Replacement shocks
Discussion
My front shocks are worn so much that the sump has hit the ground on rough roads. They are standard right now and I believe the rear springs/shocks are OK. I just want the car to have a nice ride. The roads around here are very rough and lots of pot holes etc. I wont do any track days, but do drive the car quite hard some times.
Any suggestions for replacement shocks for the standard springs? Or should I change those too?
Can I fit them myself and is it easy to set the ride height (what is it supposed to be?) and get the Chim back to standard...
Any suggestions for replacement shocks for the standard springs? Or should I change those too?
Can I fit them myself and is it easy to set the ride height (what is it supposed to be?) and get the Chim back to standard...
Dampers are one of those components that are at their best on day one and then degrade from that point onwards .. so it's distinctly possible that your compression damping is much less than it ought to be.
However keeping the car from bottoming out is the primary function of the spring, and as the spring's powder coating comes off and it rusts it loses rate, it also loses rate through the natural action of compressing the spring over the millions of bumps your car will have travelled over.
In your case I wouldn't advise just changing the dampers but I'd change the dampers and the springs as a unit ..
it's perfectly possible to change the front units in isolation, but unless your car has relatively recent rear dampers you should be aware that they too will be past their best if they have done a significant mileage (say 25k or more) so at the same time it would be sensible to at least consider changing the rears at the same time.
However keeping the car from bottoming out is the primary function of the spring, and as the spring's powder coating comes off and it rusts it loses rate, it also loses rate through the natural action of compressing the spring over the millions of bumps your car will have travelled over.
In your case I wouldn't advise just changing the dampers but I'd change the dampers and the springs as a unit ..
it's perfectly possible to change the front units in isolation, but unless your car has relatively recent rear dampers you should be aware that they too will be past their best if they have done a significant mileage (say 25k or more) so at the same time it would be sensible to at least consider changing the rears at the same time.
Ok, so been doing some research and I thinking about fitting some GAZ shocks/springs complete from absolutelyshocks. They are £270 for front pair. Will the car be safe to drive with the rears running the original shocks/springs (that haven't started leaking yet). I don't mind if the car doesn't perform so well on the track but just want a comfortable road ride.
One fact that is beyond argument, is that whenever somebody renews the shocks and springs on one half of a car, they always come back for the other half in my experiance.
If you think about it, tightening up the front end and leaving the rear end with old shocks and springs will change the handling characteristics of the car beyond belief and in your case having a decent handling car may be in your best interests
If you think about it, tightening up the front end and leaving the rear end with old shocks and springs will change the handling characteristics of the car beyond belief and in your case having a decent handling car may be in your best interests
My front shocks were leaking at the last service, so I took the call to get all four shocks & springs done at the same time, followed by a wheel alignment. If you've still got the orginals, it's likely that the rears are on their way out as well, so you might as well take the hit now and only go for a single alignment!
If I go the Gaz route, will the ride by any more harsh? Even with my knackered suspension the ride is very firm...
Also, are the springs/shocks the same on a Griff as a Chim? I've had a very kind offer for some used Griff shocks (not many miles) and bearing in mind everything else I need to buy for the Chim this could offer a great saving.
If they are suitable, any ideas how much OE spec springs are and how easy it is to have them mounted on the shocks?
Cheers...
Also, are the springs/shocks the same on a Griff as a Chim? I've had a very kind offer for some used Griff shocks (not many miles) and bearing in mind everything else I need to buy for the Chim this could offer a great saving.
If they are suitable, any ideas how much OE spec springs are and how easy it is to have them mounted on the shocks?
Cheers...
Knackered dampers can stop working intermittantly due to air/foaming so the amount of damping keeps going up and down. The result is that they can be very harsh and still not give you much damping. Even cheap and nasty dampers can be a distinct improvement. Not that I would recommend cheap and nasty dampers for your Chimaera.
I fitted a set of springs/shocks that a very kind PH member gave to me. They were from a 2000 Griff500. The front units with red springs were exactly the same part number as the old ones on my 1997 Chim400. The rear ones with the yellow srpings were slightly different design and had a longer spring. Now the car is very high on the front and very low on the back. Weird. About 3 inches fron tyre to arch on front and just over an inch on the back. Did I fit them back to front? Seeing as they're not adjustable, how can I change the ride height? Yet another nightmare for my Chim 
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