Rear Armstrong Red 620 dampers

[JasonJ]

Gents,

I’m overhauling the rear suspension on my +2 due to it having old repaired calliper fixing points on both side from possible Rotoflex failure, I was alway unhappy with these repairs, so i managed to source hubs with adjustable threaded( Elantrkbits damper tubes)

Since I have taken the dampers out that I believe were only fitted 3 years ago with new old stock Armstrong Red 620 dampers.

1 damper seems to be leaking ever so slightly and producing air bubbles ( please see pic attached)

My question is since I’m in the position to fit new dampers should leave out the newish old stock and fit new, which I’m pretty sure I will.

Can anyone suggest which damper would go well with this Elantrikbit conversion running with standard springs, my plan was only to adjust spring marginally tighter.

Any advice welcome.

Regards
Jason

[512BB]

Have you had the damper lying down Jason, and then you go to pump it and you see some bubbles? And how were the dampers in operation? Do they leak oil out of the top rubber seal? If they were performing normally, and well, I would not change them.

Leslie

[JasonJ]

Hi Leslie

Thanks for reply.

Yes they have been lying down, I will put them in upright position for a few hours and see how they respond. One did take less pressure to collapse it.
Yes it was the top seal that was passing oil slightly.

Regards
Jason

[JasonJ]

Leslie

Yes I did check operation after lying down, maybe 2000 miles of standard road use.

Please forward any knowledge about the operation of these damper.

Thanks in advance.

Jason

[JasonJ]

Hi Leslie

Sat the damper upright for a couple of hours and the operation is even on both dampers on compression and rebound and no real signs of oil or air bubbles passing seal.

It appears I was being hasty, and it made sense once I thought about my error of lying the damper flat, I may have metered oil into the chambers unevenly.

Appreciate the feedback and the pointers into my error.

Jason

[alan.barker]

Hi Jason,
On my Sprint with CVDS Elantrikbits i'm running Koni Dampers + standard Springs.
As in photo little paint line across Caphead Screws to look at when under Sprint. To see if they have not unscrewed.
Alan

[JasonJ]

Alan

On the search’s I done over the last couple of days, Koni was going to be my first choice although I bit of a hit on my pocket..

But after Leslie’s advice I’m confident I will get more miles out of the Armstrongs.

Nice touch on the CV joints one which I will adopt….. nothing beats peace of mind.

Cheers
Jason

[512BB]

Is that Robin's car you bought Jason, a red +2 ?

Leslie

[JasonJ]

Hi Leslie

Yes it is, he done a lot of good work on it.

Jason

[512BB]

When you mentioned that you had bought replacement uprights Jason, that rang a bell as being Robin's car. I remember him posting pictures of the ali housings where they had been badly welded. Also that someone messed him around when it came to getting them sorted.

Good man Robin, shame he sold the car. And after he had rectified most things.

Leslie

[JasonJ]

Yes, they have held up but it was always the plan to change them. He encountered issues with the ignition timing and resorted to points.

Fitted new luminition system and it has be fine, since that I’ve changed cams (360)and fitted complete new valve train from QED. Along with a slight skim and guides.

Comp @175psi across all 4.

Jason

[JasonJ]

Update..

Adjustable struts fitted without damaged caliper lugs, hubs with new bearings. Will be taking the rest of the day off, that job was a challenge by myself..

Never realised the extent of the repair in the old hubs!

[512BB]

That was a bodge and a half Jason. From the pictures I recall Robin posting, he never showed that angle, where plates were bolted through the ali hub. You have certainly done the correct thing in replacing them.

Leslie

[JasonJ]

Yeah externally it never looked that bad although the lugs were not pretty, I’m just glad I have them changed, I can now see why Robin would have been unhappy about with the repair.

Anyway another step in the right direction

[JasonJ]

Spent the last couple of day getting struts fitted and everything else attached up, newly cleaned callipers fitted and brakes bleed, just away to fit the wheels so I can lower the car and tighten the castellated nut on the tops of the shockers… and low and behold the hubs are on the wrong sides.

I put old struts and the new ones with bearings over to a friends garage because he has a press, and I never thought of marking the hubs so they would get fitted to the correct sides

Now throughly demoralised, I have just ordered a hub removal tool from SJ.

And here was me thinking I was getting on so well. Lotus 1- Jason 0.