Larry,
Which shock kit did you use?
I used the Mini Mania 1/4 elliptic kit. It had 4 bolts; the two original
shock mount bolts, the orignal forward radius arm locating bolt and an
additional bolt that required drilling through the shock mounting plate up
near the top. The only problem I had was figuring out the exact place to
drill.(unless you consider drillling itself to be a problem.) The radius
arm bracket prevents using the Spax bracket as a template on the outboard
side of the car, and you can't get a drill motor up underneath in the right
spot from the inside. This bolt is the attachment for the shock itself. I
think it's up so high so that the shock can be as vertical as possible. My
shocks are not out at full rebound, but I didn't replace my springs,
although they're probably going to make my list of things I'd like to do.
The only quarter-elliptic cars I've seen that had new springs (that I know
of) stood unusually "tall in the tail." The owners told me they expected
them to settle down a bit. One guy had bags of sand in the passsenger side
boot, he said so it would settle evenly.
As there are several kits out there, can we hear from listers who have
installed tube shocks, and their experience with them, so others
considering it can benefit.?
Phil Vanner
----------
> From: Larry G. Miller <millerls@classic.msn.com>
> To: spridgets@autox.team.net
> Subject: RE: Rear Suspension
> Date: Wednesday, October 22, 1997 11:36 AM
>
> Mike
>
> You Midget is different in that it has half elliptical springs vice the
1/4
> that the Bugeye has. Some of your problems may be the same but not all.
For
> example I had to drill out the locating holes in the springs in order to
get
> the bolts to go through without pounding. The way the leafs are stacked
on
> the Bugeye it makes it very hard to get the hole in every leaf to line
up.
> You should not have this problem with the Midget. One other problem was
with
> the Spax brackets. Instructions said to use two of the three original
bolts (
> the two long ones that go all the way through the radius arm bracket) and
to
> replace the third with one provided in the kit. The replacement was way
bigger
> than the original. It would have required drilling the car and the radius
> bracket and since they were already installed on the car I decided to
stick
> with the original bolt. Other than that, the only problem that I had was
> trying to compress the springs to install the shock. I suspect that due
to
> the difference in length the Midget spring will be easier to compress.
>
> Larry
>
> ----------
> From: owner-spridgets@autox.team.net on behalf of Nolan, Michael F.
> Sent: Wednesday, October 22, 1997 9:10 AM
> To: spridgets@Autox.Team.Net
> Subject: Rear Suspension
>
> Larry Miller wrote;
>
> >Finished the rear suspension on Bugeye #2 last night. New springs,
> buffers,
> >radius arms, straps, bolts, etc. Also installed a tube shock kit with
> Spax
> >gas adjustable shocks. All went well with a few minor problems.
>
> Larry,
> I have all the suspension pieces, including the Spax setup sitting in my
> livingroom. Its
> hollering at me to put em on. How many minor? problems did you have. I
> ordered
> replacement springs from Moss(six leaf I think). Am I going to have
> the same problems
> with the offset ??? Please keep us informed if the rear settles down.
> BTW I have a 78 midget. Does it make that much of a difference ??
>
> Thanks
> Mike
> 78 Midget
>
>
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