Austin Healey Sprite and MG Midget

Historically, always front running race cars in their category.  We have considerable racing experience with the semi elliptic rear spring cars cars (Mk 111's and MG Midgets).  Spridgets have a handling advantage because they are so light and offer good torsional rigidity. 

The Mk 11A is our personal favourite.  In the 60's, before the 1275cc engine was available, a lot of people raced these, including Brian Foley, Doug Chivas and Bob Skelton.  Unfortunately, there is no suitable engine capacity category in Historic racing now.  I started work at BMC Zetland in 1964, and remember the 11A's lined up on a grass verge waiting to be transported to the Dealers (I guess most of them going to P & R Williamson).  My first car was a MK1 sprite, and I owned a succession of sprites until I had to buy a tow car for trailering race cars.

On the 1/4 elliptic spring cars (Mk1 to 11A), recommend a new thicker main leaf, to do more of the springing, and then reduce the rear spring frequency as required by removing some of the extra leaves.  I'd have a good think about what to do with the eye bushes and the trailing arm bushes.  Interestingly, the upper trailing arms control the rear roll center height.  So 1/4 elliptic cars have a high rear roll centre, and later cars have a low rear roll centre.  This makes big differences in the set ups.

All our set ups are tested initially in the "Weight Transfer Worksheet".   Then we can go to the track with a good basline set up, and the parts we need to final tune the set up to suit the driver and the track.  Our road car set up uses similar understeer/oversteer numbers, with ride height, spring frequencies and roll resistance adjusted to suit the road.  The road car generates much less grip on it's tyres, as compared to the racing car on "Dot" racing rubber.

We can undertake any suspension project.  If your doing it yourself, why not give the Weight Transfer Sheet a go?  When the new parts are installed, and workshop set up done, you need a test day to adjust the car and determine improvements.

If you run a limited slip, or locker differential, the set up will be different.    

We can supply...

Front coil springs, any rate from road to race,  $285 per pair.
Front anti-roll bar, various diameters, made to order, POA.
Lever shock, change oil, adjust valving, dyno test, $150 pair, including Force vs Velocity graphs.
Single leaf rear springs (semi elliptic), various rates and set ups.

Big Healeys

Racing Car:
To get the numbers into the Weight Transfer Worksheet , you could do all the measurements, weighing and "bounce testing", and send them via email.  We could then discuss with you some possible directions for development of the set up, as we did recently with an SA historic Healey.  We get a better idea of your car if we do it in our workshop.  We'd need the car for the day.  If new coil springs, leaf springs and/or anti-roll bars are to be made, there is a lead time of around 3 weeks.  When the new parts are installed, and workshop set up done, you need a test day to adjust the car and determine what gains have been made.

Road Car:
The Smithees Weight Transfer Worksheet will lead to a set up that insprires confidence, improving handling and your enjoyment of the motor car.   One reason for the improvement is that you are optimising the set up to take advantage of the extra grip available from modern day radial ply tyres, a far cry from the cross ply tyres of the 50's and 60's.