Spax Rear Strut Knock

[coffeeshopracer]

Hi all,
I recently acquired a project and i've been going through the suspension bits. I noticed there was a clunking when I jumped up and down on the RR and only just figured out where it was coming from. When I dissembled the strut, I found that the shaft has vertical slop. Damping seems to be there in both directions but there is ~1/8" hysteresis which makes quite a loud knock. I've never worked with these spax before so I'm unfamiliar with the adjustments and hoping someone can point me to an easy fix.
Any recommendations on this? or am I looking at a new insert?

Here's a link to a video showing the slop.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/ykSC5dhiHxizQsdU9

[512BB]

How very clever that some people are able to post videos such as the one you put up. Makes describing the problem you have so simple. Hats off.

My first thoughts are, how metallic does that sound. Are the strut tubes not meant to be filled with oil when using Spax inserts, just like all other inserts, ie Armstrong, Koni or Monroe? DYOR

Second thought. Is the insert properly tightened down with the retaining nut?

Third thought. Is there meant to be some sort of spacer, nylon? in there somewhere, to take up the 1 - 2mm gap that you have? Pictures to follow.

Just suggestions for folk to mull over.

Leslie

[512BB]

Spacers, as mentioned above. These look as though they fit over the rod and down onto the top of the damper insert, and then the collar is fitted, taking up any slack, such as you have.

Leslie

[Quart Meg Miles]

That doesn't look like a standard Elan strut housing and the strut would seem to be loose in it. So if the fixing nut is tight you need either a solid pad under the strut or a ring under the nut to take up the slack. It looks like a standard Spax fixing nut so unscrew it and get your tape measure out.

It should have oil in the tube to transfer heat between strut and housing and I can confirm that a loose strut with oil will knock but probably not as easily as shown, I can't remember.

BB512's post came while I was typing! The Spax strut is quite small diameter but fairly long and uses a threaded tube to surround the top of it with the 'nut' welded on top. The standard housing is fine alone but BB's spacers would have to fit inside that tube, maybe they do.

(Adjusting ovality of tube!)

[coffeeshopracer]

Leslie was spot on. The spacers were there(though at the bottom) but the retaining nut wasn't down as far as it could go. Tightened it up and the rolling chassis rolls again instead of clunking. Thanks for the replies everyone!