Shock absorbers - front

[Astronomer]

I was told that one thing to check on shock absorbers to see if they are OK is to 'put a screwdriver between the arm and the shock body as you look at it though the bonnet opening and see if it moves in and out'. What I wasn't told was if movement is a good thing or a bad thing!
Also, the o/s shock has a gap of about 3mm between the arm and the shock body but the n/s has less than 1mm. Which of these is OK?

[philthehill]

There should not be any fore and aft movement of the damper top link arm/top link pivot shaft.
So long as there is no movement the differences between the two arm clearances should be of no concern.
My own dampers have clearances of 0.015" (O/S) and 0.006" (N/S) between arm and damper body. The differences can be putdown to production tolerances. The differences of 0.009" gives me no cause for concern.

[Astronomer]

Thanks. One further question on the same topic. I've been trying to locate the source of the clonking from the front suspension for some time. None of the possible sources suggeste (by you?) have borne fruit. So I decided to check the oil level in the shock absorbers. The o/s level could not be detected and n/s was about 20mm down so I topped them both up with Dynolite Shock Absorber Oil in the hopes that it would cure the problem. It didn't. So I'm thinking that I'll replace both units. Am I about to waste my money and time?

[philthehill]

Please remind me what have you checked and how have you checked and/or provide a link to the checking advice previously given.
Have you disconnected the damper from the steering swivel and moved the arm up and down? What resistance/movement did you get?
Until and unless you have checked everything, I would suggest that you will have wasted your money.

[Astronomer]

Unfortunately the advice I receeived was in a link from MMOC which is now not responding and as it was in July I can't remember in detail. This is the link from boardmaster
viewtopic.php?t=75116&e=1&view=unread#unread.
I know that tie bars were mentioned (both sides renewed), steering track rod end (checked as OK by mechanic), shock absorber bolts (all tight), eyebolt and bushes (no slack or overly perished bushes - visual inspection only) . There is no for and aft movement as described.

I haven't yet disconnected the damper from the steering swivel and moved the arm up and down. I shall need to seek advice on how to go about disconnecting the damper.

I am not very confident about dismantling important systems like steering and everything has to be done in the open as I don't have a garage.

Thanks

[JOWETTJAVELIN]

Are the dampers leaking, which is the first sign of trouble. If they are then they should be renewed.

[Astronomer]

No, they are not leaking. Before I bought the car it had been unused for a few years. When I got the car I asked a mechanic to check all the usual service items but he clearly failed to check the oil levels in the dampers. It was only when I read the Haynes manual that I thought to check the oil levels only to fid that one had no measurable oil in it and the other was well down on the optimnum level.
Chris

[geoberni]

When I got the car I asked a mechanic to check all the usual service items but he clearly failed to check the oil levels in the dampers.

The thing is, that unless you took it to a specialist Classic Car garage, it's rare to find anyone who knows anything about cars from 60-70 years ago.
Cars these days have sealed for life telescopic Shocks, not hydraulic lever Dampers which require topping up.
Your mechanic, unless over 60 years old, wouldn't even recognise an Armstrong Damper if he tripped over it...

[don58van]

Do not overfill the dampers. There must be an air gap under the cap to allow for fluid expansion.
Don