Chapman Struts Etc.

[Hamish Coutts]

I've just completed putting a +2 S130 on the road after buying it from a friend. (he'd left it off the road for a couple of years) The back wheel bearings were shot and when I removed them ? of the alloy bearing seats were missing and the circlip grooves knackered.
Have now replaced the whole strut on both sides with a Spyder Systems steel version & Spax adjustable shocker. The set up seems to work well and was a lot easier to do than remove the old alloy hub carriers and replace them with new ones (and a lot cheaper). You can also fit the larger inner wheel bearing to both the inner and outer sides of the hub.

Have also replaced the driveshafts with hardy spicer jointed ones from Tony Thomson Racing - these are also excellent and far superior to the originals.

Something for you to bear in mind if you have similar problems to me.
Both companies are easy to deal with.

[Madbury]

Hamish,

Sounds good, I'm half way through a TTR driveshaft swap at the moment. The TTR units are indeed super sturdy, They're not going to help with the weight of the car that is for certain.

What made you choose SPAX for the dampers? I've got SPAX on the front of my +2 and they seem fine, but Tony Thompson, doesn't recommend them, so for the rear I've got a pair of his Koni Specials. I'm hoping they will work wonders.

One thing we noticed whilst doing the conversion was that someone had not replaced the top mounts for the diff correctly. Missing bolts, broken mounts, missing washers, you name it, it was wrong. Took the best part of a day to drain and lift the fuel tank and remove the offending articles. Hopefully my now properly mounted diff and the TTR shafts will completely eliminate the terrible surging I had.

[tdafforn]

i have also just put on the TT rear driveshaft conversion...
Fitted fine but was a bit put out that the UJs bind at full droop with standard or Koni shocks. Phoned TT and he said it was only a problem when the car took off!
Not sure that I aggreed as some of the pot holes 'round hear could easily result in full droop for one side.
Also would have made the MOT man unhappy I would have guessed.
Tried grinding away some of the UJ as suggested by TT but seemed a bit heath-robinson...
So have replaced the shocks with TT propriety top adjustable droop limited shocks, and all seems fine..
Only thing I have noticed is a slight knock from the rear end sometimes (ie twice in 50 miles) on hard acceleration from a tight corner. Not sure whether this is the sliding spline locking? any ideas?
Cheers
Tim

[Hamish Coutts]

Guys,

I chose SPAX because that is what Spyder reccommended. I only use my +2 for road (or fast road if nobody's looking) so everything works well. I suspect Spyder are SPAX agents. I also suspect that TT are thinking of racing, so reccommend a more 'industrial strength' component. The TT driveshafts certainly are strong - I was surprised at just how heavy they were when they arrived. I agree that grinding a bit off the Hardy spicer joint is VERY heath robinson. Couldn't they have been designed a bit better to remove the need for doing this? Or does the cynic in me think that it is a ploy to sell 'droop preventing shockers?
That aside, the car feels marvelous without that awful surge!!

As far as the slight knock from the rear - I have 2 theories -
1. it could be the drive key on the outer driveshaft. I experienced this and tightened the nut holding the hub onto the driveshaft. No more knock.
2. a new knock has appeared and I think it is coming from the splines on the TT shafts. I noticed a bit of play on the splines when I did the rear struts. They have only done 500 miles so I hope this is them bedding in!!

My diff mounts look OK but I will now check them properly. Perhaps this is a job for the winter time.

Hamish.

[steveww]

It is known that sliding splines can lock up under high torque, the Triumph Stag suffers from this. It is possible to coat the splines with teflon to help reduce this problem. I would hope that TTR already do this???

May be using a special grease for these joints might help?

[tdafforn]

Thanks for the thoughts,
I too am a cynical fellow, but the droop adjustable shocks came in at about the same price as the SPAX and they are top adjustable. So I thought fair doo's
It does leave me with a pair of secondhand Konis in the garage however!
I'll check the hub nut.
One, I know is OK as I tightened it myself...
The other was reconned by one of the usual suspects, and considering the amount they charged I should hope it is OK, although they did bend BOTH the stub axles (don't ask me how they did it...!)
Cheers
tim

[tdafforn]

TT sliding splines are Teflon coated!
Cheers
Tim