Triumph Repair: triumph 74 restoration, radius arm, radius arms

Question
i am currently doing an off body restoration on a 74
triumph spitfire. first off one support bracket for the
radius arm connecting to the driver side body is non
existant, i fabricated a new bracket very similar to the
one on the passenger side- after putting my bracket along
the support beam i cant get it to line up properly- i  
attach the bracket with a c-clamp and have tried to slide
the bracket along the support beam but the radius arm comes
up short. both wheels have the same camber and no matter
how much i try to move the wheel it doesnt seem to fit. is
there any thing i can do, also my driveshaft has 1/8-1/4
inch play  -- should i be worried? also do you have any
tips on replacing side valances-  ty

Answer
They were originally designed to be shimmed, I believe, similar to how the front suspension lower mounts can be shimmed.  The stock mounting holes are visible inside the tub at the fixed position, but it is not uncommon for them to be relocated more inboard than stock by those wanting to improve the suspension travel.  Check the parts lists on whether the radius arms are different for an early vs. late spit; the late spits had 1/2 shafts that were 1" longer than the earlier 1147/1296 roundtails.  Another option is to have custom shafts made using rod ends, like in the link at bottom.

On the drive shaft, are you talking about radial or linear play?  It all depends on what is moving; if your u-joints and splined shaft don't have any radial play, and the movement is actually occurring in the differential or transmission, then the play is likely within norms, but you might experience whining at road speeds.

When you say side valences, can you be more descriptive?  I'm not sure on the part you are referring to.

http://www.btinternet.com/~jon.wolfe/wolfitt_products_1.htm#Adjustable%20rear%20...