Sorry to post again re my front suspension (+2s130) but I am having such huge troubles, and every person I speak to about parts tells a different story - it has been by far the most complicated thing I’ve ever tried to buy for the car and I just need some straightforward advice…
I opted for protech shocks. These don’t come ready put together, but SJ will do it for me, but they need my end caps as they go on at the same time. They can’t have them, as I use the car every day and can’t remove them myself anyway.
TTR provide pre-prepared shocks/springs, which implies that the dust-cover/end cap is redundant - is this the case? If so, why are SJ insisting on fitting it?
Can I fit the front shocks without these apparently impossible to buy end caps? If they are so important, why does nobody make new ones?
Please offer some impatial advice and help me out, I’m ripping my hair out and all I want is some shocks so my car is safe…
Rob,
The use of the dust cover (sleeve) has been debated before, some people say it is not necessary but I think one of the suppliers says it is because it keeps the spring action straight and stops the spring from bowing outwards as well as protecting the shock from road grime.
S.J. may have an issue if it is not fitted and it may invalidate any warranty ?
I fitted the sleeves from my old shocks on to the protec units but as you say you need the old ones,maybe some one has some old complete units they could help you with.
For what it’s worth I’ve run my elan for donkey’s years without the covers.
I took mine off after figuring out where the crashing noise at the front was originating. Don’t see how they protect the dampers- once the seals go that’s it.
When I saw how much the dust covers had worn away the springs, putting flats on them, I made some slightly bigger covers.
When I put everything together the springs took on a curving, “S” bend shape from top to bottom which didn’t look too clever.
Put the old ones back on but with a coating of grease up inside them and that’s how they have remained ever since. So I’d say that Brians comment about “keeping the spring action straight” is on the money.
My Koni’s have worked fine for years without any sleeve although they are getting very tired now and are well overdue for either a rebuild or replacement.
If SJ’s are so insistent that sleeves must be fitted then let them source new ones from ???, most of the ones out there will probably be on their last legs anyway and look a bag of sh*te.
On the subject of dampers I know a guy running in rallying (not in an Elan) that highly recommends Protech although his car never sees any road salt they do get plenty of hammer and contamination on forest tracks. I’m still wary of them though, just a gut feeling though, nothing concrete.
Spax have in the past supplied some of their “fully QA assured” track dampers to me that varied by around 10 clicks per side in their adjustment to get them to respond even remotely similarly - that was by hand operation and not on a damper dynomometer! While they immediately gave me a refund I got the distinct impression that they couldn’t care less and the ones I sent back would be sent to some other mug
I might be wrong but I think the Tony Thompson ones are supplied by Gaz which is a splinter company from Leda. In my book these fall into the same categary as Spax. The quality control, build quality and longevity in service is very variable. About 2 or 3 years ago some of the worst welding I’d ever seen on a commercial product was on some Gaz dampers on their display at the Autosport show. I was amazed they couldn’t spot anything wrong before they plated the bodies and assembled the units. They seem to regularly fail due to sealing problems both on the piston rod, the body cap and on the rate adjuster when run through a typical british winter, which lets face it hasn’t been too severe for many years - this was also I think the reason quoted as to why SJ’s moved to supplying Protech rather than Gaz dampers a couple of years ago.
You might care to see the rear suspension post in the Elan forum.
The TTR Gaz fast road kit is Tony’s own specification. He has it made to order by someone he won’t name. It does use a Gaz insert and has special valving, seals and oil. The question of poor build quality is therefore not an issue with his units.
Each unit is then dyno tested. Matched pairs are then sold as sets.
I am about to fit AVO front shocks from CN on my +2, and also had the problem of the old covers wearing flats on the front springs.
I hope to leave these covers off, and just make up a small boot from an old bicycle inner tube to slip over the exposed shocker shaft. I may have to slit the section of tube and sew + super glue it together again if I can’t stretch it on.