66 Toro Leaf Spring Quandary(s)

[pudland]

Hello All,

I've been searching for replacement mono-leaf insulators for my 66. I'm having a hard time finding any.
I believe them to be shot because.. a) they look cracked, b) they look thin, and c) the flat section of the leaf is actually digging into the brake cable boots(I believe its the e-brake boots).
If they aren't any out there... are there any suggestions on dimensions, material durometer and type? I may have some made up.

Shape of my leaf springs: moderate curve at each end with a fairly long section being flat.
Is there a way to identify a good shape IE... pics of mono-leafs from member cars would be great!
I dont want to move from the mono to the multi unless I HAVE to... trying to stay as original as possible(but safety comes first!).
I have new Vert shocks and the Horiz are on the way. I am hoping to do this all in the same time frame.

Thanks,
Adam

[xgecko]

Try these folks:

https://secure.steelerubber.com/search_frameset.php

It looks like they may have them.

[pudland]

Thanks...
I checked it out... I like the site! They have bushings but no insulators....
It would still be great if I could see a pic of a mono leaf on a Toro for my fyi though!
I still may pursue fabricating my own. I have a machine shop near me that we used at a company I used to work for.
I'm going to see if I can pull some measurements off the old ones and deduce what it "should/could" be.

Thoughts or ideas???

Thanks
Adam

[xgecko]

Insulators? What exactly are you meaning?

Oh. I see. Good question. Not sure where you might get a set. SteelRubber might be able to fabricate some if sent a set. Urethane may make an excellent replacement material and is machinable, so it may be a better choice.



Hope this image works as well or better than a photo. I looked through my photos and did not find any that really show it well.

[xgecko]

I should add that my leafs are pretty flat too. They more or less fit your description. I don't have a better shot than this one:

[pudland]

xgecko...
That is exactly the shot I was looking for! Mine look the same....
I was questioning the leaf springs because my rear seams a lot lower than the front.
I took a look at the torsion bar setting and the jack boot is threaded all the way in! I don't think that's right..
Once I'm done with all 4 rear shocks and pads... I'll attack all the front bushings and adjust the torsion bars then I'll take her in for a front end alignment.

Awesome pic... exactly what I was looking for!

I'll kept you know how the insulators go.

Thanks,
Adam

[Twilight Fenrir]

Well, the front is supposed to be higher than the rear, from the factory at least.

As for your leaf-spring screws... That can vary... My drivers side one is screwed all the way in, and my passenger side is less than half in... But on level ground, it sits flat... I guess that all torsion bars are not created equal... I suppose if they were, there'd be no need to make them adjustable

[xgecko]

I forgot to send this yesterday. Here are the official numbers. FWIW I prefer my tail to be higher than my nose, so I sort of ignore this and set it as I like it. Nonetheless, here is what the manual shows.

[pudland]

Thanks for the info guys....

xgecko...
What for manual did you get that from? The one I have says 1966 Chassis Service Manual No.6, Toro Supplement & 94 and 96 Series.
Section 3EA-18 gives different numbers under than the Figure you showed. Mine shows Fig 3EA-37.

Front to Ground = 8"
Rear to Ground = 8-1/8"
Front to Rear to be within = 1"
Side to Side to be within = 5/8"

The difference in numbers may be minuscule but I was just wondering about your manual. I got mine from wildaboutcarsonline.com

Also... Mine tells me to use a tool BT-6601 to relieve pressure on the torsion bolt, where as yours shows an easier way ...

Thanks,
Adam

[Twilight Fenrir]

Thanks for the info guys....

xgecko...
What for manual did you get that from? The one I have says 1966 Chassis Service Manual No.6, Toro Supplement & 94 and 96 Series.
Section 3EA-18 gives different numbers under than the Figure you showed. Mine shows Fig 3EA-37.

Front to Ground = 8"
Rear to Ground = 8-1/8"
Front to Rear to be within = 1"
Side to Side to be within = 5/8"

The difference in numbers may be minuscule but I was just wondering about your manual. I got mine from wildaboutcarsonline.com

Also... Mine tells me to use a tool BT-6601 to relieve pressure on the torsion bolt, where as yours shows an easier way ...

Thanks,
Adam

xGecko's diagram is the same one that is in my '66 Chassis Service Manual. The back section of the book is the only material on the Toronado. The same one I mentioned and linked to in your Comfortron thread. And, that's pretty much how my Toro looks atm... Generally, I prefer the rear to be higher than the front as well, but I haven't actually adjusted my toronado to be that way. It looks more like a yacht set to factory, with its nose riding over the crest of a wave