Axle castor angles ?

[super noob]

Thats right, as castor is the angle in relation the level road surface below,
So as you say if you space both ends of the leaf spring by the same amount then the castor angle will not change,
thats assuming you raise the rear by the same amount?

Well thats the thing, the last owner was obviously a cheapskate or at the very least a poor bodge artist from the looks of some of the repairs on it.....he lifted the front end in a half arsed way by only jacking up the rear on extended shackles and not fitting the extended dumb iron ends meaning that the castor is probably at 6* ish as it dropped the rear end of the spring 1.5"

So I'll drop the front end 3" and then drop the rear 1.5" to make it even

Rear spring I'll drop 3" at either end as it doesn't matter so much on that

 

[Robotstar5]

Then you have to make sure the U/J's can cope with max axle drop without binding, worse on the front as the prop's shorter.

 

[super noob]

On a series the front prop is actually longer than the rear!

I'll be fitting wide angle props or DC props anyway

 

[Robotstar5]

On a series the front prop is actually longer than the rear!

I'll be fitting wide angle props or DC props anyway

I've obviously been coil sprung too long!

 

[super noob]

Leafs are better

 

[octo0072000]

Well thats the thing, the last owner was obviously a cheapskate or at the very least a poor bodge artist from the looks of some of the repairs on it.....he lifted the front end in a half arsed way by only jacking up the rear on extended shackles and not fitting the extended dumb iron ends meaning that the castor is probably at 6* ish as it dropped the rear end of the spring 1.5"

So I'll drop the front end 3" and then drop the rear 1.5" to make it even

Rear spring I'll drop 3" at either end as it doesn't matter so much on that

that used to be a common mod on series fitting the longer 1 ton shackles to the rear ends of the springs to get some lift

 

[super noob]

One last stupid question, if the diff nose wants to be at 12* and the castor at 3*

With the castor being set by the spring does that mean I need to put the diff at 9* as 9+3 would equal 12* or is it 3* castor and 12* diff in which case I just set it up on the diff as 12* given that the series leaf springs set the castor ?

 

[CompoSimmonite]

The previous owner of my Mahindra MM540 "lifted" it by 2" pieces of box section welded between the shackle mount and the chassis. Of course the prop angle was then wrong so they lowered the transfer case crossmember with more 2" tapered pieces. End result was exactly the same clearance between the crossmember and the ground so negated any advantage the lift had given (still with standard wheels)

BTW are you fitting coil spring axles ? I tried that route with my old SIIa and found the steering arm clashes with the spring.

Paul H

 

[super noob]

The coil ones will work with a small modification to the steering arm

 

[CompoSimmonite]

The coil ones will work with a small modification to the steering arm

Modifications to steering arm that involve heat or welding can now be a MOT fail point since Jan 2012.
http://www.motuk.co.uk/manual_220.htm section C subsection e

Paul H

 

[super noob]

doesn't involve that, it involves drilling and tapping the CV side