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Re: Spring sag on one side (bear with me it's a little lengthy)

To: Spitfire List <spitfires@autox.team.net>
Subject: Re: Spring sag on one side (bear with me it's a little lengthy)
From: Jim <ophio@jps.net>
Date: Tue, 14 Sep 1999 19:37:32 -0700
Aye, tis entirely possible what you say

"Victor B. Michael" wrote:

> ...and I don't necessarily speak with specific knowledge - but is it not
> possible that as you replace major components that the sub-components
> could have caused the problem, rather than whole thing. As Barry was
> suggesting the pad under the clamp...
>
> I wondered this about my rearend noises. "If I have my whole axle
> rebuilt, the noise is surely going to go away" (I couldn't rebuild the
> whole axle myself in this case). Sure enough, the noise was eliminated
> and it had to be some sub-component of the axle. If I had taken the time
> and had the knowledge, tools, etc...I could have found it. Like the
> rearend noise, though - these seem to both be vary tricky things to
> troubleshoot - replace the whole d*mn thing!!!! ;)
>
> Vic
>
> Jim wrote:
> >
> > I am not sure what you said, sounds almost convincing, however, I replaced 
>the
> > spring with a new one and me Spit is decidedly back on center.
> >
> > Jim
> >
> > Barry Schwartz wrote:
> >
> > > >"My Spit (like so many others) has a definite lean toward the driver 
>side of
> > > >the car.
> > > ***********************************
> > > I've read several listers complaining about one corner of the car sitting
> > > lower than the other over the past few weeks, and the general consensus is
> > > to blame the Swing Spring. I can't see how the rear spring, in a Spitfire
> > > with a SWING SPRING, can CAUSE this problem.  I feel that this poor spring
> > > is getting a bad rap, and I believe that it is undeserved.  My own opinion
> > > is it is a very CLEVER and elegant solution, given the constraints at the
> > > time to solve a potentially serious problem. Overall rear end sag from a
> > > worn spring, yes and this is evident with any well worn rear spring, but
> > > side loading is virtually impossible by it's very design.  It may not
> > > counter an exiting leaning/listing condition by something else that is
> > > causing the lean, and therefore, these vehicles may be more sensitive to
> > > the problem but there is no roll or side to side loading with a swing
> > > spring except from the main leaf itself, and that would be a very small
> > > amount indeed.  It's conceivable that a bad main leaf (however unlikely)
> > > could cause a slight list, but I contend it would be very slight.  The
> > > other spring leaves are, if all is functioning correctly, and in good
> > > order, FREE to rock about the diff center, and do nothing as far as 
>biasing
> > > the car on it long axis.  You could cut one of the leaves off one side
> > > (provided it was not the main one) and all it would do is cause the entire
> > > rear end to sag a little more.  The way this spring is designed it CAN'T
> > > cause a "roll" bias, because the action is "divided" between the two
> > > wheels.  If one were to imagine, for illustrative purposes, that you had 
>no
> > > front wheels or roll bar on the car. Place a pivot under the front cross
> > > member directly at its center to support the weight at the front end, but
> > > allowing it to rock about that pivot.  The only thing now keeping the car
> > > level, with respect to roll, would be the main rear leaf itself, and if
> > > just that spring leaf was removed, (and all others were to remain in 
>place)
> > > then it would roll over to one side or the other "pivoting" as it were on
> > > the center bolt in the spring clamp assy.  That's the very premise of this
> > > design.  Now you can see, that the remaining spring leaves do NOTHING to
> > > cause the car to lean or list in one direction or the other.   So I say
> > > (for what it's worth) if your car is experiencing a tendency to lean to 
>one
> > > side or another, look elsewhere (possibly the rubber pad p/n 149191 UNDER
> > > the clamp if you must look at the rear), not at the Swing spring-
> > >
> > > Barry Schwartz (San Diego) bschwart@pacbell.net
> > >
> > > 72 PI, V6 Spitfire (daily driver)
> > > 70 GT6+ (when I don't drive the Spit)
> > > 70 Spitfire (long term project)


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