Shock absorbers fail after 24 hours, or my mistake?

[RonMig]

I changed the nsr damper on my car, all ok.
Went to do the osr then found this, been like it for some time I think...


so ended up replacing both the springs too.
I had wondered why that side was lower...

 

[Barking Mat]

In French....

 

[Screwdriver]

Looks low, you need new springs.

 

[Barking Mat]

Well ???

Chuck it through the Mot friday. See what happens.

Maybe it was grit in the disks?

I'll take it for a spin tomorrow...

 

[tom2207]

They will probably just glance underneath and give you a cert , its what they do here on a retest .
After that treat your self to a pair of new springs , at 19 years old it deserves something nice , and its still cheap driving.

 

[Barking Mat]

They will probably just glance underneath and give you a cert , its what they do here on a retest .
After that treat your self to a pair of new springs , at 19 years old it deserves something nice , and its still cheap driving.

Thanks, just weird it failed like that.

Coincidence?

Big thanks to everyone, as ever.

I'll ask racing car man tomorrow, what he thinks.

 

[ukracer]

I am not sure why you would expect the shocks to adjust the ride height when stationary.

Yes if they are leaking they might allow the back end to go lower over speed bumps . But new ones should stop that anyway.
It is possible for springs to become unseated after fitting shocks but this is usually on the fronts on some cars.

So perhaps your wife heard it moving into place and now the noise has gone.

But yes IMHO if you want greater ride height you will need new springs. In my experience uprated ones if your car is loaded more than not.

 

[tom2207]

Thanks, just weird it failed like that.

Coincidence?

Big thanks to everyone, as ever.

I'll ask racing car man tomorrow, what he thinks.

Im not getting the failed bit , sorry for being dim ,,, is it the height thats bothering you , does it feel bouncy , or is it making a noise ,, could you explain what you think has failed please.

 

[Cobbler]

Were the original ones self levelling ones? If so the springs maybe different. They were on the 240 & 740’s they were shorter & pumped up with the self levelling. If you put the shocks off a non self levelling one on, the car sat too low.

 

[Barking Mat]

I am not sure why you would expect the shocks to adjust the ride height when stationary.

Yes if they are leaking they might allow the back end to go lower over speed bumps . But new ones should stop that anyway.
It is possible for springs to become unseated after fitting shocks but this is usually on the fronts on some cars.

So perhaps your wife heard it moving into place and now the noise has gone.

But yes IMHO if you want greater ride height you will need new springs. In my experience uprated ones if your car is loaded more than not.

Thanks, I'm not bothered about ride height.

Didn't occur to me it was the springs set the height, suspension not my strong point.

Will quiz wifie when she returns.

Thanks mate.

 

[Barking Mat]

Im not getting the failed bit , sorry for being dim ,,, is it the height thats bothering you , does it feel bouncy , or is it making a noise ,, could you explain what you think has failed please.

I thought the new shocks might have failed,

This due to the ride height which looks abnormally low, like it has 10 sacks of cement in it.

So not shocks problem, as I first suspected, more likely coils.

 

[Barking Mat]

Wife reported bad noise, I can't locate this noise driving up and down the drive.

 

[tom2207]

Wife reported bad noise, I can't locate this noise driving up and down the drive.

Ah , in that case , never worry till it gets worse and you do find it , do a quick spin and go get the cert if all is good . ,,, id still put a pair of springs in it , it will cheer up the driving no end.
Ah youve done the quick spin ,,, never worry about it , all will be grand .

 

[ukracer]

Thanks, just weird it failed like that.

Coincidence?

Big thanks to everyone, as ever.

I'll ask racing car man tomorrow, what he thinks.

It is unlikely to have failed on height unless it's a broken spring but it would say on the MOT.
It would fail if one or both of the shocks had oil coming out of it or was excessively rusty. (But even that might be an advisory now. @doubleboost would know

They used to check the rebound of the fronts by pushing down on the front wings but I don't know as they even do that now.

Essentially those shocks stop the back of the car hitting bumpstops or extending the springs too much.
they do more in terms of smoothing the ride out and keeping the car from wallowing/bouncing up and down and getting out of control and keeping tyres on the ground.

 

[Barking Mat]

We’re the original ones self levelling ones? If so the springs maybe different. They were on the 240 & 740’s they were shorter & pumped up with the self levelling. If you put the shocks off a non self levelling one on, the car sat too low.

Errghh, I ordered them from my numberplate, as a reference, and the company, knows exactly what my car is from the internet database like DVLA in the uk, I've checked and everything corresponds.

 

[Barking Mat]

It is unlikely to have failed on height unless it's a broken spring but it would say on the MOT.
It would fail if one or both of the shocks had oil coming out of it or was excessively rusty. (But even that might be an advisory now. @doubleboost would know

They used to check the rebound of the fronts by pushing down on the front wings but I don't know as they even do that now.

Essentially those shocks stop the back of the car hitting bumpstops or extending the springs too much.
they do more in terms of smoothing the ride out and keeping the car from wallowing/bouncing up and down and getting out of control and keeping tyres on the ground.

Didn't fail on height, failed on the fact it was leaking, and they have some powered wobble test which checks shocks aren't knackered.

 

[MetalMonkey]

Being pedantic they are dampers - and as said all they do is control the compression and rebound of the spring - they don't have any effect on ride height.
If they have failed you would be looking for excessive bounce as the spring will no longer be "damped"

The reason for tightening the bolts up on the ground with the vehicles weight on it is because the bushes twist as the suspension moves up and down, so you want them bolted up in the "at rest" position so they are not over twisted.
All you need to do is loosen the bolts off, bounce the suspension about a bit and tighten them back up - worth doing as it does lead to premature failure of the bush. This might also be a cause for your noise.

If the springs are intact but ride height is low, they are probably just tired.

 

[Barking Mat]

Does bounce, so it's not my shocks.

Thanks good folks.

Will let you know what the MOT man says.

 

[ukracer]

Thanks, I'm not bothered about ride height.

Didn't occur to me it was the springs set the height, suspension not my strong point.

Will quiz wifie when she returns.

Thanks mate.

I am not an expert (but my lad raced RC cars and not only do you change springs for different tracks but also the viscosity of the oil in the shocks AND the holes in the pistons inside.
Anyway when I was giving computer training I learnt to assume the person I was teaching knew nothing. And it sounded like you expected the new shocks to raise the height.


That's a cut away RC shock absorber..it might help you understand how and what they do.

Good luck.

 

[Barking Mat]

I am not an expert (but my lad raced RC cars and not only do you change springs for different tracks but also the viscosity of the oil in the shocks AND the holes in the pistons inside.
Anyway when I was giving computer training I learnt to assume the person I was teaching knew nothing. And it sounded like you expected the new shocks to raise the height.

Good luck.

I know nothing.

Just seems the ride height has dropped since yesterday.

And having changed the dampers (thanks), thought id ballsed up or they had failed.