Doretti Chassis Problems - dimensions still needed

[Nigel Wilcox]

Sorry to monopolise the forum for the last few days - troubles not at T'mill but at T'garage!

The attached photographs hopefully show the front suspension towers on my Doretti chassis. Not a very good match for each other EH!

The Doretti does not use a TR2 chassis even though much of the running gear is stock TR2. It is a purpose made chassis which is unique to the Doretti (I don't suppose that anyone has a spare one with the front intact!)

Clearly I need to rebuild one suspension tower. I have established that the dimensions are wrong in that the the top and bottom wishbone spindles are inconsistently spaced left to right.

The doretti has a front track of 4 foot - more than a TR2 or 3 and less than a TR4.

It could be that the correct wishbone spacing dimensions are 1 less than a TR4 since the published track widths differ by 1 inch. This assumes that all other things (like wheel widths and offsets) are equal. It also assumes that we can take brochure track widths as being definitive. I think that this is unlikely so I am hoping that someone will be able to fix me up with some dimensions or chassis drawings to enable me to do some reconstructive surgery. By the way, does anyone recognise the lower spindle on the undamaged side (bolts go through wishbones rather than wishbones go over fixed spindles)? I will probably need to get one machined - unless you know otherwise!

Thanks

Nigel

[stuart]

It looks as if someone has repaired it with part of a TR2/4 lower mounting. Amazing the bodge repairs that have been done over the years

Stuart

[Alec Pringle]

Hi Nigel,

 

If there were ever any definitive drawings, or even dimensions, published then I've never seen them. Having said that, the published brochure dimensions WERE accurate as far as I am aware. They certainly were when I checked a handful of cars around 1976.

 

Going back to when Dorettis were only 20 years old, the front ends did not seem to me to be entirely consistent - a policy of continuous improvement, expediency, or whatever priorities obtained in 1954/55. More than 30 years have passed by since then, which has allowed scope for all sorts of ingenuity. The original front end design owed as much to the Mayflower as the TR. Wheels were TR2, incidentally, which reduces the variables.

 

The simple answer is probably to look at a relatively original car, although having said that it should be borne in mind that most, probably all, Dorettis have been extensively rebuilt by now.

 

The chassis is inherently MUCH stronger than that of a TR, and the likelihood is that the main chassis rails are probably still pretty much true. Any Doretti with a bent chassis has already been written off by definition. You can probably check the chassis alignment without too much difficulty. Then take the centre point, measure across to the 'good' side, and replicate that measurement to the 'bad' side - bearing in mind that you really want to see zero camber.

 

Hope that's a helpful starter.

 

Cheers,

 

Alec

[Nigel Wilcox]

Hi Nigel,

 

If there were ever any definitive drawings, or even dimensions, published then I've never seen them. Having said that, the published brochure dimensions WERE accurate as far as I am aware. They certainly were when I checked a handful of cars around 1976.

 

Going back to when Dorettis were only 20 years old, the front ends did not seem to me to be entirely consistent - a policy of continuous improvement, expediency, or whatever priorities obtained in 1954/55. More than 30 years have passed by since then, which has allowed scope for all sorts of ingenuity. The original front end design owed as much to the Mayflower as the TR. Wheels were TR2, incidentally, which reduces the variables.

 

The simple answer is probably to look at a relatively original car, although having said that it should be borne in mind that most, probably all, Dorettis have been extensively rebuilt by now.

 

The chassis is inherently MUCH stronger than that of a TR, and the likelihood is that the main chassis rails are probably still pretty much true. Any Doretti with a bent chassis has already been written off by definition. You can probably check the chassis alignment without too much difficulty. Then take the centre point, measure across to the 'good' side, and replicate that measurement to the 'bad' side - bearing in mind that you really want to see zero camber.

 

Hope that's a helpful starter.

 

Cheers,

 

Alec

Thanks to Alec and to Stuart

Both are helpful contributions.

As you say the chassis is substantial and I do not think the rails are bent. I THINK that the right hand tower is fairly straight and as you say I can replicate that if appropriate. I'm just adopting a little caution to avoid possible replication of the same mistake on both sides!

Regards

Nigel