Rear shock snapped!!!! :(

[budaholic]

Yes, you read it right..... Had to call the AA out tonight to get me home.
Luckily I was only doing about 30mph when this happened. There was a bang, then a crunch and as I stopped, this went bouncing down the road past me!!

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/bigmark82/pics/DSC00683.JPG

I thought, I know what that is, but how the hell did it come off. When I looked back at my car, the rear offside tyre was right up inside the arch.

Anyway, bloke came with flatbed within an hour, managed to get it loaded and only my tailpipe scraped the road a bit. Was more fun unloading back at home.

Back in garage now, and it looks like this....

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/bigmark82/pics/DSC00680.JPG
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/bigmark82/pics/DSC00679.JPG

I've never heard of this happening before??? Where's best place to get rear shocks. Shall I fit originals or go for Joos upgrades. What are AVOs like? Gonna have to fit em myself, cos I aint getting it on another flatbed.
Also, i'm not sure how to get the spring out from its wedged in position. Maybe undo bottom bolt to free it.

Any advise you guys? I know I can turn to you.

Budaholic



edited, spelling.... oops
>>> Edited by budaholic on Sunday 27th February 21:51

>>> Edited by budaholic on Sunday 27th February 22:27

>>> Edited by budaholic on Sunday 27th February 22:59

>>> Edited by budaholic on Sunday 27th February 23:34

[Eddie 4.2]

Its a top WELL MADE TVR part Glad u are ok

[dilbert]

Whatever you do, be careful of the springs. I've heard of more than one person nearly loosing their arm to a spring compressor.

Make sure you have someone around when doing this sort of stuff, it's too easy to get trapped with the car and with blood leaking out at a ferocious rate!

At the very least keep your mobile in your top pocket.

[GCerbera]

I have AVOs and find the car handles very nicely.

[budaholic]

Got damper off tonight, simple job.

Thanks Joo for advise earlier and for answering all my qeries. Looks like i'll be opting for your own dampers and springs.

Will be in touch as soon as my guy has squared it with warranty.

Thanks

Budaholic

[kojak]

Mine snapped 12 months ago.

It was a right job to get it onto the flat bed trailer.

Joolz put AVO's on mine.

[rob dance]

Slightly off topic, but relavant to the `photos,

Glad to se that the tiewraps holding the handbrake cables are standard fitment ( I initialy suspected this was a bodge, but it seems to be factory fit )
Notice how the cable chaffs on teh hole in the chassis... I fitted a section of cablewrap stuff to protect it.

I took the rear suspension apart, lubricated and reassembled after my dealer informed me that it needed a complete set of shocker bushes, and a wishbone rubber replacing.

Spent an interesting weekend fettling, cleaning and lubricating....the shocker bushes were fine ( glad I didn`t spend the £200 per corner quoted by the so called experts)

The "worn wishbone bush" turned out to be a striped thread on the camber ajusting nut, which allowed about 1/2" play ( toe in-toe out), luckily the thread cleaned up o.k. and I had a spare nut, as it doesent appear to be a common thread.

so at least your " broken shocker pics" put my mind at rest about whats under my rear end !!

[joospeed]

Great pic of your car in ur profile Rob .. love it!

I've never ever had to replace a damper bush as far as i can recall .. you were right to do the work yourself and save yourself a pretty penny there I think

[budaholic]

Joolz, warranty is good, got confirmation from them today. Can I call you in the morning to discuss my options. What's the best time to reach you?

Budaholic

[joospeed]

hi, yeah please call .. any time when vicky is in after 10-30 is good .. gives us time to sort ourselves out, tell vicky to put you through to me otherwise she'll bat the call into the outfield with all the others

[dannylt]

joospeed said:

Great pic of your car in ur profile Rob .. love it!

Definitely! My next one will be yellow

[TVR-Phoenix]

Mark, thankgod you are ok mate!

I'd also suggest you get a bucket of waxoyl and after rubbing a lot that dead rust off with a fine wirebrush... splash the woxoyl around a bit....

[budaholic]

Yeah, I've already made the decision to do that myself. It does look in a sorry state doesn't it. Well, what do you expect for a Cerbera with 50k on the clock. At least I know it's been used in all weathers!

You mentioned using a soft wire brush. Would a brass one be preferable to a steel one then? Actually I reckon most of it will come off with a nail brush,

Budaholic

[budaholic]

Ok, I've got 4 brand new dampers and springs coming from Joolz. I do hope they arrive tomorrow, woohoo!!

I'm nearly as excited as I was the day I picked up my Cerb.

Hope the weekend is dry enough for me to get out and fiddle with the fiddly bits getting them set up how I want. :fingers crossed:

BTW Joolz, I managed to get new nyloc nuts at local motor factors, 1/2" UNF, just for my piece of mind. Also could you please tell me what poundage should I do the damper bolts up to?

Budaholic

[joospeed]

damper bolts should be tight enough to not coe undone! .. no idea what teh torque setting is .. i use my torque elbow to determine if it's tight enough!

sent out already .. 4 dampers with springs fitted, some spacers, some wahers incase you need extra spacers, C spanner .. should be with you tomorrow

joo

[budaholic]

Ahh!!, torque elbow!, I got one o' them somewhere i think!

Thanks for sorting my order so quickly, much appreciated.

Bud

[Aaron C. Reskew]

Another thing to look out for on the standard TVR set up is the cast alloy spring seats. I've seen 2 that have cracked.

[joospeed]

Aaron C. Reskew said:

Another thing to look out for on the standard TVR set up is the cast alloy spring seats. I've seen 2 that have cracked.

good point, I've changed a few cerbera lower spring seats that have also cracked when the std springs sag and go coil bound. not nice

[budaholic]

Just come in from garage after spending last 2½ hours scraping and brushing loose paint and rust from chassis, wishbones and hub. Ready for hammerite tomorrow morning, before new dampers go in,
2½ hours and only done one corner,

I'm gonna clean up each corner and paint as I change damper and spring. I'm estimating this gonna take me all weekend.

What have I started, time now for a i think

Bud

[kojak]

It took me ages to do mine, but worth it.