Shocks and Bushes

[tvr driver]

Hi its the end of winter service time again and this year its time to replace the shocks and bushes

I am looking for opinions on who has done what and how they ride etc

In all honesty the car only does 5/6 k per year so dont really need comfort and would prefer handling improvements

The most important thing is to try and stay up with the elise on the run to le mans - those bloody roundabouts kill me !

Also where is the place to go ( i live in scotland so choices seem limited but happy to be proven wrong on this ! )

Thanks all and look forward to your comments and ideas

Tvr driver

[spend]

Make sure you upgrade to 1 piece front upper wishbones if you have'nt already

TCS (joo) and Gaz do polybush kits, the wishbones should be enough.
If you replace the Front Ball Joints, TREs and Steering U'Js whilst your at it your car will feel like new.
Dont forget to get a complete alignment done afterwards.

Dave

[uncle fester]

spend said:

Make sure you upgrade to 1 piece front upper wishbones if you have'nt already
Dave

Mines apart having this done at the moment.
What's this about two types of wishbone?
How do I spot the difference and where do I get the one-piece bones?
What is the advantage of the one-piece?

[spend]

Very early cars had the F top wishbones in 2 halves, the later single piece type are much less 'flexible'...

Dave

[clive f]

hi Ty, just had gaz gold shocks fitted on mine, very impressed, but there are some other very good makes on the market.
don`t forget, will be up at your place in around 5 weeks time!

[GarryM]

spend said:

Make sure you upgrade to 1 piece front upper wishbones if you have'nt already

TCS (joo) and Gaz do polybush kits, the wishbones should be enough.
If you replace the Front Ball Joints, TREs and Steering U'Js whilst your at it your car will feel like new.
Dont forget to get a complete alignment done afterwards.

Dave

Agree with the above. Poly bushes will tighten everything up - also fit rose jointed anti roll bar drop links and replace the ARB bushes.

I have Nitrons on mine and the handling is superb. Fit some R888s and you just might hang on to the Loti on the bends!

Bear in mind that these types of damper really need rebuilding/servicing every 2 - 3 years so you will be adding to your usual service costs.

[tvr driver]

Hi Clive F looking forward to May should be a good turnout as long as the scottish weather behaves itself !!!

This weekend should get around 20 cars as they are just staring to come out of hibernation !

Gaz gold shocks will be priced up this week - Everyone seems to like the Gaz and the Nitrons but the main difference seems £££££££££££

Cheers see ya soon

PS i have still got rooms available ( www.broomhallcastle.com ) for the first weekend in may so come and join us for the tvr meeting in central scotland - the more the merrier

Ty

Tvr driver

[tvr driver]

Spend & Garry M

Thanks for the info

Tis indeed an early 500 (1993) so will ask em to change the front upper wishbones to a single piece while they are working as this sems a good idea

I presume ( no mechanic here ) that the Ball joints , Tre's and U'Js are a fairly simple ( bar the usual swear words ) job and wont break the bank of wifey ?

Rose jointed drop links sound interesting although embarrasingly im not really sure what this will do so any explanations gratefully received !!! AS for ARB bushes its on to google for me !

I have had R888's on for a year now and they made a great difference on their own so am already a toyo convert !

Now hopefully this will improve the handling all round and next year it will be supercharger time !

Thanks again chaps and any further ideas and information much appreciated

[spend]

BJs & TREs are cheap ~ about £50 for the lot IIRC. The Steering UJ's are quite expensive @£80 ~ but on your age of car its prob worth doing (can feel like you've just fitted PAS ) and I'd do them quick if you can still get them - the early cars have the 'rarer' versions (before all stocks are depleted!)

I avoided any comments on shocks or droplinks as these are quite expensive...

Dave

[unclemark123]

hi tvr driver, just looked at your hotel. nice. i work up your way alot and always need accomodation, maybe you could help a fellow griff owner out now and then wink wink, mark. pm me if you can mate :-)

[tvr driver]

Hi Spend

Thats seems good value - I can still afford to buy her an egg for easter then !

Think the droplinks will have to be done as well tho as may as well do it all at once

The shox are definately going and i reckon on around £900 for the job ( fingers crossed ) so with all the helpfull suggestions and a 12,000 service i hope £2k will cover it or i'm for the high jump lol

( was hoping also to remove the cats but think that may have to wait )

Thanks again for all the help now i just have to choose somewhere to take her !!

no more than a six hour drive tho ..... sun is shining


Ty

Tvr driver

[GarryM]

tvr driver said:

Rose jointed drop links sound interesting although embarrasingly im not really sure what this will do so any explanations gratefully received !!! AS for ARB bushes its on to google for me !

The standard drop links are rubberized affairs so deflect a fair amount before the roll bar comes into play. Fitting rose jointed links means the ARB is always doing its job. I suggested replacing the anti roll bar bushes because yours will be quite old now and being made of rubber they will have deformed quite a bit. Replacement poly ones also locate the ARB better and help it to perform as intended. The downside of all this tightening up should be an increase in noise and harshness but to be honest I don't notice it. The Nitrons are probably helping me here as they are very smooth.

shpub, on here, supplies the drop links and various suppliers (TVR Car Parts, Track Car Solutions to name but two) supply the bushes. Hope this helps.

[jeffsy]

I changed the bushes to poly ones, shocks to Protech and fitted Steve Heaths droplinks front and rear all at the same time. Result = different car.

The biggest cost aprt from the dampers, from memory was labour on the poly bushes unless you want to do it yourself

cheers

[tvr driver]

Garry M

Thanks for the info at least now i have an idea of what i am asking for and i tried tcs today but no answer and a certain team in coventry cut me off first time then the second time took my number then never called back !!!!!!

That leaves me with RT who was really helpfull and the chap from absolute shox who will be in middlewich so only a short drive

To be informed sometimes makes it sooo much harder lol

Thanks again

Ty

tvr driver

Edited by tvr driver on Monday 2nd April 19:57

[tvr driver]

Jeffsy

I wanted to do the bushes but everyone semms to act like a plumber and draw breath in through their teeth before quoting me off the planet

I still will do them but may have to tackle them myself

Thanks

Ty

[trackcar]

tvr driver said:

Garry M

Thanks for the info at least now i have an idea of what i am asking for and i tried tcs today but no answer and a certain team in coventry cut me off first time then the second time took my number then never called back !!!!!!

That leaves me with RT who was really helpfull and the chap from absolute shox who will be in middlewich so only a short drive

To be informed sometimes makes it sooo much harder lol

Thanks again

Ty

tvr driver

Edited by tvr driver on Monday 2nd April 19:57

to be fair it does say on my website that the fone is only answered tuesday to friday 10am to 4pm I have to get some work done you know

[The AJP Griff]

trackcar said:

to be fair it does say on my website that the fone is only answered tuesday to friday 10am to 4pm I have to get some work done you know

It does as well-doh!


Note to self-stop getting frustrated when i can't get hold of him on Mondays!

[burriana]

General concensus is 2 hours labour for the fronts and abit more for the rears I believe, but I only need the fronts doing ... which Ian at Torque RVT did yesterday ... so the rear is an educated guess.

[jeffsy]

The AJP Griff said:

trackcar said:

to be fair it does say on my website that the fone is only answered tuesday to friday 10am to 4pm I have to get some work done you know

It does as well-doh!


Note to self-stop getting frustrated when i can't get hold of him on Mondays!

You can talk Mike - did you get my email??

[red griff roger]

tvr driver said:

Jeffsy

I wanted to do the bushes but everyone semms to act like a plumber and draw breath in through their teeth before quoting me off the planet

I still will do them but may have to tackle them myself

Thanks

Ty

Can only comment on rose joints for ARB - these are a doddle to fit. Suggest you squirt some WD40 on the old ones a few days before, and follow SH's instructions, expecially making sure they are vertical under load, and free to rotate too. This is a bit of a fiddle, jacking up and down, but they made a big difference for me.

There was a debate going about the rear jonts for ARBs - some seem to require fitting at a different alignment to Steve's pictures - not sure where this got to? Any one followed this (I have been out of the forum due to work for a few months)