Sticking suspension?

TR Tony · Postby **TR Tony** » 10 Dec 2011 14:38

Bit of an odd one, this!

Took my TR8 out this morning. On the way out of the estate where I live there are a couple of "traffic calmers" which I always negotiate at slow speed, but they give the car a jolt. Having passed these obstacles I went a few miles and the car seemed heavy to drive (it's not got power steering), but it drove & braked straight, no unusual noises & all seemed OK.

When I got home I noticed that the drivers side front corner looked low, & sure enough a measurement compared to the other side confirmed this.

So, jacked it up to remove the wheel for a look, and as I did so the front suspension leg slowly came down with a series of creaks until it was in the position you would expect. Inspected everything, nothing broken or loose that I could find. Wheel back on, lowered back down & it now sits at the correct height.

I have bounced the corner of the car a few times, & driven up & down the road including over the "traffic calmers", & all seems normal.

I can only conclude that for some weird reason the strut jammed in the compressed position when I first went over the traffic calmers. Jacking it up pulled it back down under it's own weight.

Anyone ever had this happen before? Or is there likely to be a more serious underlying problem here?

Tony

1981 2L FHC Cavalry Blue
1980 3.5L V8 DHC Jaguar Regency Red - sadly sold!
1977 TR8 FHC EFI Factory development car Inca Yellow

Beans · Postby **Beans** » 10 Dec 2011 16:20

I had something similar a few years ago just after I bought the Bordeaux Red DHC.
Took several seconds for the suspension to regain it's original position after being compressed.
Turned out one of the rear shock absorbers had gone (probably something wrong with the valves inside).

Or could it be that the strut insert is bend or damaged otherwise.
And has the car been standing for a (very) long time.

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1980 TR7 DHC (my first car, now restored and back on the road)
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TR Tony · Postby **TR Tony** » 11 Dec 2011 08:48

Thanks Theo, sounds a bit like your experience except mine stayed stuck down till I jacked the car up!

I did wonder if the shock absorber is failing, maybe one of the valves inside is sticking.

It's not been sat around, in fact it's used quite regularly, but I don't know how old the front inserts are - I have never had to look inside the struts but I get the feeling that I may be doing just that quite soon!

Tony

1981 2L FHC Cavalry Blue
1980 3.5L V8 DHC Jaguar Regency Red - sadly sold!
1977 TR8 FHC EFI Factory development car Inca Yellow

john 215 · Postby **john 215** » 11 Dec 2011 08:57

Hi Tony,

Poss the shock, also the bolt that attaches the bottom arm to the frame has a habit of seizing in, normaly will tear the steel insert out of the bush but if you change the strut check it anyway, if only by loosening the nut and turning the bolt to check.

Cheers John

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TR Tony · Postby **TR Tony** » 11 Dec 2011 12:23

Thanks for the tip, John.

If it does turn out to be the strut insert, would you recommend changing as a pair or could I just fit a matching replacement on the affected side? I don't actually know what is in there, possibly KYBs which are also on the back. Springs are standard TR8 with A/C judging from the coloured stripe on them.

Tony

1981 2L FHC Cavalry Blue
1980 3.5L V8 DHC Jaguar Regency Red - sadly sold!
1977 TR8 FHC EFI Factory development car Inca Yellow

dursleyman · Postby **dursleyman** » 11 Dec 2011 12:30

Tony,

You need to change that strut insert as you will never be able to trust it again, the same thing could happen anytime - imagine if it stuck after a bump in a fast corner you could be in the scenery before you know it. Obviously you need to do both sides to keep the balance.
I had a brand new Bilstein damper seize on one of my rally cars and it became almost undrivable because the only suspension movement was the flex of the tyre. Very nasty sensation.

Change it now. 

Russ

1980 TR7 DHC
Dursley
UK

TR Tony · Postby **TR Tony** » 02 Feb 2012 21:10

Finally got to remove the offending strut assembly today with the help of a local mechanic - well actually it would be more truthful to say he removed it & I helped a bit[:I]

Once dismantled I was quite shocked ('scuse the pun) to find the shock aborber insert was completed knackered - all the oil had come out of it & was in the strut tube, and the bump stop had disintegrated into a kind of oily goo. Apart from having lost it's damping oil the insert was sticking so that was the cause of the symptoms I had seen.

Rather strangely the rest of the strut components including the rubber parts were all in good condition - it had obviously been overhauled before as there is a roller bearing modification in there.

So, clean up, new insert & bump stop, replaced the rubber spring seats as a precaution, greased the roller bearing then all back in. Ran out of daylight to do the other side but will definitely be doing it a.s.a.p. to make sure both are in good order.

Drives better already [:)]

Tony

1981 2L FHC Cavalry Blue
1980 3.5L V8 DHC Jaguar Regency Red - sadly sold!
1977 TR8 FHC EFI Factory development car Inca Yellow

dursleyman · Postby **dursleyman** » 02 Feb 2012 22:08

Tony,

Sounds like it was a bit of a mess.

I would respectfully suggest you do the other side as a matter of urgency, its a bad idea to have different damping on each side of your front end.

Russ

FI Spyder · Postby **FI Spyder** » 02 Feb 2012 23:33

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by TR Tony

all the oil had come out of it & was in the strut tube,
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

When I took my strut inserts out (as a matter of course, checking and cleaning/painting front end components when I first got my car) there was zero shock action, could lift the shaft up; and down with thumb and finger. There was no oil in strut tube as there is a hole in the bottom. Do not all cars have this drain hole?

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TR Tony · Postby **TR Tony** » 03 Feb 2012 07:55

I'll be doing the N/S strut a.s.a.p. Russ, I absolutely agree with you. it was just lack of daylight & freezing fingers that stopped us yesterday!

Spyder, there does not appear to be a hole in the bottom of my strut tube, I poured maybe 100ml of oil out of the tube.

Tony

1981 2L FHC Cavalry Blue
1980 3.5L V8 DHC Jaguar Regency Red - sadly sold!
1977 TR8 FHC EFI Factory development car Inca Yellow

Neil_W · Postby **Neil_W** » 03 Feb 2012 09:43

There is a small hole at the bottom of the Strut Leg - if I remember from last summer when I renewed both legs / inserts the hole it where the bottom of the Strut insert, seats into the leg - so is covered when the strut is in place or blocked up with road muck.
After 30 years they needed an overhaul.

Just remember as I put WD 40 inside the new strut body to coat the surface to stop any surface rust starting - it flowed out the bottom of the stut.

TR Tony · Postby **TR Tony** » 03 Feb 2012 09:56

Thanks, sounds like mine was blocked then!

Something to check when I do the other side.

Tony

1981 2L FHC Cavalry Blue
1980 3.5L V8 DHC Jaguar Regency Red - sadly sold!
1977 TR8 FHC EFI Factory development car Inca Yellow

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Sticking suspension?

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