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TVR Scott (Forum Supporter)
TVR Scott (Forum Supporter) Dork
7/27/20 7:39 p.m.
Stu Lasswell said:

In reply to TVR Scott (Forum Supporter) :

I think we've established that you've acquired the rustiest TVR on the continent!  But then, who better to resurrect such a hopeless case? 

The most beat TVR as well.  It's a dual award.

Stu Lasswell
Stu Lasswell Reader
7/29/20 4:33 p.m.

 

 

 

Finally got some data regarding spring rates from GAZ . They will be the supplier I'm most likely going with, as they seem to run about half the price of most others I've heard bandied about. They suggest spring rates of 275# front and 160# rear. I indicated that my intentions for the car lean toward autocross agility over road comfort, but I haven't established the stock rates or what direction others have gone. Clearly a road race/ track day emphasis would dictate a different spring rate.  So, what's the opinion of this crowd? Go with their recommendations, or specify something different?

TVR Scott (Forum Supporter)
TVR Scott (Forum Supporter) Dork
7/29/20 4:48 p.m.

Funny you should mention Gaz.  I ordered some two weeks ago!

I went with 275 front and 180 back.

And springs are cheap and easy to change.

Stu Lasswell
Stu Lasswell Reader
7/31/20 5:33 p.m.

   It's looking like GAZ will be able to work directly with me... seems like the better option than dealing with Kinetic as they're on the west coast (I think) so sending stuff from England to CA, then back half way to NC would be dumb. Better to skip the middle-man if possible... may not save money, but could save time,  We'll see. The TVRCCNA forum seems to be recommending I go with GAZ's suggestions regarding spring rates, and they're nearly what TVR Scott ordered. They (GAZ) suggest 275# front, 160# rear. Scott went with 275# front, 180# rear.

   In the mean time, I've been ordering parts from Moss... got the uprated clutch kit, front suspension kit, and ordered brake caliper rebuild kits and new ball joints and end links.  I've also got most of the suspension arms painted, so maybe popping in some bushings and putting it together is in the offing!  Hate to get ahead of TVR Scott, but he's having his parts X-rayed or something... sounds like overkill to me, but he did buy the "most beat TVR on the continent".  I'm more of the "ignorance is bliss" school of preparation, where looking closely is just looking for trouble (and expense)!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TVR Scott (Forum Supporter)
TVR Scott (Forum Supporter) Dork
7/31/20 6:04 p.m.

In reply to Stu Lasswell :

Dang!  You're pulling ahead again!

FWIW, GAZ is drop-shipping the shocks directly to me, so no addition in time there.  I'm guessing the price is the same regardless.

JoeTR6 (Forum Supporter)
JoeTR6 (Forum Supporter) Dork
7/31/20 9:07 p.m.

LOL.  The 480 in/lb springs I put in the rear of the TR6 are barely adequate.  I'm still wondering if 600 would be better.  Just goes to show what a Fred Flintstone design the TR6 suspension is.

Stu Lasswell
Stu Lasswell Reader
8/1/20 12:20 p.m.

In reply to JoeTR6 (Forum Supporter) :

Yeah, I know what you mean. 160-180 lb. springs sound kinda lightweight. Still, that seems to be the range everybody goes with. Perhaps it does have something to do with the suspension design/geometry.

TVR Scott (Forum Supporter)
TVR Scott (Forum Supporter) Dork
8/1/20 2:15 p.m.

The load path on the rear springs is very direct and bolts close to the hub and far from the a-arm mount.  That geometry means lighter springs.

Stu Lasswell
Stu Lasswell Reader
8/1/20 2:36 p.m.

In reply to TVR Scott (Forum Supporter) :

Well, there you go... better geometry.

Stu Lasswell
Stu Lasswell Reader
8/3/20 6:42 p.m.

   I go bragging about being ready to start putting stuff together, and TVR Scott gets all fired up and makes all kinds of progress. Well, I did get the rest of the front suspension pieces from my donor TR6 all taken apart and mostly cleaned up, and got the last of the old rubber bushings burned/melted out of the rear upper A-arms. They're now painted, so I should start pressing in the new urethane bushings-- especially the rear lower A-arms so I can take them to the shop and have them make and install the custom threaded rods in the uprights.

   I did get something done on the shock/spring front. GAZ was very easy to deal with directly, and I got their "GP" adjustable shocks with springs ordered. Price was just what their catalog listed, but shipping is 75 GBP, so at todays's exchange rate ($1.30=1 Pound) that's $97.50!  Still, I'm all in, with FedEx delivery, at $688... Kinetics Motorsports lists a set of 4 at $864, so I'm good with that. Delivery may take a while, but the invoice listed delivery date as "ASAP" so I'm hoping it won't be an excessive wait.

   Next installment should include some pictures illustrating progress... we'll see how that goes.

TVR Scott (Forum Supporter)
TVR Scott (Forum Supporter) Dork
8/3/20 8:06 p.m.

In reply to Stu Lasswell :

My bill for shocks wasn't much different.

Slow_M
Slow_M New Reader
8/3/20 8:13 p.m.

You guys have me chomping at the bit, to get back onto my M project. 

Stu Lasswell
Stu Lasswell Reader
8/3/20 10:31 p.m.

In reply to TVR Scott (Forum Supporter) :

Good! Maybe the coil-overs listed at Kinetics are for Locosts, and they run more for some reason. Although I figured you would have gone for the double-adjustable race shocks in your efforts toward upgrading everything!

Stu Lasswell
Stu Lasswell Reader
8/7/20 12:31 p.m.

   It's been like Christmas around here the last couple of days!  My back-ordered parts from Moss have been trickling in... the clutch kit a few days ago, ball joints and tie rod ends yesterday, and the brake caliper rebuild kits today. Got the custom made threaded rods for the alloy uprights made the other day too... they took less time to make than he thought, so $50 for the pair.  The remaining hardware (grade 8) will be picked up today from Fastenal. Got all 24 polyurethane bushings installed, so now I guess I can start assembling the suspension on the car. Still debating having the brake rotors turned, or just ordering new ones. Everything else looks so clean or new, I kinda don't want to use old parts. Still need to order the pads (probably EBC "green stuff") so I just might upgrade the rotors to grooved or drilled at the same time.  The rear brakes will most likely remain stock, and hopefully the drums are still good. Alfin drums (or even Datsun) are just so much more expensive than stock! 

Now on to building the front uprights... new bearings, seals, hardware and ball joints.

TurnerX19
TurnerX19 SuperDork
8/7/20 9:49 p.m.

Do not do drilled or grooved rotors for a street/autocross car. Their increased performance is devoted to high heat/racing applications and they have markedly less long term durability. And they eat pads a lot faster.

Stu Lasswell
Stu Lasswell Reader
8/7/20 11:47 p.m.

In reply to TurnerX19 :

Thanks for your advice. I've never run drilled or slotted rotors, and have never had any braking problems related to "gassing" or even fade in any driving activity I've done. Still, they do look cool, don't they?

Slow_M
Slow_M New Reader
8/8/20 1:32 a.m.

You could always hit the rotors with a DA sander; drums and rotors are easy enough to change once it's running.

Congratulations on the forward leap. 

TurnerX19
TurnerX19 SuperDork
8/8/20 3:35 p.m.

In reply to Stu Lasswell :

Drilled ones make a pretty neat whistling sound too. Boy I changed a lot of them on FF2000 cars in the day...

Stu Lasswell
Stu Lasswell Reader
8/8/20 10:32 p.m.

    Progress is being made, now that most of the hardware is at hand. As the front suspension requires a bit of rebuilding still, much of it "messy", what with packing bearings with grease and all, I chose instead to work on the rear suspension.  As all the bushes were in place, it required only fitting them to the frame and inserting the new bolts... but the new poly bushes are stiffer and more "full" than the original, and required considerable "encouragement" to position correctly. Of course then I couldn't resist seeing how it will look with the new Goodparts axles and alloy hubs in place. I can't actually install them yet, not having my R200 differential, so I inserted a "pumpkin" from an alternate source. It's open rather than an"LSD", although I can't rule out the use of LSD on the part of the designers!

Dusterbd13-michael (Forum Supporter)
Dusterbd13-michael (Forum Supporter) MegaDork
8/8/20 10:59 p.m.

Thats AWESOME!!!

Stu Lasswell
Stu Lasswell Reader
8/15/20 9:04 a.m.

   Got to work a bit on the front suspension fitment. If there was a 50/50 chance of assembling it wrong, that was how it went. I got the odd nylon bushings Triumph uses into the lower arms, only to realize that those weird "cup" washers go in behind the bushing rim, so I had to knock out the steel tube and pry out the bushings and start over. Then I installed the upper A-arm ("U"-arm?) and of course grabbed the right-side one... oddly enough the upright didn't line up. They looked the same, but clearly aren't, due to the aforementioned caster.

While I was at it I tried out the old Spax shocks/springs on the back (minus the axles). Looks like something's missing... they did use dual shockers on the back of earlier models.

 

Maybe one of you Triumph guys out there in GRM-land can help me... I've been searching locally, to no avail, for replacement front lug bolts (studs) that are 1/2" to 3/4" longer, so I can use spacers with alloy rims. I know they're 7/16"-20, but can't seem to find any with the right diameter knurled part. Do any of you know a good source, or the Dorman part #for some longer studs? 

TVR Scott (Forum Supporter)
TVR Scott (Forum Supporter) Dork
8/15/20 10:19 a.m.

Looks really good.  Way better than the atomic E36 M3-show going on in my garage right now.

Make sure you put some washers on those upper ball-joint bolts!!

Those 1/2-20 a-arm bolts look too short - the thread needs to clear the lock-nut or it won't lock properly.  Three threads exposed is the aircraft-mechanic rule-of-thumb.  Maybe they're not tight yet.

I bought long ARP wheel studs in 7/16-20 from Richard Good.  He has them for the original hubs too, though you have to drill out the holes a little.

You have the rear shocks right.  People have set up dual shocks on these cars, but I don't think it's necessary.

Our frame / suspension color schemes are opposites - fun!

Stu Lasswell
Stu Lasswell Reader
8/15/20 2:36 p.m.

   I appreciate your comments, Scott. Sorry to hear you're facing issues in your build.  Yes, I know that's the way the rear shocks go, I'm just saying it looks like something's missing, although the rear mount is for the body/seat belt retractor fitting. As to the bolts, none of the suspension mounts are tightened, and won't be until it gets weight on sufficient to establish ride height and position so I don't shear the bushings. And the ball joint bolts are just stuck in until I can get new bolts/washers/nuts.  Glad you're following, and please comment on anything that looks wrong or could be improved on (other than welding... I know where you stand on that score)!

Slow_M
Slow_M New Reader
8/15/20 7:22 p.m.

In case you plan to do anything to the sway bar, other than to reassemble it.  

 

 

I can also provide a drawing for Heim joint drop links. 

 

TVR Scott (Forum Supporter)
TVR Scott (Forum Supporter) Dork
8/15/20 10:14 p.m.

Stock is 3/4"?  The one on my garage floor is 7/8".  What does that mean?

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