track width

[classic225]

Hi,

Looking at my car, there seems to be a difference between front and rear track. There is a difference in track width, but I don't know how much. Did rear axles change over the years?? It is probably an optical illusion but the rear wheel track width seems to be a lot wider than the front.Anybody have the proper measurments?

Thanks, Yves

[foster461]

Yves, the book says the track at the front measures 3' 9" (114cm) and 3' 9.5" at the rear (116cm). Not a huge amount. Triumph used a Lockheed axle for the early cars (prior to TS13046 according to Roger Williams) but then switched to the Girling rear axle. I dont know if they were different widths however.

 

Stan

[classic225]

Thanks Stan, I'll try to measure the difference. Don't know how yet but I'll try!

[ianc]

Have you the same wheels with the same offset at front and rear?

 

Are there spacers between wheel and brake drum at the rear?

 

The TR4 axle ("Girling") is the same type as that on the TR3/3A, but wider. The mountings for the springs remained at the same spacing apart as the TR4 chassis is basically a TR3A chassis with additions to widen the body mounting points and for the front suspension. Usually, the rear wings of a sidescreen TR need to be flared in order to accommodate the wider TR3 axle.

 

Ian Cornish

[classic225]

Thanks Ian,

Would it be a problem, with flared fenders, to run a TR 4 axle ?

Yves

[stuart]

Thanks Ian,

Would it be a problem, with flared fenders, to run a TR 4 axle ?

Yves

You dont need to flare the arches you just need to roll the arch lips to clear the tyres.

Stuart.

[mjdearing]

Hi Yves just measured my 2 with a girling axle and 155 tyres its 51.5 inch and my tr4 with 165 tyres is 56 inches,so that might be enough info to determine what axle you have,only just thought though tr2 is on wires but i think offset etc should be nearly same as the 4 on steels ? Martin.

[ianc]

Once the arch lips have been rolled (as Stuart states in post #6), no mechanical problem in running with a TR4 axle.

However, I don't know whether it might have some (minor?) effect on the handling.

The handbrake cables and the bundy tubes running across the axle to the brake backplates will be longer - a point to remember if replacing parts.

Ian Cornish