TeriAnn:
The Spax are the easy ones to adjust. If they are yellow and more recent
than 1990 or so, they are a "12 point adjustable" type. The following
instructions will set this type up correctly; I had a set fitted to my 65
TR4a (same spec).
1. Near the base of the shock there is an adjustment knob. It looks like a
small dowel sticking out of the body and is distinguished by a screwdriver
slot (...for adjustment). Find this. It "should" be accessible with a
long, thin screwdriver, or a flexible type unit.
2. Rotate clockwise until stop. Each "click" will be felt as an in-out
"bump". You are now at full stiff position. If you have done this on the
ground you will now find the front end almost impossible to bounce!
3. Click back 15 turns (there is no soft lock, the screw just keeps
rotating). You are now guaranteed to be at dead soft. Depending on who you
believe, these units are either 12 or 14 way adjustable. Count the number
of clicks until you hit bottom to determine which ones you actually have.
4. You should always cycle from full to hard to full soft before resetting
your shocks. (before you change the existing setting, please turn
clockwise and count the clicks to establish your baseline setting now).
A normal street setting with standard or mildly uprated springs is about
4-6.
Aggressive driving will increase the front settings. You should not need
more than 8 on the street unless you have oversize tires (bigger tires
weigh more and overpower the shocks easily).
The stiffer the shock setting, the more harsh the ride will be. More
damping means that more of the small road irregularities will transmit
through the suspension, but on smooth roads the bonus will be sharper
turn-in characteristics.
If you find that you are bottoming the car, change the springs, not the
shocks (at least not yet). The springs should be stiff enough that, in
normal condition, the car will only just bottom on the largest bump you will
hit.
>From there, sway bars, front and rear, minimise weight transfer due to body
roll, the chief cause of poor cornering traction. The TR3 did not come
equipped with front or rear bars. Handling is personally subjective.
Finally, turn in and power out characteristics come from the shock setting.
They must be set stiff enough to control the spring, but not so stiff as to
restrict its movement ( too stiff on a rough road will "lock up" the shock
in compressed mode and cause that end of the car to wash out).
There. The book is over. I hope this information helps you, and the list.
And list... this is intended to be a simple summary of the basics as I lave
learned through competition. I'd be interested in hearing others'
experiences (perhaps off line?)
Dave Terrick
69 GT6
Winnipeg
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