Green Shock Absorbers

[DrasticplastiC]

My '95 400 has green shockers with red springs, I was wondering if these are the same mechanically as the later yellow shockers? Please can anyone advise?

[ChimpOnGas]

Sadly not, when I was looking at having my originals rebuilt by Bilstein the first question I was asked was what colour they were, I answered yellow, and Ben Lang responded good because if they were the green type I wouldn't touch them.

I'm not even sure the green body dampers are Bilsteins, perhaps this was why Ben Lang and Bilstein will have nothing to do with them? I have a dim and distant memory that's telling be the green dampers were Harvey Bailey units, but I could have dreamt this

Anyway, and for whatever reason, Ben Lang and Bilstein won't touch the greens

[900T-R]

The green dampers are Bilsteins - but an older/lower specification, almost certainly twin tube construction rather than monotubes and possibly plain oil dampers rather than gas filled. Old Porsches used to have green Bilsteins.

[Edit] Also there seem to be green Bilstein dampers of B6 specification (monotube gas filled dampers as per the current TVR spec) out there as a Porsche replacement shock, probably to keep the period original look.

Edited by 900T-R on Tuesday 7th August 07:18

[spitfire4v8]

There were many different colours of dampers fitted to the tvr range with nominally the same bilstein look about them .. black, red, lilac, yellow, green off the top of my head. Harvey Bailey were certainly mentioned as one source, maybe there were others too. I think the bottom line is that if it doesn't actually say bilstein on it (either stamped into the body or as a logo on the damper base as per the sport upgrade) then assume it isn't.

[Sardonicus]

900T-R said:

The green dampers are Bilsteins - but an older/lower specification, almost certainly twin tube construction rather than monotubes and possibly plain oil dampers rather than gas filled. Old Porsches used to have green Bilsteins.

[Edit] Also there seem to be green Bilstein dampers of B6 specification (monotube gas filled dampers as per the current TVR spec) out there as a Porsche replacement shock, probably to keep the period original look.

Edited by 900T-R on Tuesday 7th August 07:18

This ^ thats what came off my 95 car and they was definitely Billies and green , like this , however note the yellow ones in shot have the later bigger upper eye bush so these are a mix of old and new just for accuracy

Edited by Sardonicus on Tuesday 7th August 09:37

[DrasticplastiC]

Thanks for the info. Mine are green with red springs. The front offside is leaking oil slightly. I have a spare yellow damper with red spring. Will it matter if I mix and match? The car gets occasional normal use. I once bought a second hand strut for a Volvo estate and it was completely fine......

[900T-R]

Always replace springs and shocks pairwise. It may not matter that much on your daily slogger (although I wouldn't there, either) but on something like a TVR things could get hairy very easily.

[Classic Chim]

^^^^^^^ this.
Often owners move onto aftermarket shocks, look on Facebook TVR buy and sell page and look or ask for a set of second hand shocks as often they are replaced when still in perfect working order.
The problem you have is you don’t know the damper rates, all sets of shocks are matched and tested as such so just buying two good uns off another owner would be your safest bet.
Also if you ever have to sell the car seeing two different coloured shocks would set off alarm bells and most will assume the rest of the car is bodged,,, it’s really not worth the risk from a safety perspective.