All the time I have had the car it has been over-sensitive to the road surface which I always suspected was due to the old springs and dampers at the front - now it's like a different car!
Mark
front suspension re-build
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marky
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Re: front suspension re-build
All done and runs like a dream!!!!
All the time I have had the car it has been over-sensitive to the road surface which I always suspected was due to the old springs and dampers at the front - now it's like a different car!
Mark
All the time I have had the car it has been over-sensitive to the road surface which I always suspected was due to the old springs and dampers at the front - now it's like a different car!
Mark
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shaunw
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Re: front suspension re-build
Glad you're pleased Mark after all that hard work.marky wrote:All done and runs like a dream!!!!
All the time I have had the car it has been over-sensitive to the road surface which I always suspected was due to the old springs and dampers at the front - now it's like a different car!
Mark
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MetBlue
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Re: front suspension re-build
Typically, I found this thread just as I've finished rebuilding the front suspension on my car.
There's a post on page 3 about thread sizes. The bottom ball joint is M14 and the top ball joint 7/16" UNF.
ARB's on early cars are not M12, I think 1/2" UNF, but I'll check later.
I tried various sequences to get lower link, damper and spring assembled. I could see the spacers either side of bottom damper mount would be fiddly, so initially fitted damper to lower link on the bench and made a spring compressor with some angle iron as I didn't want to damage to new powder coating. - Didn't work. I can confirm the easiest way by far is to fit lower link, position spring, jack up under the lower ball joint, then insert damper. No real need for spring compressors. Fiddly, but not impossible to get the lower damper bolt in with sufficient washers / spacers. I used AVO's from Lotusbits, which need a large washer either side of the isolation bush and different spacers to the original damper.
Interesting to see posts talk about a total of 8mm of shims on the ARB. Mine needs 10mm to take all end float out, then more to get some compression. Am going to comment further on this on a separate thread about castor measurements and adjustment.
Tony
There's a post on page 3 about thread sizes. The bottom ball joint is M14 and the top ball joint 7/16" UNF.
ARB's on early cars are not M12, I think 1/2" UNF, but I'll check later.
I tried various sequences to get lower link, damper and spring assembled. I could see the spacers either side of bottom damper mount would be fiddly, so initially fitted damper to lower link on the bench and made a spring compressor with some angle iron as I didn't want to damage to new powder coating. - Didn't work. I can confirm the easiest way by far is to fit lower link, position spring, jack up under the lower ball joint, then insert damper. No real need for spring compressors. Fiddly, but not impossible to get the lower damper bolt in with sufficient washers / spacers. I used AVO's from Lotusbits, which need a large washer either side of the isolation bush and different spacers to the original damper.
Interesting to see posts talk about a total of 8mm of shims on the ARB. Mine needs 10mm to take all end float out, then more to get some compression. Am going to comment further on this on a separate thread about castor measurements and adjustment.
Tony
What goes together.... Must come apart.