Vixen rear suspension

[mawds]

OK, every time I try to do something, I find that this car has been "messed with"...

As I'm sure you'll realise, I'm no mechanic or TVR afficionado, hence I discover these things a bit at a time as I start a little job, only to find it's really a much bigger one, and learn as I go along.

Yesterday, was looking up some new shocks to complement the re-done wheels and tyres, in order to combat the "saggy arse" from which she suffers - I thought this was a simple matter of worn-out rear springs.

This is probably something I should have known before, but I had no idea it should have four rear dampers, rather than the 2 it currently sports (thanks, Mr Reid for a very helpful phone call, all of which was committed to memory even if not entirely understood, and will be regurgitated verbatim when required). A quick look underneath before work last night revealed few, if any, of the features I was looking for, making me think that, like everything else on the car, it's had a bit of a knife-and-fork job done on the rear end (ouch).

Question is, anyone know of a decent schematic diagram which will show me what it all should look like? There's a great mechanic round the corner who'll be more than able to sort out all the bits for which I don't have the kit (presses, etc), but I'd like to see what we're aiming at before we start ripping it to bits again (thank goodness I didn't pay out for the 4-wheel alignment yet).

(I'd always assumed, wrongly, that 4-shock rear ends were a conversion before )

[19560]

Hi. I have a friend who had similar trouble to you (although your car sounds more badly butchered :-(). His name is Russell and he runs a web site:- www.hockerley.freeserve.co.uk/pages/index.html Click on the chassis. There are even some fuzzy photos of me!
A chat to Ian Ban. of the North Yorks TVRCC would probably be very helpful, esp. in obtaining springs. IIRC the suspension won't work properly with springs softer than 90lbs/in (two each side so that it gives you 180 in total each side.)
I think that you may need photos for PHeads to help more. Good luck, Jonathan.

[heightswitch]

The std vixen has 4 dampers and 2 springs. The std location is spring damper unit on rear mounting and damper only on front mounting.

griffith has 4 springs and 4 dampers.

a lot of racing cars have the main spring damper on the forward mounting and a rear spring/damper unit that is for show only??

There are many ways to set up a vixen or griffith, non definitively right or wrong.

Std set up is as mentioned, resist going for 4 springs on a std car which will make it too stiff and not improve handling.

[19560]

heightswitch said:

Resist going for 4 springs on a std car which will make it too stiff and not improve handling.

Surely that depends upon which spring rate that you use.
Fancy you being called Russell as well.

[vixen]

The Vixen S2 had 4 rear shocks. The Vixen S3 only 2.
This is one of the things that differs the S3 of the S2 Vixen.

[timelord]

rebuilt the back end of our S2 with Exactly's beefier uprights with only 2shocks(Avos),totally transfomed the car,my teeth stay in now!

[mawds]

vixen said:

The Vixen S2 had 4 rear shocks. The Vixen S3 only 2. This is one of the things that differs the S3 of the S2 Vixen.

So maybe it's not so bad after all?

[nwarner]

vixen said:

The Vixen S2 had 4 rear shocks. The Vixen S3 only 2. This is one of the things that differs the S3 of the S2 Vixen.

I would disagree as my Vixen S3 has 4 rear shocks and I have also seen another S3 with 4.

[thegamekeeper]

Have to agree with Nigel on this one and as I think I said to Alex some S3's had 4 shocks/2 springs and some had only 2 shocks(its a TVR). I have found that all 1800S's, S1, S2 Vixens and about half S3 Vixens have 4 shocks and 2 springs : All Tuscans V6 and V8 have 4 springs and 4 shocks as standard. My view on all these cars is to fit 4 springs and 4 shocks, obviously halving the spring rates. The chassis mountings are on all the cars and it balances the load on the tie bar. sTeVeR

[mawds]

"Looking at" duly arranged...

Might take some photos if all is not obvious, no rush at present, repeat the mantra:

"Thank goodness I didn't get it resprayed this winter"

('cause then I'd have a pretty car that didn't work, and no money left)

Thanks for all the help, as said before, much appreciated.

[ATE399J]

Vixen rear suspension....well, Tuscan V6 actually...I recently changed rear springs fitting four 14" free length 90 lb/in coils. The car seems harder than I remember at the back, is this because the old springs were totally shot or have I gone OTT on the spring rates? Anyone have any advice as to what's good for a 'road car only' set up?

[19560]

ATE399J said:

Vixen rear suspension....well, Tuscan V6 actually...I recently changed rear springs fitting four 14" free length 90 lb/in coils. The car seems harder than I remember at the back, is this because the old springs were totally shot

yes

ATE399J said:

or have I gone OTT on the spring rates?

No, there is very little room for movement in the Vixen suspension and so 90(4 springs at rear)/180(2 springs at the rear) is about as soft as you can go before you keep hitting the bump stops.

ATE399J said:

Anyone have any advice as to what's good for a 'road car only' set up?

Yes, what you have now. Chers, J