HARD REAR SUSPENSION

[John McCormack]

I am hogging this forum but here is another issue I need help on.
The previous owner bought this TR2 in 1966. When he started the restoration about 10  years ago he dismantled, cleaned and reassembled the rear springs with good lubricant between the leaves. They have the same number of leaves as the standard ones on my other TR2, 6 I recall.
I installed them with new bushes.
He had the rear shocks rebuilt professionally and they move quite normally. A bit stiff but nothing out of the ordinary.
Now I am driving the car the rear suspension is very stiff on both sides. It is very bouncy on the bumps down my rear lane.
I removed a shock to check it wasn't too stiff. It moves through full throw with only moderate pressure. I also backed off the rear hanger bushes as I had clamped them up tight.
The car is still pretty light, no upholstery except the drivers seat, no weather gear, windscreen, spare wheel etc.
The car was used primarily as a race car before the previous owner got it. 
Would it be possible the springs are set hard for racing? I would have thought that would be achieved with an extra leaf which it doesn't have.

Is there a simple test I could do to assess this without removing them.

[rcreweread]

John - try putting varying numbers of bags of cement or similar in the boot and see how much difference it makes - if it does, find optimal number by trying it down your lane, and then compare the weight you've put in with approx how much you think all the bits you need to fit weigh - if there's a big difference, I reckon that means you probably have uprated springs.

Cheers

Rich

 

[BlueTR3A-5EKT]

2 hours ago, rcreweread said:

John - try putting varying numbers of bags of cement or similar in the boot and see how much difference it makes - if it does, find optimal number by trying it down your lane, and then compare the weight you've put in with approx how much you think all the bits you need to fit weigh - if there's a big difference, I reckon that means you probably have uprated springs.

Cheers

Rich

 

+1

Tyre pressure?

You could get some friends to stand in the car behind the seats and bounce to see if the spring leaves are just a bit seized. -settle the springs in

Try it with the shocks disconnected - on an unpopulated lane at low speed. - that would eliminate the shocks.

Cheers

Peter W

 

[John McCormack]

19 hours ago, BlueTR3A-5EKT said:

+1

Tyre pressure?

You could get some friends to stand in the car behind the seats and bounce to see if the spring leaves are just a bit seized. -settle the springs in

Try it with the shocks disconnected - on an unpopulated lane at low speed. - that would eliminate the shocks.

Cheers

Peter W

 

With about 60kgs standing behind the seats I can jack the axle up about 1". So there is movement.

I didn't remove the shocks in this test. They are a pain to get out because the lower link attachment is too close to the spring and getting it out requires the ubolts to be loosened to lower the pad.  I had removed one already and it moved reasonably well through its range.

The springs do seem to be pretty stiff, once the 1"was achieved they weren't compressing anymore. 

I will drive it to get a wheel alignment, a couple of kms, which should be far enough loosen it up if it is going too.

Edited April 15, 2019 by John McCormack

[iain]

Find the roughest road you can and drive it. A couple of Kms is not enough. Then re lube and repeat.

Iain