31-10-2019, 12:03 AM
Without looking up Parts Lists, my recollection is that early-on the front spring packing (as suggested, to stop fretting both spring leaf and nosepiece) was red fibre. It was flat on top for the nosepiece and concave underneath to suit the spring, but not tapered. It's replacement was that lignum wood (that's tougher than steel?), shaped likewise. The aluminium blocks Tony or someone referred to were an inch thick and flat top & bottom - were only there on the imported chassis (to Oz, maybe not the fully-imported complete cars for New Zealand) to give greater ground clearance "for Colonial conditions". When people fitted tapered wedges for a front axle that was lowered, they probabbly forgot they also needed the Ulster/Nippy/Speedy - type radius arms that had the compensating angles cast into them. The Grasshopper radius arms are another story again. Hope this helps. Cheers, Bill in Oz