Front dampers

Post by **Cam** » Wed Mar 29, 2006 4:59 pm

Just for info, I replaced the front O/S damper on Gracie today and the one I took off was behaving a little odd. I wondered if anyone had experienced this before or knows what's causing it:

If you move the arm there is almost 2" of vertical free play (no resistance felt - move it easily with little finger) then past the 2" it feels like it should (hard to move) but if you stop moving it then there is still 2" of free play but it's moved up! So, basically if you are driving along and the suspension travel is 2" or less then it feel like you have no damper that side, but if the movement is over 2" it starts to damp. Very odd.

Also, there was around 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch front to back movement! which obviously is a sign that the thing is knackered!

No wonder the wheel was vibrating and bouncing over 60 MPH!!!

Post by **johnm** » Wed Mar 29, 2006 7:13 pm

Hmmmm. Bad idea to replace only one damper, they come in pairs.

Post by **bmcecosse** » Wed Mar 29, 2006 8:04 pm

Never had this - sounds like it's well knackered. Your suspension must have been all over the place!

Post by **Cam** » Wed Mar 29, 2006 9:08 pm

johnm wrote:Hmmmm. Bad idea to replace only one damper, they come in pairs.

Actually they come individually.

The other one is perfectly sound though and by the looks of things they were not a matching pair, so (not knowing the complete history of the car) it's a certainty that one has been replaced previously and not the pair. Incidently, I have not replaced the damper with a new one but a second hand one. Why do you say it's a bad idea to only replace one?

bmcecosse wrote:Never had this - sounds like it's well knackered. Your suspension must have been all over the place!

Yep it was well knackered and as you quite correctly say: My suspension was quite literally all over the place!

Post by **bmcecosse** » Thu Mar 30, 2006 7:34 am

Si fractum non sit, noli id reficere.
There is nothing wrong with the other damper - so leave it be !

Post by **Cam** » Thu Mar 30, 2006 3:16 pm

Agreed. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Post by **paulk** » Thu Mar 30, 2006 3:23 pm

If the damper arm has any side to side movement don't expect to get you depsit back on an exchange one either.

Just found out that both my rear ones were not repairable so no refund and I'm down the cost of sending them to Bull Motif

Post by **Cam** » Thu Mar 30, 2006 3:34 pm

paulk wrote:If the damper arm has any side to side movement don't expect to get you depsit back on an exchange one either.

Well, that's not really a problem for me as I just swapped the duff one with a working one from my 'project' traveller so no traders were involved.

Mine did not have play front to back in an arc, just in the direction of the car as if the arm was 'slotting' in and out of the damper body.

Just found out that both my rear ones were not repairable so no refund and I'm down the cost of sending them to Bull Motif

That's a bit rough.

So that means that it's cost you around £32 as opposed to around £17? (+ VAT & postage of course!).

Post by **paulk** » Thu Mar 30, 2006 3:41 pm

Yep and to top it all off I've deeply depressed myself by working out how much the whole project has cost me so far.

Just like everyone else it seems I could have probably bought a runner for less rather than do up Yellowmog.

Ho hum as soon as I can scrape up the price of a MOT we should have the summer to pootle around.

Post by **Cam** » Thu Mar 30, 2006 3:51 pm

paulk wrote:Yep and to top it all off I've deeply depressed myself by working out how much the whole project has cost me so far.

Never, EVER do that! It's not about the money - and you have to KEEP telling yourself that!

Just like everyone else it seems I could have probably bought a runner for less rather than do up Yellowmog.

Yep, but it's another Minor rescued! A great service to Minor-kind.

Ho hum as soon as I can scrape up the price of a MOT we should have the summer to pootle around.

Great stuff, that's what it's all about. And then when you've got the MoT and start driving around then you'll find all the other things wrong!!

Post by **paulk** » Thu Mar 30, 2006 3:57 pm

Great stuff, that's what it's all about. And then when you've got the MoT and start driving around then you'll find all the other things wrong!!

Cam ever thought of a career as a counsellor?

No?

good

ps

Yep, but it's another Minor rescued! A great service to Minor-kind.

You haven't seen it yet

Post by **Cam** » Thu Mar 30, 2006 4:02 pm

Post by **Scott** » Thu Mar 30, 2006 11:34 pm

paulk wrote:If the damper arm has any side to side movement don't expect to get you depsit back on an exchange one either.

What a scam !!!

Don't the reco units have new bushes fitted to them ??

What do they do to reco them if they dont ?
A new front seal & a coat of black paint by the sounds

.

Post by **minor_hickup** » Fri Mar 31, 2006 12:57 am

Yep and to top it all off I've deeply depressed myself by working out how much the whole project has cost me so far.

just think that a lot of money spent on tools etc would probably have been payed out to keep a runner maintained

Post by **Cam** » Fri Mar 31, 2006 2:16 am

Yeah, but you get the satisfaction of doing the job and rescuing a Minor.

You have to keep telling yourself that!

Post by **paulk** » Fri Mar 31, 2006 8:44 am

No problems

Spent last night chatting Mogs and drinking Tea with Peetee so now the world has been put to rights again.

(also blagged a heater valve so another annoyance solved I hope

)

trouble is I've now come up with more engine fiddling ideas and Pete has supplied some old heads and valves to practice on.

What do they do to reco them if they dont ?
A new front seal & a coat of black paint by the sounds

Looks that way, Maybe the seals inside as well. I did have the number of a guy who could recon any lever arm damper properly, bushes and all but He wanted about £100 a pair if they were simple units. I've heard he does a cracking job but is more use if you cannot find replacments at all for unusual classics.

Post by **bmcecosse** » Fri Mar 31, 2006 9:57 am

I have never been able to get the arm off the spindle - tried heat/pullers (on an old knackered unit obviously) - never managed to move it even 1 mm !!