Rear springs

[pruyter]

Hi,

I want to install new rear springs on my Sunbeam Tiger and checking the parts list for both the Alpines and the Tigers I have found the following:
Alpines series 3 (from B92035480, series 4 and series 5 have parts number 1223892. This springs have 5 leaves.
The Tiger rear spring has parts number 1206585 up to B9473578.
From B9473579 the parts numbers are:
Rear spring L.H. 1229931
Rear spring R.H 1229930

So rear springs for a Tiger are not the same as for the Alpine and from B.9473579 the rear springs for a Tiger are handed.
I don't know how many leafs there should be on rear springs for a Tiger and I have not any idea how this rear springs differ from the ones for the Alpines.
My question is: could somebody shine a light on this question? I should appreciate any help on this one!
Thanks in advance!

Regards,

Peter

 

[Toyanvil]

Call Dale at Dale's Restorations
http://www.dalesresto.com/company.html
I think the Tigers used stiffer springs.

 

[pruyter]

Thanks for the idea, but....living in the Netherlands (Europe) doesn't make this an option for me.
But thanks anyway!

Regards,

Peter

 

[bernd_st]

You may contact Sunbeam Spares in UK. They do an excellenty fitting repro of Tiger rear springs. They don,'t feature the front Offset bushes though but who cares...

 

[pruyter]

Thank you Bernd! I will certainly do so.

Regards,

Peter

 

[bernd_st]

Plus prices are very reasonable...

 

[DanR]

PIC's anyone?

Could you post some PICs of the Tiger Springs?

 

[pruyter]

I have found out that both on my Tiger and on the Tiger of my friend there are springs from an Alpine installed which means that the springs have 5 blades each. Both the Book of Norman (the so called Tiger bible) and the shop notes from CAT (Californian Association of Tiger owners) speak of 6 blades for the Tiger. And as I noticed the Rootes parts numbers for the Alpine springs and the Tiger springs differ.
So making a foto of the spring will not help, I myself should like to see a foto of a real Tiger spring.

 

[pruyter]

In the meantime I have checked the website of the Sunbeam Spares Company and indeed the prices are reasonable but.....they offer the same leafspring for the Alpines series 3,4,5 and the Tiger, which will be a 5 blade leafspring. So no leafspring for a Tiger with 6 blades!

 

[bernd_st]

Not sure where that 6 Blade theory comes from but my Tiger parts book explicitly states " same as Alpine S |||. Strange to me either since Tiger should have higher spring Rates. Anyhow the number of blades doesn' t matter to much but the actual rate is important. The one which I have from UK Features even only 4 blades but believe me it ' s even stiffer than than the original Tiger one. Here is the picture which somebody asked earlier:

 

[pruyter]

Hi Bernd,

the 6 blades are, as I stated before, mentioned in the Book of Norman and in the shop notes of CAT. Also the Owners handbook of the 260 Tiger shows a figure in it where 6 blades can be counted. On top of that the Rootes parts numbers for the Alpine springs and the Tiger springs differ. Also the Rootes parts numbers for just the main leafs differ. So there must be a difference!
But okay on my Tiger there are installed springs with 5 leafs and it goes alright, although it could be because of the LSD- differential and/or the two Master traction bars which are fitted.
My friends Tiger, and he needs the new springs, has no LSD and no traction bars.
So I am a little worried about the 5 leaf spring not being stiff enough for his standard Tiger.
On the other hand if there is no other option then there is nothing left then to go for it.
Thanks for all your thoughts!

Regards,

Peter

 

[bernd_st]

Peter, you are right. Also the Tiger WSM shows a drawing with 6 blades. Wonder how many Tigers still carry these nowadays. Had some trouble to downscale the picture but here we are :

 

[pruyter]

Thanks a lot for this foto! Today I have been busy with going through all my Cats Whiskers (STOC) and all my Tiger tales (CAT) for looking for a foto, but to no avail! I have also searched in all my Rootes books and I have quite a lot of them and again: no luck!
I had more luck with finding out why later on from B9473579 the springs are handed. I found a service bulletin, no H6 from november 1965, which shows a drawing of a torque reaction rubber which is handed. They were installed because it was reported that rear shock absorbers have been damaged due the violent accelleration from rest, ie: clutch released at high engine speeds on take-off.
So why didn't the factory fit bolt on Traction Masters or similar during production? Probably becaue of the costs.

 

[tom o]

I don't have a tiger, but because there are two different part numbers for tiger springs, I would say that the six leaf spring is on the right side, and the five leaf is on the left. This is because of the engine torque. All mopars of this era(1967-1972) have this.

 

[pruyter]

I guess you are making a joke, aren't you?

 

[65beam]

springs

if you check the tiger parts book you'll find that originally tigers used rear springs with the part number of 1206585. if you check the alpine parts book you find this to be for the series 3 alpine also. there is no mention that there is a left side or a right side spring in either the tiger or alpine parts book.

 

[pruyter]

The Rootes parts number for Tiger leaf springs is 1206585 and it went up to B9473578. From B9473579 the parts numbers are 1223930 (RH) and 122931. So from then on they are handed. The reason for being handed is the additon of a handed torque reacton rubber!
The Rootes parts number for the Alpine leaf spring is 1223892 from Alpines series 3 with chassisnumber B9203548 up to the last Alpine series 5.
All Tiger leaf springs have originally 6 leafs while the Alpines mentioned above have 5 leafs.
So 65beam I suggest that you check your parts lists!

 

[65beam]

springs

I said originally. I'll be at tiger auto this week so I'll ask Doug about the springs. if anyone would know it's probably him. stay tuned.

 

[pruyter]

Originally it is as I described it in my former posts. Rootes Parts lists and Rootes service bulletins don't ly!
If you mean by "originally" that the first 3578 Tigers were equipped with springs wich have no difference in RH and LH then you are right and that is exactly what I have described. If you mean that all Tigers were equipped with springs with 5 leafs, just like the Alpines, then you are wrong because all Tigers were equipped with springs with 6 leafs. And that is exactly why this first 3578 Tigers had springs with another Rootes parts number then the Alpines!
Of course I stay tuned.

 

[alpine_64]

Peter,

Don't take it personally, the rest of us read and understood your question, you were clear, a little digging through previous posts will explain the response and then attitude you got from certain posters... Don't worry most of us try and help

As for the springs, I know you are less likely to want to ship heavy parts, but if it gets you what you want don't let distance detur you. I would recommend looking at another USA supplier as well mod tiger engineering.