New shock absorbers all round

dmblbit

Active Member
Have replaced all four 47 year old shocks with pretty blue GAZ adjustable ones.

Having read some of the previous threads on this topic I bought 5mm stainless steel marine quality split pins (boatfittings.co.uk) to retain the bottom bushes in the front ones. Getting them on was a nightmare. The blue bushes seem much harder than the originals and didn't yield much at all, so I couldn't get an open ended spanner in as suggested elsewhere, so ended up using two flat bladed screwdrivers, an old drill bit in the vertical hole, and a lot of bad language.

Anyway, they're in now at last.

Unfortunately, when I undid the four 1/2" AF bolts holding the bottom plate for the offside rear shock absorber, it appears on of the threads was stripped - female side - not the bolt. Does anyone know what's behind there, and have any suggestions to resolve this? I don't feel comfortable riding around with just three holding it onIMG_7171.JPGIMG_7172.JPG.
 
I'll be doing the same job on the front of my 2000 soon. Bought the Gaz shocks due to the perceived low quality of standard items. Anyway, I found the last time I did this with new bushes it helped to soak the bushes in boiling water to soften them. That worked after a fashion, but as my 2000 is a 1966 car it has hollow bottom mounts and I ended up having to thread the mount and fit a bolt. See here Bottom front shock mount.

Dave
 
As for the rear bottom plate issue. The threaded holes go straight into the radius arm. I’d check the arm for rust just to be safe. You can repair the damaged thread with a helicoil kit. I’m fact threads repaired with helicoil inserts are stronger than the original.
 
I have found fitting the split pins easier by utilising the fact the end is stepped, as a means of getting it in. Put on the washer and press it with either a clamp or pushing with screwdriver until just over half the split pin hole is seen on the one side only, then put the longer step of the pin into the hole . Rotate the split pin 180 degrees and it will act like a cam and depress the washer, allowing the whole pin to be tapped in halfway . Repeat the exercise to get it through the opposite end over the washer . It works better if one uses an over long split pin so that the eye bit is clear of the washer at all times, so its easy to rotate . It can be trimmed to finish off. This saves trying the depress the whole bush to totally clear the complete hole to push in the pin. You only have to depress half the bush, half the way.
 
As for the rear bottom plate issue. The threaded holes go straight into the radius arm. I’d check the arm for rust just to be safe. You can repair the damaged thread with a helicoil kit. I’m fact threads repaired with helicoil inserts are stronger than the original.
The radius arm is new(ish) fitted by Colin Gould in 2017, so should be fine. I'll have a crack at a helicoil repair - thanks.
I'll be doing the same job on the front of my 2000 soon. Bought the Gaz shocks due to the perceived low quality of standard items. Anyway, I found the last time I did this with new bushes it helped to soak the bushes in boiling water to soften them. That worked after a fashion, but as my 2000 is a 1966 car it has hollow bottom mounts and I ended up having to thread the mount and fit a bolt. See here Bottom front shock mount.

Dave
Quite frankly Dave I'm hoping I never, ever, ever have to mess with this beast ever again. Looks like you had some similar fun with yours.
 
I have found fitting the split pins easier by utilising the fact the end is stepped, as a means of getting it in. Put on the washer and press it with either a clamp or pushing with screwdriver until just over half the split pin hole is seen on the one side only, then put the longer step of the pin into the hole . Rotate the split pin 180 degrees and it will act like a cam and depress the washer, allowing the whole pin to be tapped in halfway . Repeat the exercise to get it through the opposite end over the washer . It works better if one uses an over long split pin so that the eye bit is clear of the washer at all times, so its easy to rotate . It can be trimmed to finish off. This saves trying the depress the whole bush to totally clear the complete hole to push in the pin. You only have to depress half the bush, half the way.

As noted already in my reply to Dave, I really don't want to have to mess with this again, but thanks for the feedback anyway. It's amazing how creative we become when the universe is against us. . . . . .
 
I don't wish to hijack this thread but wonder if anyone has seen some of these before:

IMG_5997.JPG

I bought some rear lower arms yesterday & these were attached. Apparently the car was damaged beyond repair (....on a banger track no less :oops:). I suppose if it had just been crushed instead then I wouldn't have got the really good spares, so 'every cloud...';)
 
Sparky has a similar rear set

uprated shock.jpg

I had a set on my previous P6 and like the way it stiffens up the rear end, so when I found Sparky had odd shocks (a thin red one and a thicker blue one ?) I fitted a pair of these.

I have an idea they were designed for towing but I may be wrong.

Richard
 
I have found fitting the split pins easier by utilising the fact the end is stepped, as a means of getting it in. Put on the washer and press it with either a clamp or pushing with screwdriver until just over half the split pin hole is seen on the one side only, then put the longer step of the pin into the hole . Rotate the split pin 180 degrees and it will act like a cam and depress the washer, allowing the whole pin to be tapped in halfway . Repeat the exercise to get it through the opposite end over the washer . It works better if one uses an over long split pin so that the eye bit is clear of the washer at all times, so its easy to rotate . It can be trimmed to finish off. This saves trying the depress the whole bush to totally clear the complete hole to push in the pin. You only have to depress half the bush, half the way.
Having just replaced the front dampers on my 1973 3500 the following tip may be helpful. In the absence of the proper tool for compressing the bottom bushes, a ball-joint splitter can be used (the old-school type that looks like a tuning fork). Attach the top of the damper then fit the bottom and place the washer in position, place an appropriate rod of some kind in the outer hole and slide the splitter between the washer and rod with the flat side against the washer and the angled side against the rod. Tap in gently with a heavy-ish hammer and the bush will compress nicely and the split pin can be slid in - no skinned knuckles and no new swear words that the kids may repeat in school!
 
Back
Top