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Suspension fluid

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Baz

Baz

Yoda
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Is there a suspension fluid I can buy over the counter at my local auto parts store, or is this an 'exclusive' special blend for Brit cars as one of the catalogs point out?
~One (Front near side) is a little low~
TIA
 
Motorcycle shock oil is what I used in mine. No problems with them.
 
Yep...I went to the local Harley dealer and bought fork oil. You can get several different weights. I personally prefer the 50w.

Castrol used to make a fork oil as well...don't know if they still do or not.

Hint...go to you local farm supply store and buy some 60cc syringes and some tubing....makes topping off the shocks a breeze.
 
Thanks both.
Trying to diagnose a suspension bounce, figure this is the cheapest, less drastic step to begin with.
 
Castrol do still make a fork oil...although I've only seen the 10W locally. They do list 15W and 20W, however. A more 'expert' recommendation of 20W fork oil comes from Peter Caldwell of World Wide Auto Parts fame.
 
If you are haveing bounceing problems, forget the oil. Have Peter rebuild em.
 
Mineral oil! Buy it in any drug store. We used to use it in the old Ford lever shocks and never had a problem with it. I have regular shock oil from Moss on the shelf and a bottle of mineral oil. Put them in a glass container and you can't tell them apart. But, like Jack says, if they are bouncing a lot (and there's oil in them), get them rebuilt. The MG lever shock was extremely well made and one of the most durable parts on the car, but they won't last forever. JMHO. PJ
 
I'd get them rebuilt if that's what is needed, but trying to diagnose right now.
The PO said the car was jacked up for a year, near side front (where the bounce is) Is it possible for a coil spring to elongate, or just lose its properties being off the ground that long?
 
Baz said:
....Is it possible for a coil spring to elongate, or just lose its properties being off the ground that long?
Click to expand...

No, the spring should not really be affected by that to any great degree.
Anyway, the bouncing is not really caused by the spring....it's probably caused by a lack dampening which is related to the shock absorber.
Certain brands of motorcycle fork oil advertise as having "seal-swell", to improve sealing of leaky or old seals. Not sure if that is really true, but maybe worth a shot.
If all is well for a while and things get bouncy again, the shocks probably have leaked down and need the rebuild that others have advised.

Note: Confusingly, the springs are really the "shock absorbers" and the "shocks" actually act as "dampers" (which is what the Brits call them). Sometimes they are called "dampeners" as well.
 
You want a 20W oil with anti-foaming properties. Moss and other suppliers sell an oil specifically for this purpose. Or you can use motorcycle fork oil as suggested above. You can run a little heavier oil, but if you want stiffer shocks the best thing to do is replace the valves with stiffer ones. Too heavy of an oil can damage the shocks. Do not use an oil without anti-foaming agents.
 
Thank you all.
20W (seal-swell or normal) fork oil it is, if not, I know where to send them.
Rick, I'm curious, The 'C' being a heavier car up front, does that influence the 50W you prefer?
 
The MGC uses telescopic shock on the front and Armstrong lever arm on the rear. This is the stock set-up.

I use 50w Fork Oil on all four corners of the 1978 MGB.
 
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