After 2 years and 9 months I’m at the end of the restoration and
wanted to get the suspension geometry close so I can drive the car
to its safety inspection. I found plenty of information in the J-L
archives and online but no complete E-type specific package.
Posting this collection of info for reference. Corrections/comments
welcome.
It would be best to borrow or buy camber/caster and track setting
gauges but you can get accurate results with a shopmade tool and
Excel. The shopmade tool is an adjustable base for a steel framing
square. Made using 12’’ x 12’’ of 3/4’’ plywood, two strips of 1’’ x
1�’’ hardwood, seven �’’ UNC tee nuts and 7 matching �’‘x2�’’ machine
screws. Self explanatory construction.
Most important part is leveling the car. Park the car where you’ll
do the work leaving room to move around. If you’re particular about
marking up your shop floor you could use something erasable but I
used a black marker. Mark the outside/centre of each tire on the
floor, back up the car and using a 12’‘x12’’ heavy vinyl tile (about
70� at Home Depot or Loews) as a stencil draw squares at the four
corners. Find center in one of the front squares (thanks, Clive)
and draw an X through it at 30�. Fold an 8�’’ x 11’’ sheet of paper
down the middle lengthwise, measure 3.75’’ left and right of the
fold at one edge then draw 2 lines to the middle of the other edge.
Used as a template
Now to measure the elevations of the 4 squares. I used a surveyor’s
level but one could use a bucket level. Those cheap vinyl tiles are
used as packing and in the case of the front wheels also sliders.
The highest elevation square will take 2 vinyl tiles. The remaining
3 squares will take 2 vinyl tiles plus whatever packing is required
to raise their elevations to equal level. I used additional tiles
and 3/16’’ plywood. The tiles are precisely 1/8’’ thick so I got
elevations to �1/16’’. Before putting the car back in place I
sprinkled glass beads from the cabinet between the uppermost tiles
in the front so they’d slide on one another. Table salt would work
too. Some in the archives recommend glossy magazines. Steering
wheel centered.
I made up a pair of front suspension links and bought turnbuckles
for the rear but Jerry’s bags-of-water-softener-salt-for-ballast
idea is a lot smarter and easier. I put four 20 kg bags in the
front seat to replicate my weight and a 20 kg bag in the passenger
seat for the weight of my grandson and threw a couple of spare
wheels into the open boot to compensate for a less than full tank
of fuel and pronounced the product ‘‘laden’’.
Order of business (per Dick) is camber/caster/toe-in. Clamp a
framing square ($12) into the base and position it at the center of
the wheel to be measured. Using a magnetic level ($19) first level
the framing square parallel then perpendicular, repeat. Now ready
for measurements.
On to Part 2–
Nick Saltarelli '68 Cdn mkt E-type S1� OTS, '54 XK120SE OTS
Niagara, Ontario, Canada
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