Rear wheels on my Herald 13/60 insane camber
Discussion
Hello chaps,
So now the Herald is running and driving so fancied just trying it around the yard, backed up and was horrified at the caster of the rear wheels, i'm guessing somethings shot but any pointers welcome, nothing looks broken or unattached...
will try and upload a pix
cheers
Matt
So now the Herald is running and driving so fancied just trying it around the yard, backed up and was horrified at the caster of the rear wheels, i'm guessing somethings shot but any pointers welcome, nothing looks broken or unattached...
will try and upload a pix
cheers
Matt
It's 45 years since I had a Herald, but mine (and the Spitfires too) always looked odd after being jacked up. Loads of positive camber. If everything looks tight underneath, drive it round the block and see if that makes a difference. I suspect you just need to let it settle down a bit.
carboy2017 said:
well if its after jacking up the car then it the wheels will be dished inwards for some time due to the transverse leaf spring at the rear and its normal
Yes, they do this. Jack them up and the top of the wheels will be splayed out for a few hundred yards. If the issue is the other way - the tops of the wheels are too close together, then the transverse spring is tired. Quite easy to replace.
carboy2017 said:
well if its after jacking up the car then it the wheels will be dished inwards for some time due to the transverse leaf spring at the rear and its normal
Yes, they do this. Jack them up and the top of the wheels will be splayed out for a few hundred yards. If the issue is the other way - the tops of the wheels are too close together, then the transverse spring is tired. Quite easy to replace.
All the swing axle Triumphs developed huge positive camber at full droop.
I improved this...
...which I made from my Herald by fitting a decambered rear spring (spot the -ve camber at the rear).
In the Jurassic era, the SAH Tite-a turn was the fix of choice - that or buy something with a live axle.
Even the Tite-a-turn brochure is a collector's item now. https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/sah-triumph...
Word of warning. Used in anger, the back end will give yu dranatic lift off oversteer as the inside
tyre tries to cling on with the corner of its cross section.
Word of warning II. if you cross a sharp hump-backed bridge fast, the rear wheels will try to click their heels
but unless the car is running 100% straight the tail end will go seriously awry when it lands.
You'll experience a big tank slapper. This is from someone who's experienced more than one real
tank slapper and knows exactly what they're about.
I improved this...
...which I made from my Herald by fitting a decambered rear spring (spot the -ve camber at the rear).
In the Jurassic era, the SAH Tite-a turn was the fix of choice - that or buy something with a live axle.
Even the Tite-a-turn brochure is a collector's item now. https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/sah-triumph...
Word of warning. Used in anger, the back end will give yu dranatic lift off oversteer as the inside
tyre tries to cling on with the corner of its cross section.
Word of warning II. if you cross a sharp hump-backed bridge fast, the rear wheels will try to click their heels
but unless the car is running 100% straight the tail end will go seriously awry when it lands.
You'll experience a big tank slapper. This is from someone who's experienced more than one real
tank slapper and knows exactly what they're about.
Matt,
Sounds as if you have just rebuilt the car, or just the rear axle, or at least reassembled it. It's a common complaint that the car looks jacked up if you did so and tightened ll the bolts with car still on axle stands and the wheels dangling. Loosen the suspension bolts, move it around a little, jump up and down in the boot, and THEN tighten the bolts.
Davhill is correct, in that 'jack-up' is a known design dewfetc of the Swing Axle. It's shared with other cars that have that design, like the early Corvette and the Merc 300SL Gull-wing car. Do we hear that they are lethal on the limit? No, only Triumph Heralds. Yes, they will lose adhesion if pushed to the limit, but so does everything else. Anyway, there are are ways to make then better, and I don't mean a sack of cement in the boot. Lower the car by a 1" spacer between diff and spring, and if possible fit a stiffer spring. This puts the suispension geometry in a different place with miore neagtive camber to start with and allows less movement. The later Rotaflex mods or even later swing spring mod make a big difference too.
I race my Vitesse (2L Herald), and the changes described make it competitive, without being undrivable on the road - it's going to Classic Le Mans again next month!
John
Sounds as if you have just rebuilt the car, or just the rear axle, or at least reassembled it. It's a common complaint that the car looks jacked up if you did so and tightened ll the bolts with car still on axle stands and the wheels dangling. Loosen the suspension bolts, move it around a little, jump up and down in the boot, and THEN tighten the bolts.
Davhill is correct, in that 'jack-up' is a known design dewfetc of the Swing Axle. It's shared with other cars that have that design, like the early Corvette and the Merc 300SL Gull-wing car. Do we hear that they are lethal on the limit? No, only Triumph Heralds. Yes, they will lose adhesion if pushed to the limit, but so does everything else. Anyway, there are are ways to make then better, and I don't mean a sack of cement in the boot. Lower the car by a 1" spacer between diff and spring, and if possible fit a stiffer spring. This puts the suispension geometry in a different place with miore neagtive camber to start with and allows less movement. The later Rotaflex mods or even later swing spring mod make a big difference too.
I race my Vitesse (2L Herald), and the changes described make it competitive, without being undrivable on the road - it's going to Classic Le Mans again next month!
John
Edited by tapkaJohnD on Monday 18th June 21:05
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