Rear end of my marina based Roadster seems high

[listerjp2]

Hi all can someone tell me what height the back end should be, mine appears very high.

At present the distance between the top of the tyre (measured by placing a piece of wood on the top of the tyre ) to the furthest part of the wing which is away from the tyre (note - internal part of wing) is 130mm.

I will take a picture and load that up.

I have the correct lowering blocks the correct way round.

My doner came from an estate and is 2 leaf.

Hope someone can help?

Adrian

[listerjp2]

Re: Rear end of my marina based Roadster seems high

20180515_095252.jpg

Hi all can someone tell me what height the back end should be, mine appears very high.

At present the distance between the top of the tyre (measured by placing a piece of wood on the top of the tyre ) to the furthest part of the wing which is away from the tyre (note - internal part of wing) is 130mm.

I will take a picture and load that up.

I have the correct lowering blocks the correct way round.

My doner came from an estate and is 2 leaf.

Hope someone can help?

Adrian

[philcoyle]

Re: Rear end of my marina based Roadster seems high

Have you got the axle underneath the springs and not on top of them I don't see how your swinging shackles can move as there is no way they can swing rearwards, the springs can only move or stretch out when laden if there is somewhere for the shackle to go.

[listerjp2]

Re: Rear end of my marina based Roadster seems high

Hi Phil

On top as per picture

20180515_101839.jpg

Have you got the axle underneath the springs and not on top of them I don't see how your swinging shackles can move as there is no way they can swing rearwards, the springs can only move or stretch out when laden if there is somewhere for the shackle to go.

[b_caswell]

Re: Rear end of my marina based Roadster seems high

I have just measured my car and the gap between the tyre top and the lowest edge of the wing is 4 inches with recent pattern part saloon springs. .

I think the estate springs is the issue although they will settle a little but not that much??

[h_m_cumming]

Re: Rear end of my marina based Roadster seems high

Hi Adrian, this is a pic of mine. It's 28 yrs since I built it so the springs have settled a bit. Notice the angle of the rear hanger? Yours is well forward while mine is more vertical. I suspect with a bit of running it will settle, although the estate versions are probably a bit stiffer than the saloon. The gap from the underside of my wing to the tyre is 125mm.
Did you settle the suspension with a bit of weight in the car before tightening the spring bush bolts? This might lower it a bit and will definately save premature wear of the bushes. This is a pic. of mine from 2010.
Hope this helps,
Hugh

[h_m_cumming]

Re: Rear end of my marina based Roadster seems high

As a matter of interest Adrian, my lowering blocks are about half the height of yours. Not the clearest of pics but you can see the difference.

[philcoyle]

Re: Rear end of my marina based Roadster seems high

Its got to be the springs, try slacking off the shackles and get a couple of sumo wrestlers to sit-in it whilst you retighten them, there's a photo of mine on this site posted about 2 months ago and its 15 inch rims, looks about the same height as HM Cummings.



photo posted 23/02/18 number 12#

[listerjp2]

Re: Rear end of my marina based Roadster seems high

Mmmmmm

I would have thought that the thicker lowering blocks would make the car lower???

The only other thing I could think of is maybe the wedges are the wrong way round???

Looking at the Parts manual the standard springs for a 1300 marina are two leaf and 100lbs/ins where the Estate are two leaf and 130lbs/ins.

Even the ones for the 1800 are only 113lbs/ins.

This could be it, now to try and find a soloon set, part number 21H 6707.

Anyone! !!!!!!!

Regards

Adrian

[philcoyle]

Re: Rear end of my marina based Roadster seems high

If its any help I have just measured my springs from anchor bolt to swinging shackle spring bolt at 45 .5 inches or in foreign about 1155mm.
I have made my springs into 3 leaf I prefer a nice firm rear, I like to feel the road it goes back to my truck driving days.
Incidentally my shackles are slightly over vertical inclined to the rear.

[listerjp2]

Re: Rear end of my marina based Roadster seems high

Yep about right.

The more I think about the more I think it could be because the springs are from an estate.

Adrian

[listerjp2]

Re: Rear end of my marina based Roadster seems high

Any chance of a picture?

Adrian

[dcunn]

Re: Rear end of my marina based Roadster seems high

I would suggest the "slacken the bolts and use two friendly Sumo wrestlers approach"

Q67 after it's rebuild sat high, and here are pics of KEX when first built and when I picked the car up, after very few miles were done - note the shackle angle

To misquote John Inman, "It'll ride down with wear"

Yours looks a great job by the way Best DC

[stevejgreen]

Re: Rear end of my marina based Roadster seems high

Turning the wedges round won’t make a significant difference their centre height wont vary.

I have never been wholly convinced of the purpose of the thick wedge, apart from lowering the car. The prop, on a car with two passengers runs pretty much horizontally from gearbox to diff centre. But that rather depends on which of the two gearbox mountings you have?
If anything the diff nose should point slightly up.

On an original Marina, there were no wedges fitted, a thin wedge appeared as a result of a recall, presumably because of premature wear in the U Joints.
I have yet to find definitive written information, if anyone has some, it could fill holes in general knowledge.

[listerjp2]

Re: Rear end of my marina based Roadster seems high

Well that settles it (no pun intended) I will keep it as it is until a few miles under the belt.

Thanks all

Adrian