Lancia Motor Club

Model Technical and Interest => Fulvia => Topic started by: Caracad on 12 August, 2016, 09:01:26 PM



Title: Lower on one side.
Post by: Caracad on 12 August, 2016, 09:01:26 PM
Any idea why my Fulvia 3 would be riding higher on one side.
Have fitted new front Spring buffers, which has improved the ride quality but not levelled things out.

Could I have a broken rear leaf?


Title: Re: Lower on one side.
Post by: lancialulu on 12 August, 2016, 09:12:47 PM
Rear springs have gone soft and one in particular could be struggling to keep shape?? I had this and was cured by new set from Cav.


Title: Re: Lower on one side.
Post by: Caracad on 13 August, 2016, 07:48:49 AM
Okay thanks Tim,
Sounds expensive though.  :-\


Title: Re: Lower on one side.
Post by: lancialulu on 13 August, 2016, 10:30:44 AM
Okay thanks Tim,
Sounds expensive though.  :-\
worth replacing the upper rear shackle mount at same time. Cav supplied the spring with silent blocks in when I bought my pair, which I didnt realise as I ordered these seperately. Anyway they got used on another car. Just worth checking....


Title: Re: Lower on one side.
Post by: Caracad on 15 August, 2016, 09:35:21 AM
Tim,
How did you rate the new springs. Omicron seem to think they are too stiff and so don't recommend them.  :-\


Title: Re: Lower on one side.
Post by: lancialulu on 15 August, 2016, 11:12:49 AM
The Cav springs made in Italy with Italian steel I presume like original. I have no complaints. I have fitted front (S1 as lower) and back and the car is very supple but not soft. It goes round Goodwood every year (more or less) so you can draw your own conclusions.


Title: Re: Lower on one side.
Post by: Charles on 15 August, 2016, 11:59:01 AM
Just a thought Mark.  I had two new top leaves (the one with the silent block in) made for my Flaminia springs by a company in UK.  I sent them an old one (leaf i mean) and they copied it perfectly and it was not too expensive.  I can look out details if you think worthwhile. My Flaminia was low on one side and after much investigation it turned out that one of the silent block eyes had cracked and was allowing the top leaf to slide forward slightly thus lowering that side.  This was not visible without dismantling.


Title: Re: Lower on one side.
Post by: Caracad on 15 August, 2016, 12:56:02 PM
Charles I think your right, I should dismantle the springs to check them properly.
For one thing the uneven ride height happened quite suddenly. Car has been level, I think, until very recently.
Also there is a slight rattle from the rear suspension as I go over bumps.


Title: Re: Lower on one side.
Post by: Caracad on 22 August, 2016, 12:45:41 PM
Have stripped the springs down and not found an obvious problem. Both sides do seem very soft for a road springs, although ride height is high enough, just uneven.
Not sure what to do now, so will swap some leaves around, reassemble, and see if that evens things out a bit.

Read on here somewhere about replacing with composite springs. Now that would be cool, but don't think it got anywhere.


Title: Re: Lower on one side.
Post by: lancialulu on 22 August, 2016, 03:08:51 PM
I did this with mine and after assembly I could bounce up and down on them while they were inverted. I concluded they were too soft and ordered a pair from Cav which did not move under my considerable weight but were / are fine on the HF coupe now and for the past 10 years.


Title: Re: Lower on one side.
Post by: rogerelias on 23 August, 2016, 07:33:22 PM
When you put your springs back together, swap them over from 1 side to the other and see if it sits lower on the other side, o/s  springs used to get weaker quicker due to always having someone driving the car, compared to the passenger side


Title: Re: Lower on one side.
Post by: rogerelias on 23 August, 2016, 07:35:01 PM
Oh and never overlook the obvious  tyre pressures. and the same profiles on both wheels, I HAVE seen it done  8)


Title: Re: Lower on one side.
Post by: Richard Fridd on 24 August, 2016, 08:33:46 AM
Is the front of the car sitting well?


Title: Re: Lower on one side.
Post by: Caracad on 24 August, 2016, 10:59:30 AM
Well initially I thought it was the front spring buffers, but I have replaced them, and it made no difference.
I assume it can't be the front spring as there is only one.