Herald 7/8 anti roll bar

[AndyR1]

Hi Im restoring a 68 herald 13/60 with a few handling upgrades (lowered 1" all round, adjustable koni shocks, polybushes and 5" gt6 wheels) and was wondering wether its worth changing the 11/16 anti roll bar currently fitted for a 7/8 one from a 1500 spitfire and what it would do to the handling.
Thanks

[Nick Jones]

Unless you have a swing spring fitted at the rear, my experience is that it ruins the turn-in and turns the car into an under-steering horror.

Nick

[GT6 M]

It all depends on what else ye going to doo, or done.

1, have ye got better tyres than the OE crossplies
2, have ye got neg camber
3, will ye be driving  1 up or a passenger most of the time
3, will ye be useing higher tyre pressures.

Also, different types of driving will give diff handling
So,All above will give,different handling characteristics.

IE, 2 folk int back,will make car tail heavey, thus make it want to go straight on

neg camber will mek the front end bite better

so too will better tyres and pressures

and if it is going straight on, then if ye boot it,
then the tail will come back into line, as power has shifted the weight to a rear bias.

so many variables, itsup to ones personal prefferances.

M

[AndyR1]

I think the car will have some negative camber but I will have to see when its back on its wheels it will be running 175 70 13 Uniroyal's and how involved is it to fit a swing spring is it just a matter of swapping just the spring or is there more too it?
Thanks Andy

[MrSpeedy]

I have a 7/8" ARB on my MK2 Vitesse. Fixed spring but IRS.
Slight neg camber all round, lowered all round (1" rear, 2" front) and wide wheels/tyres.
Also fitted Rose jointed drop links.

I have found absolutely no adverse effects whatsoever, and nothing but improved and more stable handling

[carlton x]

7939 wrote:

I think the car will have some negative camber but I will have to see when its back on its wheels it will be running 175 70 13 Uniroyal's and how involved is it to fit a swing spring is it just a matter of swapping just the spring or is there more too it?
Thanks Andy

swing spring is a streight swop

[Mark Hammond]

I think a swinger will be way too low, especially with a 1" block, no chance of passengers in the back either.  If you can find one, a Courier rear spring, NO ARB and 5.5J wheels with 175/70x13s either with or without the 1" block should solve all your worries.  Couriers were deemed to be the best handling of Heralds and they had no ARB so this would be my answer.  Unless you have a limitless budget...........

Mark

[MrSpeedy]

If you want to fit a swing spring on a 'Tin Top', I'd suggest trying it without the lowering block first. Or maybe a 1/2" at most

[ferny]

To use a swing spring properly you should fit the longer shafts and handbrake cable, no?

[mikeyb]

ferny wrote:

To use a swing spring properly you should fit the longer shafts and handbrake cable, no?

can't be done on a Herald I think due to wheelarch clearance?  Anybody tried?

I'm running a fat front ARB, with fixed rear courier spring and 1" block on the Rally Herald. The spring has been on there for a couple of years and has settled a bit so planning to swap the 1" block for a 1/2" one (although I think 3/4 may be the best compromise).

Car very well balanced with this set up, but had thought to experiment without front ARB.

[heraldcoupe]

ferny wrote:

To use a swing spring properly you should fit the longer shafts and handbrake cable, no?

No, the swing spring was used with short shafts on Spitfires until 1973.
Long shafts on a Herald are far more trouble than they're worth. John Kipping used to sell and HD swing spring kit for Heralds, very effective without making the car stupidly low, though it still dropped the back end quite a bit.
I don't know if Canley Classics still supply the kit to this spec, mine was bought about 20 years ago,

Cheers,
Bill.

[willows40]

I fitted a swing spring to my niece`s herald convertible last year. I had 2 springs laying about 1 had thicker leaves than the other and was told it was off a gt6, so fitted that one without lowering block,  It sits level and no lower than a standard herald

cheers Andy

[Richard B]

MikeyB wrote:

can't be done on a Herald I think due to wheelarch clearance?  Anybody tried?

Alison had 1500 halfshafts already fitted to her 13/60 Estate when she bought it. Right PITA, tyres too close to the wheel arches, the tie rods needed loads of spacers.

Aghrrr !

[AndyR1]

Thanks guys I think I'm just going to leave the ARB standard until I get to drive the car and see what I think then.  I'm also going to leave the standard spring with a 3/4" lowering block as I don't want the car to be too low as it going to be my daily driver, has anyone tried solid steering rack mounts, are they worth getting?

[Pete Lewis]

just to add we used a swinger kit and  big arb, had trouble with shockers bottoming out,hence  hard ride low backend awfull roll when loaded and its off, a courier  + 1" block fitted kept the bigger arb and its on rails in comparison, most important with any set up handling is dependant on the front and rear end geometry being correct with the appropriate 150lbs on each seat to set the static ride height.

Pete

[Nick Jones]

I am a fan of the solid rack mounts (buy the decent ones from Chris Witor, they don't split when you do the bolts up!).  I also have a proper UJ bottom joint on the column ( from Rarebits).  These combined make for marvellously sharp steering without being harsh.  

Nick

[Scimher]

...An upgraded UJ bottom column joint makes a big difference, then Nick?.....(I'm just waiting for Bill to get some in stock..........) Decided that's the way to go as my last replacement of the conventional type hasn't managed 2yrs... :'(....(that one WASN'T from Bill, I hasten to add.... :X)