Rear suspension upgrade
Posted: Sun Oct 01, 2017 10:41 am
I have started to upgrade the rear suspension on my 1963 Tourer as it seems that every pot hole you hit really gives the car a good shaking.
I have looked at the clubs suggested list of mods and decided to go ahead with using the front dampers from a Mini. "BOGE" gas dampers.
I modified the rear spring brackets (where the shackle bolts fit into), manufactured the Special Bolts & made the additional top support brackets ( which give extra support to the top of the new damper arm & special bolt) all as per the instructions.
My problem is that when I restored the car 7 years ago, one of the things that I did was to replace the part of the chassis leg that the support pin was fitted to for the arm of the original damper unit, I now fin out that the thread on the replaced unit is 3/8" UNF & not 5/16" UNF as the original ones were. That's not much of a problem as new bolts can be made.
I offered the new unit up to the modified spring brackets and the existing top support for the original damper & because of the diameters of the new dampers, this meant that the unit was set at an angle of about 20deg.
This does not seem correct, so I have drawn out the area that the modification was to be & in order that the new unit can be fitted I will have to extend the top pin (on the chassis leg out by 40.0mm.
If any one has carried out this same modification procedure I would be grateful to have you comments & advice.
I have looked at the clubs suggested list of mods and decided to go ahead with using the front dampers from a Mini. "BOGE" gas dampers.
I modified the rear spring brackets (where the shackle bolts fit into), manufactured the Special Bolts & made the additional top support brackets ( which give extra support to the top of the new damper arm & special bolt) all as per the instructions.
My problem is that when I restored the car 7 years ago, one of the things that I did was to replace the part of the chassis leg that the support pin was fitted to for the arm of the original damper unit, I now fin out that the thread on the replaced unit is 3/8" UNF & not 5/16" UNF as the original ones were. That's not much of a problem as new bolts can be made.
I offered the new unit up to the modified spring brackets and the existing top support for the original damper & because of the diameters of the new dampers, this meant that the unit was set at an angle of about 20deg.
This does not seem correct, so I have drawn out the area that the modification was to be & in order that the new unit can be fitted I will have to extend the top pin (on the chassis leg out by 40.0mm.
If any one has carried out this same modification procedure I would be grateful to have you comments & advice.