Adjusting Spring Plates

Hello!
I bought my speedy just over a year ago now and have just noticed that it has adjustable spring plates (like the Serranos ones) fitted. I have already lowered the front and am just about the lower the rear but I have just noticed that the spring plates are set at totally different heights! One side is wound down and the other is about half up! Is this right? The second question is which way lowers the rear, screwing up or down?

Thanks in advance

Rich

I'm afraid that your torsion bars were not properly installed. The adjuster screws should have almost the same thread use.

I had this problem with my Spyder, and correcting the problem was not all that difficult, but did require some time with the car on stands.

On the Spyder, the ride height/torsion bar relation is measured from the top of the spring plate to the center of the upper shock mount bolt hole. The distance happened to be 11.75 inches. This also required readjusting the spring plate screws to a 50% up/down setting.

The swing axel tubes must be detached from the swing arms and swung out of the way. Brake lines and cables can usually move enough to allow for this.

The torsion bars are splined on both ends, an even number on one end, and an od number on the other. By rotating the outer and/or inner splines, you can set both arms close to the desired setting. (+/- 1/16 in.)

The worst part of the operation was the working room around the torsion bar tube......I hope Speedsters arn't as tight.

After the car has been setup, and you have determined the degree of camber you desire, the adjuster screws will allow a modest range of adjustment.

Hope this helps...and maybe some one out there has the magic number for the "ride height" setting.

Good Luck....get out the iodine, and band aids......

Leon C.

After thinking it over, the situation with your spring plates should be resolved at your earliest opportunity. The difference in adjustments is causing your rear axels to run under different spring rates. This could cause over steer when turning into the side with the higher rate.

There is a system to determine where your settings currently are in relation to balance side to side. With the car raised,liberaly douse the adj. screws with liquid wrench, kroil, or some rust breaker. After it has set about 30 min., douse it again and apply oil liberaly.

Find a way to remove the weight from the adj. screw and set it to the 50% length. Do both sides. Drop the car, roll it back and forth to settle the suspension, then measure from the top of the rear wheel well to the deck. Make notes.

Walk away from the rear of the car about 10-15 ft., and look at the camber on each wheel in reguards to vertical center line of the car. One side will have either too pos. or neg. camber. If you have one side that appears to be OK, use it to obtain your measurement, and adj. the other side to suit.

When you think you have it, check your measurements at the wheel wells again. They should be the same, but probably not as the originals.

Thanks Leon, will do it ASAP.

Rich

Before I bolt my shell to the chassis - can someone recommend some good spring plates (not looking for most expensive) - just would like to have some capabliity to fine tune suspension once two are mated and pulling the torsion bars becomes more difficult.

Wolfgang....

C.B. Perf. offers adjustable spring plates for both the swing axel and I.R.S. Trannys. I'm sure other vendors also market a comparable product.

Good Luck....

Leon C.

These are good, reasonably priced ones:

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=194572

Resurrecting old post for sure - Finally getting ready to re-adjusting my rear spring plates. After car on jackstand for many years, I finally put it down and rolled it out of garage. There is a 1+" difference from one side to the other so I need to adjust one. I like the taller look which shows over 1" of rubber at rim at the top. Just incase that proves to be too little or too much (I need to get up a steep curbed driveway), I thought I install the adjustable spring plates. The Serrano $85 ones are NLA. CB wants $279/pair and Doghouserepair has EMPI ones for $72.50/pair. CB comes with the red bushing but 4 times the cost! Any thoughts on quality difference? I generally dislike EMPI quality but such a big cost difference! Next ? is on size of my torsion bars. CIP sells a single adjustable spring plate that requires a specific length torsion bar - suspect I'd have to change them if I purchased from CIP. It appears there are 3 spring plates available depending on torsion bar length: up to '68 is 21 3/4", '69-72 is 24 11/16" and '73 up is 26 9/16". My chassis is '71 or '72 so suspect I need the middle ones. My existing plates are double spring with 1/4" gap separating them --- ones pictured all have a single plate. Is that an issue to be concerned with?

Greg, your 1" difference side to side may be a body/mold problem. Instead, measure from the torsion bar to the ground. From what Gordon wrote CMCs are a little off. That is what you have, correct? My Vintage Spyder has some differences from side to side also.

I personally would never adjust ride height based on a fender height measurement. Even production autos have tolerances that would mess you up. Say one fender is a 1/4" high and the other a 1/4" low. Both are within tolerance but there is a 1/2" difference from side to side. That particular case has been seen by me on a never hit early 911! Instead use scales, and adjust based on weight at each corner. Your car will ride and handle better in the end.

Difference is not side to side but from top of fender opening to the ground. Very visible at one side then walking around to the other side. Would need a really big second driver to level it out.

Greg, that is exactly what I thought you meant.