Big Healey Racing

[Dougie]

Hello All -

I vintage race a big Healey 6-cylinder in the US, doing some off season upgrades would like some input on suspension upgrades. Any Healey racers out there? I'd like to know what kind of "set-up" the UK drivers are using.

[gt917]

Originally Posted by Dougie

Hello All -

I vintage race a big Healey 6-cylinder in the US, doing some off season upgrades would like some input on suspension upgrades. Any Healey racers out there? I'd like to know what kind of "set-up" the UK drivers are using.

oooh, luverly.

[Mike Bell]

Dougie, your car is lovely, but sadly I can't think of any other regular posters on here that race or have raced Big Healeys. Terence is likely one of the most knowledgeable, so maybe he can give some feedback. Most cars in Europe will be prepared for FIA racing, so running in homologated period specification. (Cue laughter and comment.... )

Even if there is a Healey racer or preparer on tenths, you may be wishing a bit too much expecting them to divulge explicit set up data......

[Alan Morgan]

Esper has one but he doesn't appear here often these days.

[bauble]

Our very own Moderator JT knows of a very good Healey preparer, maybe he could help Dougie out?

[SidewaysFeltham]

Originally Posted by Dougie

Hello All -

I vintage race a big Healey 6-cylinder in the US, doing some off season upgrades would like some input on suspension upgrades. Any Healey racers out there? I'd like to know what kind of "set-up" the UK drivers are using.

Well, in classic form, the car was known as an Austin Squealy!

Since the suspension was fundamentally agricultural.

Abbingdon (Special Tuning) supplied uprated valves for the lever arm shocks, for competition purposes and that was about it. Same for Midgets and MGBs.

The classic way they were driven, was, err, sideways........

More mods were permitted in Modsports, 60s/70s.

Not many, however, We used to fit Panhard rods to the rear axle; upgraded roll bars to the front, plus the uprated shocker valves and slightly lowered front springs; and after that, you just had to drive the damned thing, hard!

The last classic Modsports driver of the Big Healey in my day was the late and charming, John Gott (Chief Constable of Northamptonshire).

I was racing my MG Midget Modsports at Lydden in the same race after which John sadly suffered a major coronary and died.

Sad day.

[terence]

Very sad day indeed! (Having restored Johns car to its original pre crash spec ,using all of the original panels and chassis.This was surprisingly standard apart from mentioned later)Really not much to add to the above as the shockers you really need are completely unavailable these days.Particular shockers were Austin Atlantic(you might be lucky in America) These were bump and rebound valved and required swapping the arms to Healey obviously.Suspension chassis mounts should be braced on the outside of both mountings,V shaped basicly and welded to chhassis top.Would recommend 10:40 synthetic oil alround,youll only need do this once as the oil will outlast the shockers.Rear adjustables are still available here.There was talk of offset nylotron bottom bushes to give 1.5 to 2 degrees of negative camber to the front😉
This alone should help matters a fair bit I think.Last Healey I drove handled beautifully with all of the above fitted.It was only a test day but was certainly a lot quicker and easier to drive than before.

[SidewaysFeltham]

Originally Posted by terence

..........the shockers you really need are completely unavailable these days.Particular shockers were Austin Atlantic(you might be lucky in America) These were bump and rebound valved and required swapping the arms to Healey obviously.

Apparently this company in the States offers them.

http://www.applehydraulics.com/shocks.htm

Others offer re-build kits.

And here is a re-builder in the UK:

http://www.vintageandclassicshockabs...ong/4579579683

After all, they are only double cylinder hydraulics!

[Mike Bell]

Good info, SF- for all of us!

Thanks.

[Dougie]

Thanks for all the input guys. I'm currently using all the mentioned upgrades,
but always looking for input and new ideas though.

[SidewaysFeltham]

Dougie:

This ought to help you.

See Here:

Since we ran three Midgets (Including the ex-Roger Enever. Robin Widdows all ally bodied car - which held a lap record of, would you believe, Nurburgring!) I had much to do with Abbingdon specs and parts and even had at one time, a copy of the Sprite/Midget Homologation papers.).

Also running three Mini Cooper s and working on quite a few other race/rally cars, I was known to the local Special Tuning Distributors and Abbingdon. They were very helpful.

[midgetman]

I hope this link works. It's a bit "different" in the Healey racing world.

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?sto...5&id=518865914

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

[Dougie]

Thanks for all the input.