Spring Cup Chopping

[Joel]

(Not Robin Hood) I'm having tyre clearance issues on the front of the Badsworth - using the standard Sierra front spring/dampers, the tyre is touching the spring cup (see pic), and this is with a 1" wheel spacer fitted.

 

Changing the wheel isn't an option. I can drop down a tyre size and there's room for another 5mm or so of spacer (before the tyre will start poking out from under the wheel arch), but the biggest effect would be to chop the outside edge off the spring cup.

 

So, is it safe to do so or will that seriously compromise the strength and integrity of it all?

 

Cheers.

[Jamiep]

I would maybe look at fitting coilovers, cutting the cup would leave a raw edge which could cause more damage if it ever caught the tyre.

[Joel]

Yes, that did concern me a bit. Coilovers would certainly solve the problem, but they'd look totally out of place on a 1930's style Model A Ford

[fry61]

Form a circle from 12/15 x 3mm flat mild steel & weld in the cup to replace the outside lip;the grind away the outside of the cup back to your welded in new lip.

[johnlrichardson]

The earlier sierra strut had a tapered spring cup which may give you more clearence

 

HTH jon

[Guest The Modfather]

As Bob (FMW) as already said, mark the outer circumference of the spring where it sits, cut away the outside of this leaving a couple of mm gap, and then weld on a new cup lip, OR, cut off enough to clear the tyre, and weld in a flat piece across the cut to maintain the integrity.

 

Don't just cut the excess and leave it unfinished.

[Guest The Modfather]

I think then that you will need either different springs that don't taper outwards from the base, or slimmer legs/coilovers. You could of course get a different offset, or see what spacer you do need, but the spacer will need an inner lip to centralise the wheel.

[Joel]

Hmmm. Thanks for the opinions so far. Think I may try dropping down to a 205 tyre first, then it may have to be a coilover. There's not much room for manouver with spacers and offsets.

[Joel]

Just out of interest, what do people think is a safe gap between the top inner wall of a tyre and anything else? I know on my 2B the front cycle wing brackets are probably no more than 10mm away from the tyre, and there's no evidence of rubbing, but that's quite a stiff low profile tyre - these are very tall 215/70/R15's.

[steve_wilson]

i cant see the full spring/damper... but would it be possible to refit it all upside down?

might give the extra clearance?

[Joel]

We dropped down to a 195/65 in the end, which gave around 10mm gap to the spring cup, with a 1" spacer.

 

Cheers.