Bugeye axle limit straps

[SNClocks]

I'm working on a '60 bugeye - noted that the previous owner replaced the two straps that limit the back axle drop with ones from Moss - looks like they installed the 9 1/2 inch ones - the ones for the '75 to 80 midgets, rather than the 8 7/8" ones for the earlier cars. NTL - question is - should the straps be under tension when the car is sitting with no one in it? I note that the straps are just right at the point where they have tension.

 

[David_Doan]

They should only be under tension when you jack up the body of the car, extending the suspension. There should be some slack at normal ride height

 

[SNClocks]

Thank you! That is what I figured.

 

[BillyBud]

As I understand it replacement leaf springs with 10 leafs make the car sit higher, while the original 15 leaf springs do not. If you have the new ones it could probably be corrected with a shim under the leaf spring around the U bolt to cant them upwards a little. But I'm just guessing about that. I'm replacing my spring boxes at the moment and fairly deep into this part of the car right now. One side done and the other in progress.

 

[SNClocks]

It gets more amusing the more I learn about our little red bomb. At some point someone replaced the original rear axle with one from a TR 2/3/4 - apparently to get bigger brakes. Cool. When we got the car there was a plastic shim under the passenger side springs - one of those plastic wedges one can use to shim house doors. Took me a while to figure out why - given it made the car sort of lopsided. So, out it came. Then, as I was looking at the axle limit straps I noticed one was taught, one not so much. Hmmm. What the heck. Then I noticed that the bracket for the damper/limit strap on one side was not clocked the same as the other side - hence the need for the shim apparently - the previous folks hadn't noticed the clocking issue and just assumed they needed to add the shim to get the two straps at equal tension. When I pulled plastic shim, problem was back.

Which is not actually a problem, I just made up new straps, one a half inch longer than the other. Now the bug sits the way it should and has a little slack in each strap.

It looks like your car has gotten new floors. A labor of love - good for you!

 

[BillyBud]

Wow, and I thought my car was messed with! Yeah, new floors, rocker panels, A pillars, sheet metal on front of footwells, behind spring boxes, bulkhead braces, etc. My skills with sheet metal origami have improved as it goes on.

Now I have to laugh out loud when I see sell ads for a "rust free" car. I doubt there is such a thing unless it lived in zero humidity desert Arizona, was garaged, and never ever driven in the rain. Fat chance.