Sure it's not one the external mounting rubber bushes (if a separate shock, rather than strut)
On my old Rover they need quite regular replacement. Just as well - as the shocks (nivomats) are the thick end of a grand.
Very unusual for all pistons to seize equally. So if all the same, probably OK.
Quite ... I was really talking of the effort required to push the pistons back to make room for the new pads (whilst doing so 'carefully' etc).
Winding the rears back in was something else of course. ;-)
Cheers, T i m
I'm not sure it's not anything Dave but I think (from memory) it's yer pretty std strut sitting in a rubber bush (to allow for angular movement) in the top of the tower. [1]
Ouch.
Cheers, T i m
[1] That reminds me that on the kitcar (Ex Mk2 Escort) the front road springs wind up and down, as you steer left and right. One of the mods is to replace the top bush for a ball / swivel mount that would allow the top shaft and hence top spring cup to rotate freely and so probably make the steering lighter (not that it's particularly heavy etc).My only worry was how that might affect the natural self-centring as you have to lock the tops of the struts off in the bushes with the wheels in a straight line or the car pulls to one side or another.
The thing is, the ride 'stiffened up' a bit more than I wanted when I replaced the other rubber bushes for Poly, so I didn't really want to make that area even stiffer by going to a rigid mount (ball or bearing) of some sort. ;-(
self re-centring when moving forward is a function of the steering geometry. ball race top mounts are a very good idea and worth changing to.
I understand 'caster' but unsure how it would work on something that would self centre if you lifted the front wheels off the ground. ;-)
I'm happy to do that (at the right price) as long as I can do so whilst retaining the advantages of the rubber top mount (silent alignment and some ride cushioning).
I did consider just putting a thrust bearing between the top cup and the underside of the top mount and removing the 'D' from the cup to allow it to rotate on the shaft but I probably need a bearing between the two of some sort (or it might wear the shaft etc)?
There may well be such things out there (other than roller / ball top mounts with no rubber and cheaper than £240 / pair). ;-(
why would you need self centring when the wheels are in the air?
I don't ... but what I was highlighting is with the steering setup as it is, there is a natural tenancy for the steering to self centre without the effect of castor and that was the way it was designed. Take away that 'designed function' and who know how it would behave after that?
Now I know caster should(?) cause the vehicle to self centre when it's on the move but is the amount of caster present the same as on a vehicle that is designed to have a free turning strut / spring?
Cheers, T i m
MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.