Been a busy boy today, fitting the high frame bits to make a high chassis to build up the truck!

When I first assembled it with the low springs it mostly went together without much sweat or tears. Fitting the high springs has been much more fiddly than I anticipated! I removed the radius arm lowering plates to return this area to standard and unbolted everything. I fitted the spring loosely to the nosepiece and attempted to fit up the shackles, which were not at all happy about this! . Eventually the shackles were fitted and the radius arm centre bolt refitted to the ball etc etc. However it does not seem to go together as I would like it too. What seems to be required is a shim to alter the angle of the front spring were it mounts to the nosepiece? I have read on another site of such a shim but have not seen one? I also believe that different chassis had different nose forgings?

Has anyone fitted high frame springs to a low frame chassis before? It is now together, but I would be interested to know about the different nosepieces or shims used.

Going back to a previous post, I have had to remove my modified damper arm which bolted direct to the axle and will go back to the original system with a link in between . The modified system was not happy with the "arc of travel" of the high spring etc, so I will resort to the Cornish block of rubber method!!

Steve

Am I right in thinking, Steve, that you are using a "Girling"/37 chassis with Box saloon type rear springs? If you are using a Girling front axle, standard '37 Ruby type front spring and Girling radius arms it should all fit, but as you lift the rear of the chassis with the Box type rear springs you will reduce the caster angle.
If you are fitting "light" radius arms with the above setup then you are right, it won't fit; geometry of the pre ruby front end has to be different because the chassis includes a different angle with the horizontal ground. I'm not sure if the machining of the nose piece or the angle of the radius arms forgings are different, or both. I suspect both because I think there is a different part no. for early (i.e non Girling) and late (Girling) Ruby radius arms. At the very least it would be worth checking that both radius arms are the same!
Possible solutions;
1. Wedge between front spring and nosepiece. I think you may have to do this anyway to achieve the desired caster angle. You will have to make your own wedge.
2. Move the radius arm ball joint. My brain is hurting now, but I think you will have to move it downwards.
3. Or I suppose a brave man might alter the radius arms but I would not advocate cutting and shutting these components myself.

If you don't do this but just force it all together, the steering will be twitchy and the spring shackles will wear out, but not straight away. Could give you time to find a '33 chassis to transfer all the bits onto!

Regards, Stuart

Thanks Stuart
I think we are getting on track now!
Yes I have Ruby chassis, BUT a non Girling axle, although I have Girling brakes fitted!...Confused?

I take your point ref the low chassis versus high frame angle with ref to level thus altering the angle of the nosepiece and thus castor angle.

I think at the moment that I will make up an angled shim to fit up the front spring which should be a reasonable compromise, and at least eliminate wear.

With regard to the radius arms, they are unusual in that they are not Girling at the ends (they dont have the extra pin to locate) but they are quite heavy and thick. the ends have been welded on as well as riveted/bolted, so maybe they have been buggered about with by a previous custodian?

And yes eventually I will be building a proper high frame car up! In fact maybe two in time, because I will be using the colander body as the basis for a trials car I want to build, but for now I shall be cobbling together the truck as a bit of useful and practical fun!

regards

Steve

When rebuilding the Arrow replica front suspension I had similar problems. The chassis is a 1943 early Ruby chassis with later Girling front suspension.
In order to get the spring to fit correctly, without twisting it to fit the shackles, I made up a steel wedge the width of the nosepiece. This was drilled to take the centre locating pin. The wedge tapered from about 1/8" at the back to nothing at the front. With this in place and the spring U bolts tightened up, the shackles went in with no trouble and the radius arms fitted on the ball joint.
Best wishes and best of luck. Hugh.

Hello Steve, wings winging their way to you. The fibre packing above the spring goes some way to allow the spring to settle in the right place. When fitting a Girling axle to a chassis with high springs I have lowered the radius arm bracket to restore the correct king pin castor angle...just invert it and add an angle steel bracket to support it...this is because you cannot just "twist" the radius arms as in an earlier set-up

Thank you chaps .

I will finish off the chassis mods this week and then "level up" the frame in the garage. I will then take some measurements with tape and plumb line etc etc, which I think will be a useful reference. I am considering removing the hubs/kingpins, which are a bit slack anyway and inserting a length of rod to get an idea of the castor angle at present. Depending on the results of the measurements I will look at altering the radius arm mount and/or a packing piece for the spring.

At some stage I will post a pic of the cheap pine "mock up" body side frame that I have nailed together to photograph and look at to see what it may end up looking like. If nothing else it will give you all a laugh!

regards

Steve.