Dave thanks for the lesson. I read them just after I came backk in the
hose from adjusting them. Looks like I may have to loosen them down a
bit now. sigh
>TeriAnn:
>
>The Spax are the easy ones to adjust. If they are yellow and more recent
>than 1990 or so, they are a "12 point adjustable" type. The following
>instructions will set this type up correctly; I had a set fitted to my 65
>TR4a (same spec).
>
>1. Near the base of the shock there is an adjustment knob. It looks like a
>small dowel sticking out of the body and is distinguished by a screwdriver
>slot (...for adjustment). Find this. It "should" be accessible with a
>long, thin screwdriver, or a flexible type unit.
>
>2. Rotate clockwise until stop. Each "click" will be felt as an in-out
>"bump". You are now at full stiff position. If you have done this on the
>ground you will now find the front end almost impossible to bounce!
>
>3. Click back 15 turns (there is no soft lock, the screw just keeps
>rotating). You are now guaranteed to be at dead soft. Depending on who you
>believe, these units are either 12 or 14 way adjustable. Count the number
>of clicks until you hit bottom to determine which ones you actually have.
>
>4. You should always cycle from full to hard to full soft before resetting
>your shocks. (before you change the existing setting, please turn
>clockwise and count the clicks to establish your baseline setting now).
>
>A normal street setting with standard or mildly uprated springs is about
>4-6.
>
>Aggressive driving will increase the front settings. You should not need
>more than 8 on the street unless you have oversize tires (bigger tires
>weigh more and overpower the shocks easily).
>
>The stiffer the shock setting, the more harsh the ride will be. More
>damping means that more of the small road irregularities will transmit
>through the suspension, but on smooth roads the bonus will be sharper
>turn-in characteristics.
>
>If you find that you are bottoming the car, change the springs, not the
>shocks (at least not yet). The springs should be stiff enough that, in
>normal condition, the car will only just bottom on the largest bump you will
>hit.
>
>>From there, sway bars, front and rear, minimise weight transfer due to body
>roll, the chief cause of poor cornering traction. The TR3 did not come
>equipped with front or rear bars. Handling is personally subjective.
>
>Finally, turn in and power out characteristics come from the shock setting.
>They must be set stiff enough to control the spring, but not so stiff as to
>restrict its movement ( too stiff on a rough road will "lock up" the shock
>in compressed mode and cause that end of the car to wash out).
>
>
>There. The book is over. I hope this information helps you, and the list.
>And list... this is intended to be a simple summary of the basics as I lave
>learned through competition. I'd be interested in hearing others'
>experiences (perhaps off line?)
>
>Dave Terrick
>69 GT6
>Winnipeg
>
>
>
TeriAnn
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