Modding Factory Spring Plates

[cgarr]

So what do you think? Should make adjustment a little easier.

[RoninLB]

nice welding

[Chuck Moreland]

I think you sould complete the full camoflage paint scheme

These look inspired by QuickChange spring plates.



http://www.pelicanparts.com/catalog/shopcart/911M/POR_911M_SUSprf_pg34.htm#item33

As a hardocory DIYer myself, I applied the effort. One easily overlooked consideration is heat treating after welding, thus restoring the strength of the heat affected zone around the welds.

For people seeking an easier route, you can convert regular factory adjustable spring plates to full QuickChange feature capability by getting the "splined hub" option, avoiding the DIY hassles.

[surflvr911sc]

hmm, looks familar.

[pjh69911]

Craig,
Nice work! I like the color too! Without sounding critical, could you have mouted the adjuster block more inboard on the spring plate? It might have less resistance to bending away from the edge. Paul.

[KTL]

Camoflage? They're not all that inspired by the Elephant pieces. They're more akin to the old school Sway A Way plates. And those Elephant pieces stink anyway (because there's not a version to fit my 87-89 plates)

Craig,

Can you add add a grub screw to your adjuster bolt block? Good choice of bolt too- 12.9 socket head cap screw lets you use same tool even after head of the bolt becomes booged-up from road debris.

[cgarr]

Kevin, "grub screw" what is that? South side Chicago talk? if you mean a set screw, yes you could add one. I was thinking about that or just drilling the side of the bolt and adding some nylon rod to keep it in place.

[hcoles]

cgarr great DIY - Chuck is there a cutaway view showing how your Quick Change is different in terms of where splines are or where these are different than stock? Maybe a quick explaination will work. Have you heard of people replacing the two "rubber" bushings on each side of the rear plate assembly with one med. durometer and one harder durometer rubber types? An explaination I heard recently by a person that does this.. when the rubber bushings are all compressed in there they don't need to be "glued" to anything because they will flex and not slip.. Just wondered if you have heard of this approach. I could be off re. if it is med. durometer combined with harder or softer but something like that , two different hardnesses of rubber type. I know you sell the PB - just wondering if you heard of this.

[Chuck Moreland]

Hcoles, the splines on QuickChange spring plates are the same a stock. I'm not sure I understand your question?

I have heard of people using a rubber bushing in the torsion tube side, and a polybushing on the spring plate side. The theory being that they can drill a grease hole for the outboard poly bushing, but can't do so for the inboard bushing. Rubber doesn't need grease so the theory says use rubber inboard.

The problem with this approach is the spring plate cover carries most (all) the load. The poly bush is nearly incompressible and the rubber bush much softer. The mounting bosses welded to the body are further stressed and ultimately tear away.

Tearing of the mounting bosses is a problem even with normal, unmodified cars. Increasing the load carried by the cover plate, and mounting bosses, is a sure way to accelerate the problem.

With polybronze this is a non-issue, because polybronze has grease fittings that allow relubrication of both inner and outer bushings.

My recommendation is to use either polybronze or rubber on a given set of spring plates. I do not recommend the plastic bushings, either polyurethane, delrin, polygraphite etc.

[Chuck Moreland]

Originally Posted by KTL

They're more akin to the old school Sway A Way plates.

The welded blocks, yes. But he's also opened the end of the tube and machined a groove to retain the torsion bar with a snap ring - ala quickchange. And the plates are bolted together - again ala quickchange.

[KTL]

Agreed about the c-clip installation. I forgot to acknowledge that. But the bolted together thing is not specific to your QuickChangers- The factory plates are bolted with one 36mm head eccentric and one 24mm head sandwich, correct?

As far as the QuickChange usage goes, under what circumstances are you and your customers doing t-bar changes? For wet races do you switch to a softer bar?

By the way, not trying to disparage Elephant products whatsoever. I have the CamberMax widgets and they're great little items to have and let you do camber and toe independently.

[Arnoud911Targa]

Thank you Craig, works great!



I installed them together with 22/29 torsion bars. Great thing about this setup is that, other then the Sway-A-Way's, you're still able to lock the spring plate half’s in position after adjusting height.

[911pcars]

NIce mod job. I might have added one more feature - a shallow countersunk pocket in the welded block to receive the height adjusting bolt, just so it has an official place to bear against. You could also insert a bearing surface to reduce the friction while adjusting the ride height. Some folks adjust ride height w/o unloading the suspension which tends to bung up the threads on the adjuster.

Sorry. That was two features.

I realize the two-piece spring plate isn't going to separate as could occur with Sway-A-Ways (you have a bolt/nut there to prevent that).

Sherwood

[jjeffries]

Craig and others, I plan on rebushing the suspension on my 190K mile 82 coupe this coming winter/off-season. My friend JSlocum showed me this mod, and while I am merely a street driver and won't likely NEED this degree of easy adjustability, I still think it's very cool.

Stupid question: what sort of steel should be used to make the blocks...is there a specific grade? To Sherwood's point, is the there an easy, off-the-shelf item that could be used on the end of the Allen cap screw as a bearing face between said screw and the block against which it's pushing? Or would that really be just gilding the lily?

Another question: have any of you guys made your own version of the quick camber adjuster (rear, spring plate mounted) that Elephant and Rebel sell? I'm not looking to take food out of Chuck's or Clint's kids' mouths, I'm just poor! I'll still buy my bushings from one of them.

Thanks in advance, John in CT

[rnln]

umm ... if I remember right, Draco and Steve Wong did this years ago. It's on my list

[jjeffries]

Bump

[KTL]

John,

I've heard some guys use a C-clamp on the spring plate and trailing arm to use as a tool for setting their camber. Once the setting is where they want it, they reinstall the camber eccentric to lock it down. So they basically do without the cambermax widget permanent installation.

Updating my 88 Carrera suspension for autocross (also click on Matt's link to his blog)

[jjeffries]

Thanks Kevin.

[DRACO A5OG]

Damn Master CGarr,

Beautiful, Mine is not as purty but it works.



, Thanks Dr Wong!