MK IV ride height

Does anyone know the specific ride height at each of the 4 wheel centers (under chassis to road) for my 1948 1.5 litre and how to adjust it if required up or down?

Can anyone give advice please on how to adjust and balance up the rear ride height? Since having the rear end suspension off and refitting it I have a slight rear end lean right to left (which wasn’t there before). It is about 1/2"(12mm) difference at the blue arrow marked on the above photo. The only thing I didn’t mark up were the leaf springs - so these may have gone back on the opposite sides I guess to cause the slight lean of the body.

It would seem that the only adjustment would be by taking off the springs and altering the free camber measurement by re-bending the individual leaves.
image
By this chart you would have to accurately identify your springs. Hope they haven’t been replaced by wrong ones.
I’ve done it on my XK120 rear springs; it wasn’t really all that hard. Do the top leaf first, then the succeeding leaves to match the curvature of the previous.
At first I wondered why LHD would be different from RHD, the weight difference can’t be all that much, but I think the chart is saying LHD only exist in the chassis number ranges shown.

You could reduce the ride height on one side by mounting a spacer between the axle and the top of the spring but I don’t think you can easily increase the height. I fitted wedges in this location because my axle was not rotated correctly relative to the gearbox. The only slight complication is in retaining the location of the stud on the spring that prevents the axle from moving on the spring.

I don’t know if the springs are symmetrical but if not I wonder if you may have inadvertently assembled one side swapped front to back?

Peter

I’ve just tried some packing pieces, and it has lowered that side reasonably well. I will look to make something more robust.

However - spot the difference to the other 3 springs as per this photo:

I had not noticed before, but 3 of the car springs have 10 leafs, and the 1 I’ve just added packing pieces only has 9 leaves. All springs look to have matching clamps holding them together in the same places, and they all have the same shape slightly rounded edges to the leaves. Perhaps I missed seeing and recording a packing piece under the “thinner 9 leaf spring”, or maybe it’s always had a slight lean on the back end which I’ve only just noticed when recording all my measurements during the restoration.

It however raises a question. I have a good history file and service records with the car with no mention of any work to the rear suspension. My car is the next to last RHD 1.5 litre MK IV that Jaguar made (delivered 1st December 1948) and I have already found some original parts on the car that are akin to the MK V (which was in production at the same time). Does anyone know if the MK V had 9 leaf springs (or any other Jaguar of the same spring length dimensions as the MK IV). It could I suppose be a later replacement part, but the fact that all 4 springs look exactly the same materials, build quality, and rust aging makes me wonder if it is an original factory mistake?

MkV Spring Data:

MkIV Spring Data:
image

Many thanks for the specifications - looks like I might have an incorrect 2.5 or 3.5 litre MK IV spring with 10 leaves in the rear (if the 9 leaf is the standard for the 1.5 litre). As all the MK IV models look like they had the same length and width of springs on the rear then perhaps the “apprentice runner” at Jaguar went to the store room and didn’t notice the difference !!!

I will have to decide as to putting in packing pieces on one side or trying to get the extra leaf off the other side.

Yep, 9 leaves.
chassis 003

Thanks Rob for the picture confirmation. Interesting that in the USA you seem to drive it upside down :thinking:

Yes cars in the northern hemisphere drive upside down compared to southern hemisphere. That reduces tire wear but does damage the rooftop exterior.

Ha, ha! :rofl:
You’ve no doubt heard of the American Underslung.



I thought I would convert the Mark V.
chassis 018
Ok seriously, in 2008 I was doing some welding work on the bottom of the chassis.
Believe it or not, it will roll around like this.

That’s provided the best undershot photo of the chassis I’ve seen - when you look up at it from the floor you alway cut something off the picture. Thank you.

Just in case I need to replace my rear leaf springs does anyone know of a supplier (for my 1.5 litre car it looks like part number C195)?