the anti-roll bar to 
see that it was straight and true (and replaced the vertical links), and 
done just about everything that the experts tell you will solve this 
problem.   Well, none of them worked - or rather, they all seemed to 
help a little, but even at the end of all of this, the driver's side was 
still around an inch lower than the passenger's side, and it was worse 
at the back than at the front.   The chassis is not twisted (I'd had 
that checked too).   The last expert to look at the car stated that, in 
his opinion, the body tub must be twisted, perhaps as a result of an 
accident.

Today, I decided to cheat.   Rather than trying to find the cause of the 
problem, and then trying to put it right, I thought I would simply shim 
up the driver's side of the body, and the hell with it.

After having undone the front five bolts on the driver's side, I gave 
the body an experimental shake (I really wasn't looking forward to 
removing the petrol tank to get at the last bolt, and, as they say, you 
never know...).   Extraordinary to relate, the driver's side came up 
like a phoenix from the ashes, and, on measuring, proved to be exactly 
the same height as the passenger side, all the way along!   The culprits 
turned out to be home-made spacers of unequal thickness under the 
*front* mounting points in the engine bay.

If you have a Leaning Spitfire, and nothing you try seems to cure the 
problem, try undoing the mounting bolts, and see what happens.   It may 
be that your DPO was in as a great a need of a clue as mine...

And if you have driven a Leaning Spitfire for two years, and then 
suddenly found the solution to your particular problem, you'll know why 
I am absolutely bl**dy THRILLED with my day's work! <huge g>

ATB
-- 
Mike
Ellie  - 1963 White Herald 1200 Convertible GA125624 CV
Connie - 1968 Conifer Herald 1200 Saloon GA237511 DL
Carly  - **HORIZONTAL** 1977 Inca Yellow Spitfire 1500 FM105671

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