gaz gold pro - springs
Discussion
installed my new 500/400 springs from Gaz they are 9" x 2.25"
I'm not happy how it's sitting and they're loosened off as much as I can go, with little pre-tension which isn't good. It's, in everyday terms, 4 fingers on rear and 3 on front.
I've had a long search on here and spring length isn't common but I've seen 8" all round and 8" rear and 7" front, but not 9" that Gaz told me were drop in replacement for my billy's.
People on here have swapped to heavier springs and I'm keen to hear what spring height they went for so I can nail this down.
PS - should point out they are regular 15/16 wheels on my new spangly Federal rsr's (but looked the same on my stock tyres).
Pictures:
I'm not happy how it's sitting and they're loosened off as much as I can go, with little pre-tension which isn't good. It's, in everyday terms, 4 fingers on rear and 3 on front.
I've had a long search on here and spring length isn't common but I've seen 8" all round and 8" rear and 7" front, but not 9" that Gaz told me were drop in replacement for my billy's.
People on here have swapped to heavier springs and I'm keen to hear what spring height they went for so I can nail this down.
PS - should point out they are regular 15/16 wheels on my new spangly Federal rsr's (but looked the same on my stock tyres).
Pictures:
Those wheels are filthy! 
Here mine on 17 in wheels allround and using slightly larger tyres than on yours and using standard Tvr shocks originally fitted to a Griff!
You want a flat floor and using out rigger corners your looking for about 155mm from rigger to ground and 165 mm rear or there abouts. Some go for about 140 mom fronts but you want the car to have some rake and nose down, usually about 10 my higher at the back.
Rule of thumb is set fronts until lower wishbone sits level, any lower and handling will be s
te!
I prefer mine slightly higher so the outboard Part of wishbone ( wheel end) sits slightly lower than at the chassispick up point.
This is mine when tyres have been fitted. You will always have a higher rear ended which usually settles when driving.
Here mine on 17 in wheels allround and using slightly larger tyres than on yours and using standard Tvr shocks originally fitted to a Griff!
You want a flat floor and using out rigger corners your looking for about 155mm from rigger to ground and 165 mm rear or there abouts. Some go for about 140 mom fronts but you want the car to have some rake and nose down, usually about 10 my higher at the back.
Rule of thumb is set fronts until lower wishbone sits level, any lower and handling will be s
te! I prefer mine slightly higher so the outboard Part of wishbone ( wheel end) sits slightly lower than at the chassispick up point.
This is mine when tyres have been fitted. You will always have a higher rear ended which usually settles when driving.
err yes, they are a little dirty...... 
With the original billy's it was perfect and I did actually set the gaz's units to the same length but when I installed them it looked like a land rover clearance! So now there's very little spring tension which I don't like but if I tension it the gap gets bigger.
I'll check wishbone and clearances, but I doubt it'll be good bearing in mind the low spring tension.
I read Qbee used 8" all round and someone else had 8" rear and 7" front, see 3rd to last post.
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
Here's how it is on OE billy's
With the original billy's it was perfect and I did actually set the gaz's units to the same length but when I installed them it looked like a land rover clearance! So now there's very little spring tension which I don't like but if I tension it the gap gets bigger.
I'll check wishbone and clearances, but I doubt it'll be good bearing in mind the low spring tension.
I read Qbee used 8" all round and someone else had 8" rear and 7" front, see 3rd to last post.
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
Here's how it is on OE billy's
Edited by Chimp871 on Tuesday 11th September 21:21
Edited by Chimp871 on Tuesday 11th September 21:34
Edited by Chimp871 on Tuesday 11th September 21:35
Yes bang on in the later pic.
The stiffer springs are going to hold the car higher as you get less sag.
Call Matt Smith or someone like that he’ll know what to do or what length you want as he’s a proper racer and Sets Qbee car up which is consistently faster than everyone else’s
Is it the driver or the turbo or set up, it’s a combo of all three
Edited to add, Ive just measured some springs fitted to original TVR BILLIES. i only have the fronts but they measure 8in fitted to the shocks.
The stiffer springs are going to hold the car higher as you get less sag.
Call Matt Smith or someone like that he’ll know what to do or what length you want as he’s a proper racer and Sets Qbee car up which is consistently faster than everyone else’s
Is it the driver or the turbo or set up, it’s a combo of all three
Edited to add, Ive just measured some springs fitted to original TVR BILLIES. i only have the fronts but they measure 8in fitted to the shocks.
Edited by Classic Chim on Tuesday 11th September 21:36
Chimp871 said:
But before I carry on....and this is embarrassing to ask.... but the taller shocks go on the rear, right 
Don’t worry, you start questioning everything 
Errr yes, Ive only done it about 3 times and still can’t remember
The longer ones on the rear with the longer lug at the top so spring doesn’t clash with wishbone ,,,,, I think, see even I’m questioning it now !
If you can wait until the morning I can measure my shocks as cars on axle stands and spring length
Helper springs will certainly, erm, help .. but the proper solution would be to have shorter dampers to match with your stiffer springs.
Fitting shorter springs won't help, you've still got less deflection for any given load on whatever length of stiffer-than-normal rate of spring you fit, all you will end up doing is moving the lower spring platform further up the damper body, the spring coming loose on full droop won't change unless you shorten the full droop travel, or fit a much softer (helper) spring in between.
Fitting shorter springs won't help, you've still got less deflection for any given load on whatever length of stiffer-than-normal rate of spring you fit, all you will end up doing is moving the lower spring platform further up the damper body, the spring coming loose on full droop won't change unless you shorten the full droop travel, or fit a much softer (helper) spring in between.
at 500/400 they are stiff but not overly so, though not sure those were on GGP's.
I bought the GGP's off someone, who said they were off a Chimaera/Griffith, maybe they got their facts mixed up. Sadly this was over a year ago as they sat in the garage until I cold schedule a time to do the work.
So is it possible the springs are too stiff for the GGP's or do I have the wrong shocks?
I bought the GGP's off someone, who said they were off a Chimaera/Griffith, maybe they got their facts mixed up. Sadly this was over a year ago as they sat in the garage until I cold schedule a time to do the work.
So is it possible the springs are too stiff for the GGP's or do I have the wrong shocks?
Edited by Chimp871 on Wednesday 12th September 16:22
Classic Chim said:
Post a pic of the shocks next to a tape measure, someone will soon tell you if they are correct or old stock which did have problems but that’s like 10 years ago.
Call Gaz and they should identify them no probs.
Call Gaz and they should identify them no probs.
will do, I'll measure the bottom plate length and piston top.
Classischim - are you on GGP's? If so what are your spring rates?
Edited by Chimp871 on Wednesday 12th September 16:43
spitfire4v8 said:
A typical front spring on a chim might be around 350lb/in so 500lb is 43 percent stiffer, that's enough to not only cause you your full droop issue but also to put you outside the preferred operational range of the valving if that was designed for around 350lb/in.
Hi Jools - they are GGP and am aiming for a track/fast road car. I spoke to Gaz before ordering new springs, but mainly about spring length (9").But you're right about about the initial spring rate. The bigger issue strangely is on the rear.
Edited by Chimp871 on Wednesday 12th September 16:39
So whipped off the front & rear wheels.
Picture below is of the rear and shows 230mm in length for the bottom section. It is ~67mm in length for the top section screwed into piston.
Front is the same 230mm for the bottom section and ~53mm for the piston top.
Curious to know if this is standard to other ggp's. I'll call Gaz tomorrow and make sure these are the correct numbers a chimaera.
I did speak to Mat Smith, very nice guy, about this and worst case is new piston top. He does wind some of high poundage shocks all the way down and use helpers as and when, as you can see I've got a lot of thread left to loosen off but the shock will turn in it's current position. Pre-tensioning shocks may not be crucial as I may have thought, but am not suggesting this is normal.
Unlike yours CC, GGP's are not progressive springs .
Picture below is of the rear and shows 230mm in length for the bottom section. It is ~67mm in length for the top section screwed into piston.
Front is the same 230mm for the bottom section and ~53mm for the piston top.
Curious to know if this is standard to other ggp's. I'll call Gaz tomorrow and make sure these are the correct numbers a chimaera.
I did speak to Mat Smith, very nice guy, about this and worst case is new piston top. He does wind some of high poundage shocks all the way down and use helpers as and when, as you can see I've got a lot of thread left to loosen off but the shock will turn in it's current position. Pre-tensioning shocks may not be crucial as I may have thought, but am not suggesting this is normal.
Unlike yours CC, GGP's are not progressive springs .
Edited by Chimp871 on Wednesday 12th September 18:12
Chimp871 said:
will do, I'll measure the bottom plate length and piston top.
Classischim - are you on GGP's? If so what are your spring rates?
Edited by Chimp871 on Wednesday 12th September 16:43
Going by your picture they look like the right ones and maybe Joolz is right, they are going to sit high as the springs are so firm. I can see you running these with high clicks to compensate rebound if those have been damped for 350 at Gaz.
So if you drop the car down what measurement do you get from rigger corner to ground on the rear?
Spoke to Warren at Gaz who helped with the original length of the units that should be 14" front and 15.25" rear, fully extended measured from the centre of the eyelets/bolts.
Happy to report that is what I have, so one problem fixed. Also with 500lb springs on the front he recommended switching from 9" to 8".
He said not to be over-worried about loosening the spring retaining nuts, all the way down if necessary. I've done this and obviously has helped, I just need to check the outrigger-to-floor clearance now.
It just went against my instincts to back off the spring tension but Mat Smith and Warren suggest this is possible.
I'm hoping this fun journey may help others......
Happy to report that is what I have, so one problem fixed. Also with 500lb springs on the front he recommended switching from 9" to 8".
He said not to be over-worried about loosening the spring retaining nuts, all the way down if necessary. I've done this and obviously has helped, I just need to check the outrigger-to-floor clearance now.
It just went against my instincts to back off the spring tension but Mat Smith and Warren suggest this is possible.
I'm hoping this fun journey may help others......
Edited by Chimp871 on Friday 14th September 09:17
You say you've lowered your spring seat but your original post suggested it was only just touching the spring anyway with little to no preloading. Are you now saying you've wound it down further? If so with the wheels at full droop is your spring now loose? That's bad on 2 counts .. if your springs ever for some reason come out of the spring seats as you're driving (hard to imagine without going airborn though) they might not re-seat properly .. but more importantly for a road car it's also an MOT fail!
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