More Rear Springs!

[alanworland]

Ever since I have had my car back on the road after a lengthy restoration I have found the rear springing to be 'hard'
I have since discovered that the springs I fitted are not the 7 'thin' leaf ones for the MM but the 7 leaf ones destined for a traveller! which would understandably give a firm ride and hold the rear 'high'
I decided to remove the bottom 2 leaves from the springs which has really improved the ride, the car is also now the correct height at 15 7/16 inches to the top shackle fixing.
This gives a dimension of 2 7/8 inches from the bump stop to the body.
After doing a check of fixings for tightness I noticed that the 'eye' of the rear springs had contacted and removed the paint from the bottom chassis flange!
The bushes are sound but at rest there is about 1mm clearance between the eye of the spring to the chassis section! ( the chassis is original and has not been 'got at' in any way) The original chassis and inner wing section has actually got extra clearance incorporated in it, See photo
This has gone unoticed I guess because the springs were doing very little in the way of flexing.
Not sure where to go with this at the moment, I am thinking possibly, longer shackle plates, eccentric shackle pins - any thoughts?
I have measured the shackle plates and find they 'lay back' at about 18 degrees under a normal standing load which doesn't help. Not sure if this is typical.
I considered, is the spring too long? A phone call to ESM (very helpfull) informed me that the 'free' spring was 42 1/2 inches long, centres, and the guy found that when he stood on it it grew to probably what I have (43 5/16 inches)
At the back of my mind I am convinced the springs should be shorter, so that the shackle plates sit more vertically, and therefore get a bit more clearance but also that the basic design should have given this area a bit more of a chance?
The ride is vastly improved but I think I may have unearthed a can of worms!<br><br>

[Kevin]

Alan could it be worth contacting Bryan Gosling (club spares) to see if he has any N.O.S. springs that he could take a measurement from, also is it possible the Traveller springs are slighty longer in the first place.

[RobThomas]

Thicker steel for the leaves and a larger diameter bush will do that. I looked at the lowlight and the holes in the shackle plates are exactly 2.390 inches between centres. There is about 8mm between chassis and spring eye on saggy springs and signs of the chassis being lightly hammered after years in the Aussie desert. 2.710 inches between chassis and bumpstop top. My shackle plates have MOWOG on them so I guess yours are not originals?

[RobThomas]

PS Same angle on the plate when at rest.

[mike.perry]

I have a new Traveller spring in the garage, actually it has been there a couple of years, before the spring problems started, I could meaure the hole centres if that is any use. My MM sits on standard saloon 5 leaf springs but there is no point in me measuring any angles as there is no engine in it at the moment.

[alanworland]

Kevin,
I will contact Bryan with regard to original springs (I could kick myself for discarding the originals!) I am not familiar with traveller springs, but I believe they are the same but with more leaves.

Rob,
It would appear we have a similar gap from bump stop to body! (I thought it was just mine) however, you are correct, I do not have the original shackle plates fitted (I shot blasted them and powder coated them, then decided they didn't look the part, and sold them on ebay!) so my new ones are actually closer on centres than yours by nearly .030 (not enough to make the difference)
It is strange that yours has so much more clearance? - my 1mm clearance is between the outside of the spring eye and the vertical flange (which is basically the inner wing) I think we are talking same here.

Mike,
It might be worth measuring the traveller spring you have to see if it compares with the 42 1/2 inch dimension that ESM measured on one of their saloon springs, we would have an idea if the spring centres should be the same.

The more I think about it the more I feel the spring should be shorter so the shackle plate sits vertical in its 'unloaded state'
Has anyone 'cut one down'!!!!