New Springs on my Wagon!
New Springs on my Wagon!
Author
Discussion

Andy Lynch

Original Poster:

445 posts

191 months

Monday 30th January 2012
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When I bought my V8S 18 months ago I was not impressed with its handling, at speed it wandered about the road. I took advice from a local TVR specialist who advised replacing the old knackered original shocks with GAZ pro gold’s. This improved things, a bit but not as much as I had hoped. However, after reading various posts on here, I decided to up rate the springs, I put 450lbs/inch on the front and moved the old 375lbs/inch from the front to the back and the first drive tonight was great, the car seamed much better both on the motorway and over the hills on fastish A road. I was only going to the local ASDA, 2 miles away but for some strange reason, it was about 20 miles home. Smiling all the way.

What shocks / springs have you guys got and what damper settings do you use?

Andy

GreenV8S

31,017 posts

313 months

Monday 30th January 2012
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I run 600/400, but with solid bearings and poly bushes and a metal seat bolted to the chassis the ride is "quite firm" on rough surfaces. What you have sounds like a good setup for normal road use.

Andy Lynch

Original Poster:

445 posts

191 months

Monday 30th January 2012
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How's your back, I guess your roads are better than ours.

Andy

B16JUS

2,386 posts

266 months

Tuesday 31st January 2012
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Sounds good, suspension is next on the list after gauges for me.

Any links to the springs you have now ?

zombeh

695 posts

216 months

Tuesday 31st January 2012
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I have nitrons with 400/300 springs (F/R), solid bearings on the shocks, solid droplinks, poly wishbone bushes. Standard seat bolted to the chassis (is that not normal on a v8/s4?)

The ride is about the right compromise between the small amount (hopefully more in the future) of competition use it sees and the shocking state of the roads over here.

Barkychoc

7,848 posts

233 months

Tuesday 31st January 2012
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Seat as standard is only bolted through the floor

wizzer

204 posts

192 months

Tuesday 31st January 2012
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How is the seat bolted to the chassis? Mines bolted through the floor, Ive been trying to refit the passenger seat this morning. Those two front bolts are a bugger to get to. The bible says they are captive in the track, they aint! I have replace the back ones with socket cap bolts I'm going to Mig the front ones to the runner. Sorry if I've hihjacked the thread a bit.

zombeh

695 posts

216 months

Tuesday 31st January 2012
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There are two steel plates bolted to the chassis under the driver's seat, the seat is bolted through them. The passenger seat is just bolted to the floor.



I have seen some paperwork relating to this somewhere, I'm not sure whether it was here or in the folder of history that came with the car.

phillpot

17,510 posts

212 months

Tuesday 31st January 2012
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wizzer said:
two front bolts are a bugger to get to. The bible says they are captive in the track, they aint!
It's fairly common practice to run a nut on to hold the bolt to the runner then put it through the floor and then another nut under the floor (and "penny" washers everywhere appropriate).

I made some hard wood "packers" to take up the thickness of those nuts so seat weight (and mine) is spread over a similar area to the runners and not just sat on four big washers.

phillpot

17,510 posts

212 months

Tuesday 31st January 2012
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zombeh said:
There are two steel plates bolted to the chassis under the driver's seat, the seat is bolted through them.
Don't think it left the factory like that ?

zombeh

695 posts

216 months

Tuesday 31st January 2012
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No, I think it went back to have that done. I will have a dig through all my bits of paper but I swear I've seen a service bulletin type thing for "fit these steel plates here to stop fat people falling through the floor"

zombeh

695 posts

216 months

Tuesday 31st January 2012
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It is looking increasingly likely that I'm talking crazy... I've found the invoice for the seat reinforcing plates. Tower View Race Services made them and fitted them to the car in July 2002

GreenV8S

31,017 posts

313 months

Tuesday 31st January 2012
quotequote all
wizzer said:
How is the seat bolted to the chassis? Mines bolted through the floor, Ive been trying to refit the passenger seat this morning. Those two front bolts are a bugger to get to. The bible says they are captive in the track, they aint! I have replace the back ones with socket cap bolts I'm going to Mig the front ones to the runner. Sorry if I've hihjacked the thread a bit.
They aren't captive, but you can use an open-ender from above end on to stop them spinning.

If you can afford to sacrifice half an inch of height, you could spin a nut up against the bottom of the runner so that the bolts are secured to the runners before you fit the frames. You'd need to use a large penny washer or plate under the nut to spread the load or the nut would punch through the fiberglass the first time you hit a big bump.

wizzer

204 posts

192 months

Wednesday 1st February 2012
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Thanks for all that. My seats dont go back far enough to reach the bolt head with a spanner, but i do like the idea of the locking nut and making up two lengths of hard wood the thickness of the nut so as to spread the weight along the full length of the runner. I'm sure 10/12mm will be fine I expect the seats have sagged at least that much.

steve j

3,223 posts

257 months

Wednesday 1st February 2012
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I seem to recall a thread like this a few years ago, I fitted allen key bolts to mine wink it is a lot easier to fit and remove the bolts