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Re: TR6 rear camber adjustment - long

To: "Lanoway, Brian" <Brian_Lanoway@standardaero.ca>, "'Triumphs Digest'" <triumphs@Autox.Team.Net>
Subject: Re: TR6 rear camber adjustment - long
From: "Kevin N. Andrews" <kevina@emji.net>
Date: Thu, 27 Aug 1998 21:48:13 -0400
I held a tech session on this for our club last year. Indeed there is alot
of combinations for this. Solved the rear camber problem on a 6 that day.
It makes it alot easier with the car on the alignment machine too.
Kevin Andrews
250's (CD2980LO)
        (CD7766L)
North Carolina

----------
> From: Lanoway, Brian <Brian_Lanoway@standardaero.ca>
> To: 'Triumphs Digest' <triumphs@autox.team.net>
> Subject: TR6 rear camber adjustment - long
> Date: Thursday, August 27, 1998 12:49 PM
> 
> 
> It's now taken me 2 years, but I finally think that I've got the camber
> on both my rear wheels right and I thought the list might benefit from
> some of the 'science' I've applied to the task.   There's been some
> traffic on the list last spring about this subject, but I haven't seen a
> comprehensive approach to this yet.  I hope this helps.
> 
> First some background.  Last year, I installed new trailing arm up-rated
> rubber bushings, springs and rubber spring packings, only to find that
> the rear camber was still excessive - with the driver's side sagging
> more than the other.  This spring, I mixed and matched the trailing arm
> brackets - using the same mirror-image combination on both sides - the
> net result being the proper camber on the passenger side with some sag
> still remaining on the driver's side.  Finally, I remixed the brackets
> on the driver's side alone to get that right. I now have both sides at
> the proper camber angle - primarily through using various trailing arm
> bracket combinations.
> 
> Since there are 36 possible trailing arm bracket combinations with the
> one notch, two notch and three notch brackets - either in the 'up' or
> 'down' positions, I measured the bracket and trailing arm geometry,
> applied some trigonometry, and then created the following table to
> determine the range of camber adjustment possible using the 36
> combinations.  Please note that the camber angle shown in the table is
> the RELATIVE angle between bracket combinations, the actual angle you'll
> end up with depends on the camber angle you're starting with.  By the
> way, 3U means positioning the bracket with the three notches up, etc.
> 
> Here's the table:
> 
> outer bracket - inner bracket - relative camber angle (degrees)
> 3D - 3U - 0.00
> 3D - 2U - 0.98
> 2U - 3U - 1.50
> 3D - 1U - 2.11
> 1D - 3U - 2.42
> 2U - 2D - 2.49
> 1D - 2D - 3.40
> 3D - 1D - 3.49
> 2U - 1U - 3.61
> 1U - 3U - 3.80
> 3D - 2U - 4.40
> 1D - 1U - 4.53
> 1U - 2D - 4.78
> 2D - 3U - 4.93
> 2U - 1D - 4.99
> 3U - 3U - 5.91
> 2D - 2D - 5.91
> 1U - 1U - 5.91
> 1D - 1D - 5.91
> 2U - 2U - 5.91
> 3D - 3D - 5.91
> 1D - 2U - 6.83
> 3U - 2D - 6.89
> 2D - 1U - 7.04
> 1U - 1D - 7.29
> 2U - 3D - 7.42
> 3U - 1U - 8.02
> 1U - 2U - 8.21
> 1D - 3D - 8.33
> 2D - 1D - 8.42
> 2D - 2U - 9.33
> 3U - 1D - 9.40
> 1U - 3D - 9.71
> 3U - 2U - 10.32
> 2D - 3D - 10.84
> 3U - 3D - 11.82
> 
> The actual angle you achieve may differ somewhat from that listed above
> because the rubber bushings distort when you force the bushing bolts
> through to meet the new bracket holes. 
> 
> I found that it's best to change only one bracket per trailing arm at a
> time.  If you want to leave the ride height alone, change the inner
> bracket.  If you want to raise (or lower) the ride height while changing
> the camber angle, change the outer one.  To use the table, figure out
> which bracket you're going to leave as is and then find the next
> combination that allows you to do this while achieving the approximate
> camber angle change desired.
> 
> In my particular case, the combination I ended up with was: passenger
> side; outer = 1D inner = 2U, driver's side; outer = 3D inner = 2U.
> 
> I should point out that it is very possible to change out a bracket
> while leaving the rest of the rear suspension intact.  To do this, place
> the rear of your TR on jack stands, jack up the trailing arm so that you
> can support it (and take the spring pressure) with a secure support
> under the trailing arm, place your jack under the arm where it joins the
> bracket, remove the bushing bolt, remove the nuts on the bracket to
> frame bolts, raise or lower the jack so you can get the frame bolts out,
> remove the bracket and install the new one.  Make sure you replace the
> alignment shims as you found them.  There is some grunt work involved in
> getting the trailing arm back into the new bracket and aligning the
> bushing bolt holes (I've found that a pipe clamp is a great help in
> forcing the trailing arm back into the bracket) but the whole job can be
> accomplished in about an hour and a half.  
> 
> Couple of cautions: make sure the trailing arm is securely supported
> while you do this; that rear spring can cause a severe injury if it lets
> go.  Secondly, go this bracket change-out route only after you've
> renewed the trailing arm bushings, springs and packings as required.
> 
> Brian Lanoway
> Winnipeg
> 73 TR6  CF 6985U
> didn't someone once say: 'If you can't succeed through brilliance,
> triumph through effort'
> 
> PS:  Joe Curry: just got my Triumph Mail List window stickers - they're
> absolutely great!

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