Triumph GT6 Mk2

[Nick Jones]

2 hours ago, zetecspit said:

I ran plastic late spit centres on my Toledo with M12 studs. I bored the holes out (Sorry, I can't remember what size) and use std Ford wheel nuts with the built in washers.  Removed the washers using a grinder. All a bit ghetto, but it worked OK.  A better solution may be to turn some wheelnuts down to match the length of the "shank" of the original spit type nuts, obviously it will need to be larger diameter. The plastic centres drilled out to match. Thats the best I can suggest, but requires a lathe. 

Interesting. I have a set of the chromed GT6 centres which complicates opening out the holes. But you are right that the holes will have to be bigger.  Maybe should just use Spitty ones.

[Escadrille Ecosse]

By some sort of serendipitous synchronicity this month's Courrier mag printed an article on wheel studs for GT6s.

He agrees with me on the 3/8" studs for the steel wheels.

It includes the isue of trying to fit plastic centres with M12 Freelander studs and instead suggesting that if you feel the need to change studs then the TR6 stud/nut combination is quickest, simplest, cheapest and neatest.

A good point about the taper seats.

When there are other Triumph alternatives available out there for steel and alloy wheels in 3/8" and 7/16", going for 12mm studs is a bit of a solution looking for a problem in my opinion.

And in particular changing to 12mm studs to fit steel wheels with plastic centres using faked up nuts and washers is a bodge. Aesthetically and engineering/safety wise. Machining down wheelnuts is non-selective behaviour. A. its a highly critical component and B. worrying about the stud being undersize and then taking material off the nut is not a good thing.

Anyway, here is the page from the Courier

 

 

[Hamish]

I have Cambridge motorsport book marked for this type of thing.

https://cambridgemotorsport.com/classic-historic/12565-tr2-6-1-longer-wheel-stud.html

as always contemplating the change. But not sure that I want to get involved in opening the axle to fit new longer studs.  So will have to look at the hole in the back plate trick.
my wheel nuts are cap nuts so would need to take the top of them off to allow longer studs. 

Edited November 3, 2024 by Hamish
Web link

[TimBancroft]

FItted 3/8UNF to my MK2 GT6 years ago. Drilled the brake back plates and squeezed in the longer studs to the front hubs. 

Bought the studs from:

http://www.speedshack.co.uk/Wheelnuts.htm

Good price and as they were relatively local, it was easy to arrange. Place is a bit of throwback...one trips over all sorts of stuff lying around in the small shop.

 

[thebrookster]

11 hours ago, yorkshire_spam said:

House move has delayed all cat related activities for about 12 months though. 

Miaowwwww??????????

[thebrookster]

10 hours ago, Escadrille Ecosse said:

the TR6 stud/nut combination is quickest, simplest, cheapest and neatest.

And that's the route I'm heading for, as it also means the GT6 shares commonality with the 2000 when it comes back. The fact I can then also run the plastic centres is likewise a plus point. 

Nicely caught with the Courier article Colin, it arrived here the other day and was sat on the dresser in the hall awaiting my attention. It is now been given my full attention needless to say!

[Escadrille Ecosse]

18 minutes ago, thebrookster said:

And that's the route I'm heading for, as it also means the GT6 shares commonality with the 2000 when it comes back.

Never thought of that. Nice

[yorkshire_spam]

11 hours ago, thebrookster said:

Miaowwwww??????????

Think my phone has issues with auto-cat-rect. 

 

[thebrookster]

Small jobs ongoing, such as doing some quick repairs on the bonnet.

Not fancy, but should stop it deteriorating further. I still need to blend the edges in, but as I plan to hillclimb/abuse her, I'm happy enough with it so far.

Been playing with electrics as well, as the spotlight wasn't working (she has one spot and one fog fitted), turned out water has gotten into the relay at some point. Swapped the relay over from the foglight as the spot is of more use short term, and I shall buy a new relay when I remember.

[thebrookster]

Some progress made. I ordered the Wolfe drop links and some red polybushes for the centres, which arrived today.

Removed the anti roll bar, dismantled everything and gave the bar a quick wire brush. Fitted the droplinks, which required a small mod to the 'top hat" bush (a flat to filed in the line the bolt hole) and shortening the studs, both as per John's instructions. 

However the rollbar mounting U-bolts appear to have been bottomed out at some point! Not altogether surprising given it's past life as a rally car however I feel it is prudent to halt works whilst I purchase some more.

Additionally (and thankfully I measured before buying polybushes) Nuala appears to upgraded the roll bar to the MK3 7/8" bar rather than the original 11/16". Time will tell if I keep this long term I guess.

So now waiting for paint and mounts.

[Nick Jones]

37 minutes ago, thebrookster said:

upgraded the roll bar to the MK3 7/8" bar rather than the original 11/16".

Personally I prefer the smaller bar. I find the “upgrade” only increases reluctance to turn-in.

Loads of life left in those U-bolts; not even half way through yet 

[RedRooster]

2 hours ago, Nick Jones said:

Personally I prefer the smaller bar. I find the “upgrade” only increases reluctance to turn-in.

 

Think it was Mr Wolfe who told me the same. 

[RedRooster]

2 hours ago, thebrookster said:

Some progress made. I ordered the Wolfe drop links and some red polybushes for the centres, which arrived today.

Removed the anti roll bar, dismantled everything and gave the bar a quick wire brush. Fitted the droplinks, which required a small mod to the 'top hat" bush (a flat to filed in the line the bolt hole) and shortening the studs, both as per John's instructions. 

However the rollbar mounting U-bolts appear to have been bottomed out at some point! Not altogether surprising given it's past life as a rally car however I feel it is prudent to halt works whilst I purchase some more.

Additionally (and thankfully I measured before buying polybushes) Nuala appears to upgraded the roll bar to the MK3 7/8" bar rather than the original 11/16". Time will tell if I keep this long term I guess.

So now waiting for paint and mounts.

Christ almighty my ocd couldn't cope with that, I'd be stripping the lot down and painting it. 

RR

[thebrookster]

2 hours ago, RedRooster said:

Christ almighty my ocd couldn't cope with that, I'd be stripping the lot down and painting it. 

RR

I have to confess I'm am likewise afflicted. However I really want to keep her on the road, so small steps it is.

[zetecspit]

15 hours ago, Nick Jones said:

Personally I prefer the smaller bar. I find the “upgrade” only increases reluctance to turn-in.

Loads of life left in those U-bolts; not even half way through yet 

On my Vitesse I have fitted a swing spring (made up of a individual leafs off a few springs to get the desired ride height) but I have retained teh small front ARB. Seems to handle pretty well. On my old herald estate, I had a courier rear spring and 440lb fronts, and removed the ARB. That was pretty good on autosolos, pretty neutral handling. 

We need to get away from the notion that bigger is better!

[Escadrille Ecosse]

15 hours ago, Nick Jones said:

Personally I prefer the smaller bar. I find the “upgrade” only increases reluctance to turn-in.

Loads of life left in those U-bolts; not even half way through yet 

Fully agree. On both counts 

5 minutes ago, zetecspit said:

We need to get away from the notion that bigger is better!

Quite!

[thebrookster]

17 hours ago, Nick Jones said:

Personally I prefer the smaller bar. I find the “upgrade” only increases reluctance to turn-in.

15 hours ago, RedRooster said:

Think it was Mr Wolfe who told me the same.

2 hours ago, zetecspit said:

We need to get away from the notion that bigger is better!

2 hours ago, Escadrille Ecosse said:

Fully agree. On both counts 

Look, goddammit!!! Will you lot kindly stop corrupting me and my carefully laid plans!

Just off the phone with Dave at Canleys, needless to say I now have new brackets/Ubolts/Nuts/Washers coming for the 7/8" bar, along with a full set of the same plus SH 11/16" Bar and red polybushes. So now I have options

Also ordered a pair of their HD Track Rod Ends, as mine really need replacing and since the card was already out due to you 'orrible lot, I thought in for a penny etc.

[Escadrille Ecosse]

1 hour ago, thebrookster said:

Look, goddammit!!! Will you lot kindly stop corrupting me and my carefully laid plans!

Just off the phone with Dave at Canleys, needless to say I now have new brackets/Ubolts/Nuts/Washers coming for the 7/8" bar, along with a full set of the same plus SH 11/16" Bar and red polybushes. So now I have options

Also ordered a pair of their HD Track Rod Ends, as mine really need replacing and since the card was already out due to you 'orrible lot, I thought in for a penny etc.

Och, you know it makes sense... 

[thebrookster]

So, some progress made since the last update.

11/16" anti-roll bar painted, new polybushes and mounting kit installed along with the John Wolfe links. I also have awaiting cleaning/painting a 7/8" bar and mounting kit, however I decided to stick with what she came with so as to capture a "baseline" so to speak, once I've come to grips with better links and bushes I can try changing for the 7/8" and see what works best.

I'm also a touch concerned about what other knock on effects the smaller arb might have, Dave at Canleys mentioned that it is not unusual to fit heavier springs with the thicker bar to "compensate", so I want to think/talk that through before changing as well. Any input from sideways gratefully received on that front!

I have also now purchased a set of Mark Fields (ex-Jigsaw fame) uprated wheel studs, still 3/8 thread but longer and a stronger metal as I understand. Should improve on the original without being a complete alteration. Same time I also fitted the new trackrod ends and cleaned/regressed the bearings. Can't get any further than what is pictured (or start on the rear just now) until the new wheel nuts arrive, supposedly today (see courier thread for that saga).

Phil

[thebrookster]

Well, still have the same issue with wheel nuts not being long enough.

That's the new studs from Mark on both. The RH nut is one of my originals, the LH is a new stud from Paddocks.

I need the longer studs for the alloys, yet I cannot find anything online about people not being able to fit steel wheels with longer studs. Surely I'm not the only person who has (or had) this issue?

[Nick Jones]

2 hours ago, thebrookster said:

cannot find anything online about people not being able to fit steel wheels with longer studs

Due to the closed nuts bottoming?

Long studs only about 5mm longer by the looks?

[JohnD]

Yes, I think you have a lathe? Shorten the end of the nut to make it open ended, and of neat appearance.  Job done.

John

[thebrookster]

1 hour ago, JohnD said:

Yes, I think you have a lathe? Shorten the end of the nut to make it open ended, and of neat appearance.  Job done.

John

As replied on CT, I don't have a lathe (yet). I would prefer to keep the nuts "capped" to maintain the original look if possible.

However, I don't think the correct nuts have been modified (though that may be an option, although a tad tricky doable with a pillar drill) so I figured they must be available somewhere! Just a case of figuring out where.

[rogerguzzi]

1 hour ago, thebrookster said:

As replied on CT, I don't have a lathe (yet). I would prefer to keep the nuts "capped" to maintain the original look if possible.

However, I don't think the correct nuts have been modified (though that may be an option, although a tad tricky doable with a pillar drill) so I figured they must be available somewhere! Just a case of figuring out where.

How can you live without a Lathe even a cheap Chink one like I bought for a smaller size my big one is better than the Myford one I had and sold for about the same money as the Chink one which I think is far better!!

Then there is the milling machine (even a cheap chink one?) 

Plus digital read out on both?(Which I did !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) Still its nice when you use it  but in my case not so often now!

Still only money and the buzz of doing yourself is worth it ???

Roger the old Fart(that's the drink!!)

[joeyg]

 The 12mm Freelander wheel studs are a safety upgrade. There is a cost of 16 studs and nuts but the install is simple. 

Has anyone tried a rear bar on a Rotoflex rear suspension? I have been refurbishing a Mk2 suspension for my Mk1 and also have a rear anti-roll bar. Has anyone used a rear bar on any car and found it effective?

I have a 26mm bar on my Volvo Amazon wagon and A 7/8" on the GT6 just my unscientific preference. Many modern cars have a rear anti-sway bar