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Dampers

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vping

vping

Yoda
Silver
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I am a bit all over the road.

Suspects are;

Old worn tires
Wires not true
Rack - Feels like there is play.

Doc also recommended "that the front-end "wander" will be due to poor damping: check/fill the front shocks for that."

What is the best way to tackle all of the dampers on a '67 B?
 
Oh boy, one at a time and remove them to do it. Check old posts for details, lots of info there.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Oh boy, one at a time and remove them to do it. Check old posts for details, lots of info there.

[/ QUOTE ]

"wandering"... does it seem to be up/down or side to side. If the former, probably the dampers, if the latter, could be most anything. I'd address the suspension bushings before anything else (a-arm, kinpin). Then troubleshoot from there.

When was the last time the shocks were filled?
 
Just buy some 20W mineral oil (or buy Armstrong Shock Oil from Moss) and fill each of the shocks. Simply remove the screw from the top of each damper and fill them up. Be sure to clean the area around the screw before opening it up to prevent any junk from falling in the filler hole.

If they were running dry, you will need to "burp" them a bit. Do this by working the shock arm upand down for a while and then topping off again. The rears are very easily removed from the car for this task but the fronts aren't quite so easy. So you can bounce the car up and down instead to burp the fronts.

If the shocks were not dry and simply needed topping off then don't worry about air bubbles. It is only when the fluid level drops below the valve that you will introduce air into the system.

Once they are full, keep an eye on the level. If it drops, you have leaky shocks and will either need to continue topping them up forever or have them rebuilt. Once rebuilt, they should last another 40 years before leaking again. Send them to Worldwide if they need service.
 
I have had the car for 2 months so I do not know when they were filled.

Where would you get 20w Mineral oil?

The wandering is from left to right. I push on the back or the rear of the car is feels very firm.

I wonder if the wander is from the rack?
 
how are your bushings? If they're worn that'll produce wander when you hit bumps too. The bushings include the cross member pads. If *ANY* of the bushings in the front end are worn you'll get wander in the front end.
 
I just buy the stuff from Moss personally, but I would think most hardware stores would sell mineral oil. You can also use 20W hydraulic jack oil or 20W motorcycle fork oil.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Where would you get 20w Mineral oil?


[/ QUOTE ]

Go to any motorcycle shop and ask for "fork oil". Straight 20wt non-detergent motor oil is fine in a pinch.

If the car is wandering side to side, I'd bet that your front suspension bushes are to blame. The steering rack is solid mounted, probably not the culprit.
 
Motorcycle fork oil is the better choice, hydraulic jack oil does not have the anti-foaming additive that the fork oil does. The fill hole is on the side of the shock facing out and you will need a container that has a tube that can be placed in the fill hole. The wonder caould also be caused by loose U bolts on the rear axle, especially is the car dends to twitch or wander when you accelerate or quickly let off the accelerator.
Good luck,
 
I have some fork oil from my bike so i can give that a shot. Is the hex head on the side of the damper, the fill?
Do I add it until it's full and bounce the car up & down and continue to add more if needed?

tn_5-07-06-Rightsidecaliperrotor004.jpg
 
Yes, David is right. I was thinking of MGA shocks where the filler is right on top. The screw on the side just below the top is the filler. Fill it up, bounce the car (or better yet disconnect the shock and move the arm up and down) and see if you can get any air to come out of the bottom chamber. When the air comes out and the oil level drops, refill and continue the process until no more air escapes. Then check periodically for a few hundred miles to see if any more worked its way out.

If your shocks do not leak then you're good to go until they do, which could be tomorrow or 40 years from now. If they do leak but it's very slow, just keep them topped up and don't worry about it. Just don't let the oil level get below the valves or you have to burp them again.
 
This guy, Pete, https://www.nosimport.com/shoxcatalog.htm is a member on the Healey side. He rebuilds the shocks and guarantees them never to leak. I haven’t used him, but I intend too. The guys that have used the service have had good things to say. The prices seem like it would be worth it just for the guarantee.
 
After sdo many years, I'd remove them & pull the valve (carefull it comes out in 2 pieces)..then, I'd drain them & clean them out...then, fill through the valve opening first... &, after replacing the valve, finish filling through the "fill hole".....that's the only way to clean them & get all the air out.
 
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