Subject: [TR] Advice on TR6 suspension

From: Frank Burkhart <[email-masked]> boundary="Apple-Mail=_FAC32FD6-5265-48E8-A453-DBD44CA2ACEB"
Date: Mon, 29 Jan 2024 12:34:09 -0800

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I hope this is the right forum for a =E2=80=9CPlease help=E2=80=9D =
email.

On my TR6, my left front tire rubs on hard right turns and bumps in the =
road (especially at speed).  Tire size is 205 70 15 and I have spacer in =
each front spring.  During a recent drive, my son was able to get a =
photo of the car head on and it does have a minor lean to the driver =
side.  My first guess is that the springs are original and compressed.  =
I have attached photos of both the left and right spring showing the =
bottom 3 coils pretty much totally compressed.  If you look closely, the =
spacer is about 1/2 up the spring.

Am I correct that the proper order to solve the problem would be new =
springs and spring packing (polyurethane) - goodparts.com looks like =
they have a good solution.  Beyond new springs would be changing some of =
the suspension pieces to allow more room but I=E2=80=99m hoping that =
won=E2=80=99t be necessary.  I might be able to get away with adding =
another spacer but springs seem like a better, long term solution.

Am I going in the right direction.

Thanks to all for comments and suggestions.

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** [email-masked] **

Archive: http://www.team.net/pipermail/triumphs  http://www.team.net/archive

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From: Frank Burkhart <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 29 Jan 2024 17:22:21 -0800

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Paul,
Hope these are the right numbers.  I couldn=E2=80=99t get a tape inside =
the spring so measured from top to a center point on the spring and =
bottom to the same point.  Passenger side measured 6.5 inches, driver =
side 7.5 inches.  Top of wheel well to floor - passenger side 28 3/8, =
driver side 27 1/8.  Odd showing shorter spring length but slightly =
longer from wheel well to floor.  As far as I know, no front end damage, =
tires not showing any odd ware after 10,000 miles (aligned tires when =
they were last replaced). =20

Goodparts.com <http://goodparts.com/> shows spring length of 8 7/8 =
inches (390 lb spring rate), rimmerbros.com <http://rimmerbros.com/> is =
10.35 inches (330 lbs spring rate) and a lowered spring at 9.33 inches =
(420 lb spring rate), Moss Motors has several options but they do not =
list spring height, nothing at bpnorthwest.com =
<http://bpnorthwest.com/>.

Now getting way out into the ether - found a formula for spring =
compression, Fitted length =3D free length - (fitted load/spring rate).  =
Fitted load is the hard number to determine.  Using some numbers from =
the internet , a TR6 is 2,500 lbs with 48.2% on the front.  That would =
be 1,205 lbs on the front (note, saw number of 718 pounds for Spitfire). =
 Using these numbers:

Goodparts:  8.875 -(1205/390) =3D 5.785  - shorter than the existing =
springs
Rimmer standard:  10.35 - (1205/330) =3D  6.7 - pretty close to existing =
springs
Rimmer lowered:  9.33 - (1205/420) =3D 6.46 inches

Using the 6.7 number, similar to current ride but would new springs =
compress less on bumps and cornering.  Also, is the 1,205 weight in the =
ballpark.  And last thought - the current springs have a 1.5 inch spacer =
so they really are compress more than the numbers show.  I=E2=80=99m =
guessing that they are offering little resistance to bumps etc.

Last, Alan has used the goodparts springs with minimal rubbing.  His =
tire size is 205/60/15 vs. the 205/70/15 on mine.  That gives me about =
.8 inches more of sidewall height.

Have I confused the issue too much?  Get some springs and see if that =
does the job?  Seems like the standard springs from Rimmer would work =
the best.

Thanks,
Frank

> On Jan 29, 2024, at 1:43=E2=80=AFPM, Paul Kromhout =
<[email-masked]> wrote:
>=20
> Frank,
> If those photos are with the car at rest on its wheels, you may be =
right about the springs.  Take a measurement (have one of your in-house =
experts do it) on each side from the outside part of the spring pan ( =
lower plate upon which the spring rests) to the top of the housing for =
the spring. You=E2=80=99ll need to get a tape up inside the spring to do =
it.
> Also, measure from the highest part of the wheel arches on the fenders =
to the deck.
>=20
> I=E2=80=99ll duplicate on mine and report.  If yours are short, I=E2=80=99=
d recommend getting some stock springs rather than =E2=80=9Cuprated=E2=80=9D=
 springs.  Why do you have the spacers?  Has your front end (suspension) =
been checked for alignment/ ever been hit?
> Best,
> Paul
> Sent from my iPad
>=20
>> On Jan 29, 2024, at 12:36=E2=80=AFPM, Frank Burkhart =
<[email-masked]> wrote:
>>=20
>> =EF=BB=BFI hope this is the right forum for a =E2=80=9CPlease help=E2=80=
=9D email.
>>=20
>> On my TR6, my left front tire rubs on hard right turns and bumps in =
the road (especially at speed).  Tire size is 205 70 15 and I have =
spacer in each front spring.  During a recent drive, my son was able to =
get a photo of the car head on and it does have a minor lean to the =
driver side.  My first guess is that the springs are original and =
compressed.  I have attached photos of both the left and right spring =
showing the bottom 3 coils pretty much totally compressed.  If you look =
closely, the spacer is about 1/2 up the spring.
>>=20
>>=20
>>=20
>>=20
>> <Front springs.pdf>
>=20

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<html><head><meta http-equiv=3D"content-type" content=3D"text/html; =
charset=3Dutf-8"></head><body style=3D"overflow-wrap: break-word; =
-webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;">Paul,<div>Hope =
these are the right numbers. &nbsp;I couldn=E2=80=99t get a tape inside =
the spring so measured from top to a center point on the spring and =
bottom to the same point. &nbsp;Passenger side measured 6.5 inches, =
driver side 7.5 inches. &nbsp;Top of wheel well to floor - passenger =
side 28 3/8, driver side 27 1/8. &nbsp;Odd showing shorter spring length =
but slightly longer from wheel well to floor. &nbsp;As far as I know, no =
front end damage, tires not showing any odd ware after 10,000 miles =
(aligned tires when they were last replaced). =
&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div><a =
href=3D"http://Goodparts.com">Goodparts.com</a>&nbsp;shows spring length =
of 8 7/8 inches (390 lb spring rate), <a =
href=3D"http://rimmerbros.com">rimmerbros.com</a>&nbsp;is 10.35 inches =
(330 lbs spring rate) and a lowered spring at 9.33 inches (420 lb spring =
rate), Moss Motors has several options but they do not list spring =
height, nothing at <a =
href=3D"http://bpnorthwest.com">bpnorthwest.com</a>.</div><div><br></div><=
div>Now getting way out into the ether - found a formula for spring =
compression, Fitted length =3D free length - (fitted load/spring rate). =
&nbsp;Fitted load is the hard number to determine. &nbsp;Using some =
numbers from the internet , a TR6 is 2,500 lbs with 48.2% on the front. =
&nbsp;That would be 1,205 lbs on the front (note, saw number of 718 =
pounds for Spitfire). &nbsp;Using these =
numbers:</div><div><br></div><div>Goodparts: &nbsp;8.875 -(1205/390) =3D =
5.785 &nbsp;- shorter than the existing springs</div><div>Rimmer =
standard: &nbsp;10.35 - (1205/330) =3D &nbsp;6.7 - pretty close to =
existing springs</div><div>Rimmer lowered: &nbsp;9.33 - (1205/420) =3D =
6.46 inches</div><div><br></div><div>Using the 6.7 number, similar to =
current ride but would new springs compress less on bumps and cornering. =
&nbsp;Also, is the 1,205 weight in the ballpark. &nbsp;And last thought =
- the current springs have a 1.5 inch spacer so they really are compress =
more than the numbers show. &nbsp;I=E2=80=99m guessing that they are =
offering little resistance to bumps etc.</div><div><br></div><div>Last, =
Alan has used the goodparts springs with minimal rubbing. &nbsp;His tire =
size is 205/60/15 vs. the 205/70/15 on mine. &nbsp;That gives me about =
.8 inches more of sidewall height.</div><div><br></div><div>Have I =
confused the issue too much? &nbsp;Get some springs and see if that does =
the job? &nbsp;Seems like the standard springs from Rimmer would work =
the =
best.</div><div><br></div><div>Thanks,</div><div>Frank</div><div><br></div=
><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br =
id=3D"lineBreakAtBeginningOfMessage"><div><br><blockquote =
type=3D"cite"><div>On Jan 29, 2024, at 1:43=E2=80=AFPM, Paul Kromhout =
&lt;[email-masked]&gt; wrote:</div><br =
class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline"><div><div>Frank,<br>If those photos =
are with the car at rest on its wheels, you may be right about the =
springs. &nbsp;Take a measurement (have one of your in-house experts do =
it) on each side from the outside part of the spring pan ( lower plate =
upon which the spring rests) to the top of the housing for the spring. =
You=E2=80=99ll need to get a tape up inside the spring to do =
it.<br>Also, measure from the highest part of the wheel arches on the =
fenders to the deck.<br><br>I=E2=80=99ll duplicate on mine and report. =
&nbsp;If yours are short, I=E2=80=99d recommend getting some stock =
springs rather than =E2=80=9Cuprated=E2=80=9D springs. &nbsp;Why do you =
have the spacers? &nbsp;Has your front end (suspension) been checked for =
alignment/ ever been hit?<br>Best,<br>Paul<br>Sent from my =
iPad<br><br><blockquote type=3D"cite">On Jan 29, 2024, at 12:36=E2=80=AFPM=
, Frank Burkhart &lt;[email-masked]&gt; =
wrote:<br><br>=EF=BB=BFI hope this is the right forum for a =E2=80=9CPleas=
e help=E2=80=9D email.<br><br>On my TR6, my left front tire rubs on hard =
right turns and bumps in the road (especially at speed). &nbsp;Tire size =
is 205 70 15 and I have spacer in each front spring. &nbsp;During a =
recent drive, my son was able to get a photo of the car head on and it =
does have a minor lean to the driver side. &nbsp;My first guess is that =
the springs are original and compressed. &nbsp;I have attached photos of =
both the left and right spring showing the bottom 3 coils pretty much =
totally compressed. &nbsp;If you look closely, the spacer is about 1/2 =
up the spring.<br><br>Am I correct that the proper order to solve the =
problem would be new springs and spring packing (polyurethane) - =
goodparts.com looks like they have a good solution. &nbsp;Beyond new =
springs would be changing some of the suspension pieces to allow more =
room but I=E2=80=99m hoping that won=E2=80=99t be necessary. &nbsp;I =
might be able to get away with adding another spacer but springs seem =
like a better, long term solution.<br><br>Am I going in the right =
direction.<br><br>Thanks to all for comments and =
suggestions.<br><br>&lt;Front =
springs.pdf&gt;<br></blockquote><br></div></div></blockquote></div><br></d=
iv></body></html>=

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