Dicky Blighter Posted January 7, 2011 Share Posted January 7, 2011 Had a new clonk appear when I took the car for run during the holidays - from the rear on pssenger side. Eventually tracked down to the spring eye bush has perished and vetical link is moving backwards and forward hitting the spring.While I was under the car also noticed it has one short shaft from a MKIV and a long one from 1500 - explains dodgy handling.Won a complete pair of driveshafts from ebay for £31.00 complete with radius arms etc.Decided to renew all bushes front and rear and rebuild suspension fromnt and rear.Bolt sets I have got from ANG Triumph as reccomended in another thread - slightly dearer at £15.99 for rear set than some others but it does have the 8 diff to driveshaft bolts and nylocs that aren't in most other kits and as picture shows all lablelled with what goes where.Polybushes came from Flo-Flex at £78.80 for a full car set almost half the price of ones from other sources and a very comprehensive set. Was a bit wary of these as not seen them mentioned in other threads about polybushes but look well made, Be interesting to see how they fit and perform.Going to rebuild the 'new' driveshafts and powder coat metal bits before fitting and then do same with front suspension. Hopefully improve ride and be maintenance free for a couple of years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CharlieB Posted January 7, 2011 Share Posted January 7, 2011 Dicky_Blighter wrote:While I was under the car also noticed it has one short shaft from a MKIV and a long one from 1500 - explains dodgy handling.Won a complete pair of driveshafts from ebay for £31.00 complete with radius arms etc.Don't forget you need the correct long/short shaft radius arm brackets as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TR7th Heaven Posted January 7, 2011 Share Posted January 7, 2011 I looked at the Flo-Flex website as their prices seem very competitive. However, they don't list sets for the Vitesse. Shame, at those prices they're well worth trying.Keep us posted of your progress.Rich ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimW Posted January 7, 2011 Share Posted January 7, 2011 TR7th_Heaven wrote:I looked at the Flo-Flex website as their prices seem very competitive. However, they don't list sets for the Vitesse. Shame, at those prices they're well worth trying.Keep us posted of your progress.Rich ;)are the kits not the same as rotoflex gt6???? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davemate Posted January 7, 2011 Share Posted January 7, 2011 Flow-flex All I am finding is plumbing stuff !Can someone post a link to them ?Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dicky Blighter Posted January 7, 2011 Author Share Posted January 7, 2011 CharlieB wrote:Don't forget you need the correct long/short shaft radius arm brackets as well.This is what I have got, pair of long shafts so assume at least one braket on car is correct as left hand shaft matches these - If it's just the angles that are different can soon bend them right. UJ's and bearings are all good, trunnions, bushes nuts bolts etc. will all be replaced. Got a couple of wheel cylinder repair kits in my spares box so rebuild them, clean and paint all the bits then just swap the lot with existing ones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dicky Blighter Posted January 7, 2011 Author Share Posted January 7, 2011 1344 wrote:Flow-flex All I am finding is plumbing stuff !Can someone post a link to them ?Thankshttp://www.floflex.co.uk/or ebay shop (full sets on here) http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Flo-flex-Polyurethane-Limited Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
molten Posted January 7, 2011 Share Posted January 7, 2011 I nearly bid on those myself but mine turned out to be fine after all.Took 17 tons of force to separate my hubs though... :o.I have purchased some rear diff bushes from flow-flex. Very helpful service (Rebecca). The seem to be somewhere between the red and blue with regard to hardness. Cannot see any issues with quality either. Not yet anyway.Cheersscott Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davemate Posted January 8, 2011 Share Posted January 8, 2011 Dicky_Blighter wrote:http://www.floflex.co.uk/or ebay shop (full sets on here) http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Flo-flex-Polyurethane-LimitedThank you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CharlieB Posted January 8, 2011 Share Posted January 8, 2011 Dicky_Blighter wrote:This is what I have got, pair of long shafts so assume at least one braket on car is correct as left hand shaft matches these - If it's just the angles that are different can soon bend them right. It may be just the angles I'm not sure, be good to compare the two side by side (anyone?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TR7th Heaven Posted January 8, 2011 Share Posted January 8, 2011 339 wrote:are the kits not the same as rotoflex gt6???? Yes, I'm sure they are but I can't see the GT6 listed either. Am I looking in the wrong place?I think I'll email them.Cheers,Rich ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dicky Blighter Posted January 17, 2011 Author Share Posted January 17, 2011 After 8 hours work in the garden and kitchen this weekend those secondhand bits now look like this:Dismantled all the bits, cleaned with wire brush in angle grinder and lots of elbow grease,Couple of bent brackets repaired/straightened.Painted with red and black spray enamel paint from Wilkinsons.Rebuilt using all new poly bushes, nuts bolt and washers from previous postNew wheel cylinders, trunnion bushes brake shoes.Adjusters, springs etc, cleaned and painted.Brake drums wire brushed and painted.Bearings and UJ'sfeel fine so left them alone but re-greased.Everything lliberally coated with copper grease before assembly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dicky Blighter Posted January 17, 2011 Author Share Posted January 17, 2011 Next weekends job is to fit to take old assemblys off and replace with this lot. also got all the poly bushes for diff mounting to do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CHRIS211083 Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 Well done mate looking good. What colour is your car??? You will have to let us know how the bushes feel once fitted to the car as i think many have seen these kits. The spring eye bushes you have are different to the polybush kit ones i have, mine were one piece where yours are spit. What brand of shoes did you go for???Chris. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dicky Blighter Posted January 17, 2011 Author Share Posted January 17, 2011 Car is red (mixture of different ones at the moment!) but will eventually be all RAL 3002 (carminel red). Shoes came from MEV spares and are branded Powertune, made in Taiwan jobbys but are well made and have all the holes in the right places, unlike the ones I bought last year from a well known supplier and had to de-burr all the spring holes and ends. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CHRIS211083 Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 Ive got my rear trunion's next on the list of things to do. Did you change yours before or during the rebuild??? The kits were £5 each from Canleys just wish id done them when the assembly's were off for the uj replacement. Looking really good.Chris. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dicky Blighter Posted January 17, 2011 Author Share Posted January 17, 2011 Did these ones during rebuild but have changed the ones on the car last summer and it was easy, Took about 1.5 hours and had to do a bit of jiggling around with levers and jacks to get it back together. I was lucky though, usually the bolt is seized into the spacer tube and you have problems getting it to bits. the person who did it last had used plenty of copper grease - I've done the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1967 MkIII Posted January 23, 2011 Share Posted January 23, 2011 I'm about to start work removing rust & protecting tha chassis & underbody starting at the back for no reason at all and the plan is: - remove exhaust pipe & silencer from halfway down the car where a sleeve already exists. This will mark the halfway point.- Remove differential, leaf spring, axles & all the bits attached. Clean these up and restore/replace while they're off.- Replace all, drive car, and start on the frontI'm starting to order parts I want to change - the polybush kits mentioned on here seem good, thanks for that tip.For the leaf spring I've seen white teflon spacers from a Dutch Triumph club (pic below), has anyone ever used these?? These are EUR 24 while Rimmer has the usual replacement for only EUR 1 a pop... although the website states only 4 are needed, surely its 8 ?I've been thinking about Rimmer's 1/2" lowering block as it seems the simplest camber compensator. I've got Spax adjustables on the rear which I haven't had time to experiment with yet. Any thoughts?I'm going to replace nuts and bolts as I come across them, should I be looking for a specific material?If anyone's interested, follow my blog & pics of this rolling resto on http://1967spitfiremk3.webs.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CharlieB Posted January 23, 2011 Share Posted January 23, 2011 Those teflon spacers are designed to rejuvenate a tired spring, they will raise the rear ride height significantly.I made my own standard thickness ones out of nylon & yes you need 8.The "Rimmers 1/2" lowering block" is made by Canleys & is cheaper from them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1967 MkIII Posted January 24, 2011 Share Posted January 24, 2011 CharlieB wrote:The "Rimmers 1/2" lowering block" is made by Canleys & is cheaper from them.So they are, much obliged. Any thoughts on whether this alone will help with the camber? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CharlieB Posted January 24, 2011 Share Posted January 24, 2011 You don't say what your camber is now but the block will lower the rear by a little more than 1/2" & consequently increase your negative (or decrease your positive) camber slightly.Get someone to lean on the back of the car so it drops by about 1/2" & you'll see the effect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1967 MkIII Posted January 24, 2011 Share Posted January 24, 2011 Thanks Charlie. I've got the positive camber that Mk III's were born with, like the Herald below :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CharlieB Posted January 24, 2011 Share Posted January 24, 2011 All Spitfires were "born" with negative camber at the rear, if yours is positive you have a problem (unless you've just jacked it up in which case roll the car back & forward a few times to settle the suspension). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1967 MkIII Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 hmmm :-/It's got pretty wide tyres on from previous owner, maybe that affects it or masks it anyway.In any case, I'm going to take out all the rear running gear to restore the chassis & underneath, part of which will be to refresh all wearing parts. I know the leaf spring spacers are history and need replacing, but I thought that would flatten the spring and so increase negative camber.I've decided against the teflon spacers btw and will stick with the standard, thanks for advising that they raise the height.I think i'll go for the lowering block. If it increases -ve camber it should help make cornering a tad tighter at higher speeds. Once I've got the whole thing apart will be time to do it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dicky Blighter Posted February 7, 2011 Author Share Posted February 7, 2011 All back together and car is useable again. Haven't done diff or spring bushes yet - they can wait for warmer weather.Few extra bits changed on the way - brake pipes although looked OK were corroded on inside where they touch chassis so replaced front to rear, and all rear pipes. Bought a flaring tool, pipe and bits to make my own at a total cost of £18.00 and still got half a roll of pipe and loads of fittings left, decided on this route after the one pipe I bought ready made leaked on the flare.Both flexi hoses were wrong ones so decided to change to braided as front ones made pedal feel harder, ones I got for long shaft from supplier were too short - supplier getting replacements as all his stock is the same so fitted rubber ones for now.Handbrake cable was too short, must have been short shaft one, so replaced that.Old tie rods both had slight bend in them, new ones are straight - should short shaft ones have a bend?Car sits much nicer now - was always a bit of a lean on it, and positive camber on left side which must have been down to differing geometry with different shaft lengths,now got negative camber. Short test drive I had time for car feels much firmer at back and eliminated loads of squeaks and rattles.Polybushes I bought all fitted well so time will show how good they are.Front suspension next. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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