GAZ Gold Shocks for the S
Discussion
Dear 'S' jedi council..
i picked up these 'GAZ golds' for the S at a bargain price, now ive had 2 quotes one from 'powers performance' charging £375 to fit them (5hours labour apparently with digital geo) & another company 'centre-gravity' £280 (or £915 with some bulls
t after tweaking crap, no thank you!)
I mean how hard are these to fit? Where would be the best place to take them to get done around the west midlands area that aren't going to completely sting me!
Also should i be replacing the bushes with the powerflex set or is this just a matter of personal opinion, ive had a look on ebay and there coming in at around £293 for a complete set
As always thanks in advance
Steve
i picked up these 'GAZ golds' for the S at a bargain price, now ive had 2 quotes one from 'powers performance' charging £375 to fit them (5hours labour apparently with digital geo) & another company 'centre-gravity' £280 (or £915 with some bulls
t after tweaking crap, no thank you!)I mean how hard are these to fit? Where would be the best place to take them to get done around the west midlands area that aren't going to completely sting me!
Also should i be replacing the bushes with the powerflex set or is this just a matter of personal opinion, ive had a look on ebay and there coming in at around £293 for a complete set
As always thanks in advance
Steve
Edited by greyhulk on Wednesday 25th November 15:24
Fit 'em yourself.
Measure the ride height - outer corners of the outriggers to the floor - before swapping. Wheel off. Couple of spanners. Jack to take the pressure off the shock to take the bottom bolt out.
Set the ride height the same as before. May need to readjust it after a few hundred miles due to settling.
As for damper adjustment. I found keeping the same number of turns all round suites the car better. Start off soft and work to hard.
Measure the ride height - outer corners of the outriggers to the floor - before swapping. Wheel off. Couple of spanners. Jack to take the pressure off the shock to take the bottom bolt out.
Set the ride height the same as before. May need to readjust it after a few hundred miles due to settling.
As for damper adjustment. I found keeping the same number of turns all round suites the car better. Start off soft and work to hard.
I've never messed about with suspension before surely its not just as simple as taking old off & putting new on?
I think i would rather let someone who knows what there doing get them bang on for me (just not at these mad prices tho
)
As for the bushes.. discarding the rear ones, i take it i need all 3 of these? looking at the drawing
- Front Anti Roll Bar Bushes
- Front Upper Wishbones
- Front Lower Wishbones
I think i would rather let someone who knows what there doing get them bang on for me (just not at these mad prices tho
)As for the bushes.. discarding the rear ones, i take it i need all 3 of these? looking at the drawing
- Front Anti Roll Bar Bushes
- Front Upper Wishbones
- Front Lower Wishbones
i bought a set of Gaz spring damper assemblies and they one of the easiest things to fit myself. Just take the wheels off and unbolt old and bolt in new.
only issues were to get them lined up so the bolts could get through as a little bit if a squeeze. Also I had to adjust the ride heights right down (by screwing the bit on the shock with the spanner-thingy supplied, as the car did sit very high (and old S problem)
Good luck
only issues were to get them lined up so the bolts could get through as a little bit if a squeeze. Also I had to adjust the ride heights right down (by screwing the bit on the shock with the spanner-thingy supplied, as the car did sit very high (and old S problem)
Good luck
greyhulk said:
Dear 'S' jedi council..
i picked up these 'GAZ golds' for the S at a bargain price, now ive had 2 quotes one from 'powers performance' charging £375 to fit them (5hours labour apparently with digital geo) & another company 'centre-gravity' £280 (or £915 with some bullst after tweaking crap, no thank you!)
I mean how hard are these to fit? Where would be the best place to take them to get done around the west midlands area that aren't going to completely sting me!
Also should i be replacing the bushes with the powerflex set or is this just a matter of personal opinion, ive had a look on ebay and there coming in at around £293 for a complete set
As always thanks in advance
Steve
Have you asked DG Sportscars in Redditch - Not sure how far they are from you?i picked up these 'GAZ golds' for the S at a bargain price, now ive had 2 quotes one from 'powers performance' charging £375 to fit them (5hours labour apparently with digital geo) & another company 'centre-gravity' £280 (or £915 with some bulls
t after tweaking crap, no thank you!)I mean how hard are these to fit? Where would be the best place to take them to get done around the west midlands area that aren't going to completely sting me!
Also should i be replacing the bushes with the powerflex set or is this just a matter of personal opinion, ive had a look on ebay and there coming in at around £293 for a complete set
As always thanks in advance
Steve
Edited by greyhulk on Wednesday 25th November 15:24
Cheers guys, will have a go at fitting them when I get my car back, any advice on the bushes? I found complete front kit on larkspeed for around £179 (for some bits of plastic!) Mk1fan mentioned a 'Keith' on here who sells them too?
http://www.larkspeed.com/index.pl?p=2413PFTVRSFK&a...
Just abit concerned about this part.. (Front Anti Roll Bar Bushes fit later S Series Brackets with no hump) :/ is this going to cause me issues I have the S1 model
@TVRhasgo I was going to contact them but I'd imagine they'd also charge a fair whack
http://www.larkspeed.com/index.pl?p=2413PFTVRSFK&a...
Just abit concerned about this part.. (Front Anti Roll Bar Bushes fit later S Series Brackets with no hump) :/ is this going to cause me issues I have the S1 model
@TVRhasgo I was going to contact them but I'd imagine they'd also charge a fair whack
mk1fan said:
Oh, as for bushes. Steering rack ARB off evilbay should be around £75. Front wishbone bushes can be got from Keith on here for £80. Rear busshes I'd leave as factory rubber.
Changing the the shocks is indeed strightforward, as the guys have mentioned already. Replacing the bushes is a little more involved, as you'll need to remove the wishbones on the front and trailing arms on the back.
I'm NOT Keith (however, it's been a while since I looked in the mirror
), but I can do you some front upper & lower bushes. Will send PM.
Tim
Have a go at fitting yourself and spend the money on beer to reward your efforts. There are just two bolts per shock. Fronts are dead easy to do, rear top bolts are little more tricky to access but not impossible. You will be able to get the ride height and bounce about right yourself using the wiki as a starting point.
I would rather spend the money on getting a specialist to refine the settings than fitting. Matt Smith does appear to be the go to person for this, although I am sure there are other very good specialist all over the place if you ask on the forums.
You may want to put new bolts in when you do them and need to refer to the bolt guide for details.
I would rather spend the money on getting a specialist to refine the settings than fitting. Matt Smith does appear to be the go to person for this, although I am sure there are other very good specialist all over the place if you ask on the forums.
You may want to put new bolts in when you do them and need to refer to the bolt guide for details.
Edited by Smokey Boyer on Wednesday 25th November 22:50
Smokey Boyer said:
Have a go at fitting yourself and spend the money on beer to reward your efforts. There are just two bolts per shock. Fronts are dead easy to do, rear top bolts are little more tricky to access but not impossible. You will be able to get the ride height and bounce about right yourself using the wikih as a starting point.
I would rather spend the money on getting a specialist to refine the settings than fitting. Matt Smith does appear to be the go to person for this, although I am sure there are other very good specialist all over the place if you ask on the forums.
You may want to put new bolts in when you do them and need to refer to the bolt guide for details.
Cheers, is matt smith local to the midlands by any chance?I would rather spend the money on getting a specialist to refine the settings than fitting. Matt Smith does appear to be the go to person for this, although I am sure there are other very good specialist all over the place if you ask on the forums.
You may want to put new bolts in when you do them and need to refer to the bolt guide for details.
Im just having a look at the bolts (sorry never done anything to do with suspension before
) found a s-series suspension bolt kit already made up for the different areas on ebay so will most likely get one of thoseEdited by greyhulk on Wednesday 25th November 20:31
AutoAndy said:
...Downham Market...west Norfolk ....is that midlands enough?
...he is currently helping get mine on the road after my August spin...he's a good bloke and. Knows his S's
ah a good 2 & half hour drive away from me in Birmingham ...he is currently helping get mine on the road after my August spin...he's a good bloke and. Knows his S's
got the bushes sorted thanks to tim, bolt kits on ebay, im sure ill find someone abit closer to 'refine the settings'
Barry S1 said:
He has a Courtesy Car you can use for the
day,
Don't think I could adapt to a smart car barry day,
I've just spoken with Dom at powers performance his asking me what I need to replace the bushes for as the GAZ gold's are rose jointed?
:/ I'm out of my depth here, do I or don't i replace them?
Edited by greyhulk on Wednesday 25th November 22:17
The shocks come ready to bolt on.
The bushes I think you are confused by are the ones at the end of the suspension arms (see the picture above) where they attach to the main chassis. Nice to do at the same time if you can, but a separate job to be honest, and not as easy as changing the shocks as you need to be able to get the old bushes out that were pressed in. The shocks mount to other points on the arms.
I might be wrong, and need somebody like phillpot to confirm, but avoid buying stainless steel shock bolts as unless they are a specific type of stainless are not fit for purpose. The bolts for the top rear mounts need a slim bolt head or nut from memory to fit in the gap.
The bushes I think you are confused by are the ones at the end of the suspension arms (see the picture above) where they attach to the main chassis. Nice to do at the same time if you can, but a separate job to be honest, and not as easy as changing the shocks as you need to be able to get the old bushes out that were pressed in. The shocks mount to other points on the arms.
I might be wrong, and need somebody like phillpot to confirm, but avoid buying stainless steel shock bolts as unless they are a specific type of stainless are not fit for purpose. The bolts for the top rear mounts need a slim bolt head or nut from memory to fit in the gap.
Edited by Smokey Boyer on Wednesday 25th November 22:53
Do not buy stainless bolts for these applications as they are not suitable and can shear under load.
The damper change is straightforward and if you are really unsure about doing it you are welcome to come down to Warwick and I would help you change them here. Wishbone bushes take a little longer. I would think it worth examining them because they may not need doing anyway.
Cheers
Tony
The damper change is straightforward and if you are really unsure about doing it you are welcome to come down to Warwick and I would help you change them here. Wishbone bushes take a little longer. I would think it worth examining them because they may not need doing anyway.
Cheers
Tony
Cheers guys you've helped me out there, it may be worth getting the front upper & lower wishbone bushes, id imagine mine need replacing but I'll check them.out first.
I was actually looking at stainless bolts too.. Glad I didn't order a bundle now
@turbotony your a gent, warwick aint far from me on the coventry road, birmingham, it would really help me out if I could get your guidance (haven't even got my car back yet, still with the specialist) but I'll be in touch when I do if that's ok, thank you again guys
Steve
I was actually looking at stainless bolts too.. Glad I didn't order a bundle now
@turbotony your a gent, warwick aint far from me on the coventry road, birmingham, it would really help me out if I could get your guidance (haven't even got my car back yet, still with the specialist
) but I'll be in touch when I do if that's ok, thank you again guysSteve
Edited by greyhulk on Wednesday 25th November 23:21
TVRees said:
Changing the the shocks is indeed strightforward, as the guys have mentioned already.
Replacing the bushes is a little more involved, as you'll need to remove the wishbones on the front and trailing arms on the back.
I'm NOT Keith (however, it's been a while since I looked in the mirror), but I can do you some front upper & lower bushes.
Will send PM.
Tim
Sorry Tim. Recall failure.Replacing the bushes is a little more involved, as you'll need to remove the wishbones on the front and trailing arms on the back.
I'm NOT Keith (however, it's been a while since I looked in the mirror
), but I can do you some front upper & lower bushes. Will send PM.
Tim
The Gaz Golds are indeed rose jointed and as such there are no rubber or polyurethane bushes at each end of the damper where they are bolted to the car.
I assume there are spacers supplied with the dampers which should be fitted to centralise each rose joint between the mounting brackets.
Replacing the damper/ coilover assemblies is a very straightforward job.
The bushes fitted with the old dampers are redundant.
The remaining bushes in the front suspension that may need replacing are the front upper and lower wishbone bushes, the anti-rollbar ( ARB ) bushes, and the steering rack bushes.
There were three different diameter ARBs fitted to the various S models, 18, 22 or 24mm. You'll need to measure yours to order the correct bushes.
Replacing wishbone bushes is not a straightforward job especially the bobbin type as supplied by polyflex. I used Superflex poly bushes, which are split and easier to install.
The rear suspension trailing arm bushes are a LOT more difficult both to remove and to fit new ones, not a job for the novice. If you NEED to replace these, best leave it to a specialist.
Before you think about getting your geometry set up done, you should check that the top and bottom balljoints, track rod ends and wheel bearings are all in good condition with no play. Also check that your wheels are straight and true with no buckling.
Once all this is sorted, and you have set the ride heights and damping to your liking, drive it around for a bit as Barry said, to allow everything to settle.
Now is the time to get the geo settings done by somebody with the correct specialist equipment who knows what they are doing. You should find the handling is transformed.
Good luck,
Glen
I assume there are spacers supplied with the dampers which should be fitted to centralise each rose joint between the mounting brackets.
Replacing the damper/ coilover assemblies is a very straightforward job.
The bushes fitted with the old dampers are redundant.
The remaining bushes in the front suspension that may need replacing are the front upper and lower wishbone bushes, the anti-rollbar ( ARB ) bushes, and the steering rack bushes.
There were three different diameter ARBs fitted to the various S models, 18, 22 or 24mm. You'll need to measure yours to order the correct bushes.
Replacing wishbone bushes is not a straightforward job especially the bobbin type as supplied by polyflex. I used Superflex poly bushes, which are split and easier to install.
The rear suspension trailing arm bushes are a LOT more difficult both to remove and to fit new ones, not a job for the novice. If you NEED to replace these, best leave it to a specialist.
Before you think about getting your geometry set up done, you should check that the top and bottom balljoints, track rod ends and wheel bearings are all in good condition with no play. Also check that your wheels are straight and true with no buckling.
Once all this is sorted, and you have set the ride heights and damping to your liking, drive it around for a bit as Barry said, to allow everything to settle.
Now is the time to get the geo settings done by somebody with the correct specialist equipment who knows what they are doing. You should find the handling is transformed.
Good luck,
Glen
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