Phil --
I remember thinking the track looked narrow when you were here in Des
Moines this past summer ... but since I'd never really looked at
TR4's before, I thought it was normal.
Perhaps, though, what you have is a TR3/A/B rear axle, which is 3"
narrower than the TR44 axle.
According to the Moss catalog I have (TRI-12, p. 95), the axles
differ in that the TR3 unit is 41" from flange to flange (inside),
with a distance of 2" from the flange to the spring mounting pad,
while the TR4 unit is 44" from flange to flange and has a distance of
3.5" from the flange to the spring mounting pad.
Could also be a TR2/early TR3 axle, which is identifiable by the
square, four-bolt flange -- as compared to the round, six-bolt flange
on the 3's and 4's. It has the same track as the later TR3 axles, I
believe. It's also a somewhat troublesome unit.
It's certainly an easy swap to make -- one could probably change the
entire unit inside of two hours. Perhaps somebody had rear axle
trouble with it at one time, and replaced with a not-quite-correct
unit ... after all, at first glance, they'd be hard to tell apart.
Hope this is helpful ...
Dan
>It says right here in the book that the front track ("tread") of the TR4 is
>one inch larger than the rear.
>
>My early TR4, which has appeared to me to be original, seems to have a much
>greater difference than that. It has wire wheels, and apparently always has
>had. I have a new-car picture taken Christmas 1962 which shows what appears
>to be the same 48-spoke wheels with wide whitewalls.
>
>Here is what the car looks like now.
>
>In front:
>The knockoff cap is completely outside the wheel-arch plane. The outside
>plane of the wheel rim looks to be about even with the wheel-arch plane.
>
>In back:
>The knockoff cap is completely inside the wheel-arch plane. The outside
>plane of the wheel rim looks to be well underneath the car.
>
>Did you ever see anything else like this?
>
>Do you know of any common mods that can cause this? (I know of some similar
>things in Spridgets with which I won't bore you.)
>
>The 1962 picture seems to show that the front and rear tires sit in the
>wheelwells the same, but I really can't tell.
>
>I may be going to knock-off alloys (Vicky Brit has them on sale) and I'd
>like to start off with some idea that the car was stock and that the wheels
>will fit.
>
>Phil Ethier Saint Paul Minnesota USA
>1970 Lotus Europa, 1992 Saturn SL2, 1986 Suburban, 1962 Triumph TR4 CT2846L
>LOON, MAC pethier@isd.net http://www.mnautox.com/
>"It makes a nice noise when it goes faster"
>- 4-year-old Adam, upon seeing a bitmap of Grandma Susie's TR4.
--
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Dan Buettner - Des Moines, Iowa - mailto:danb@thelittlemacshop.com
1957 TR3, TS15098L, now with an O! Undergoing frame-off restoration
begun 9/99. Currently awaiting warm weather and funds.
1977 Spitfire, FM64159U, with an O. In need of a comprehensive
restoration (again); will probably become a Spit6 or a Spit8.
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