GAZ shocks

[Old Geezer]

Does anybody know if these shocks are OK??

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/TVR-CERBERA-TUSCAN-T350C-GAZ...

Are they the same for the front as the back???
Simple unbolt and replace?? No need to disturbe whishbones?

Think I need to change my 10 year old originals before Le Mans Classic.

Cheers Steve

[Gazzab]

http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/gassing/topic.asp?h=0...

[Old Geezer]

Thanks Gazzab

Having to adjust after a while seems about right to me, as the springs settle down.

Think I might go for them all round and ask my local grease pit to fit them.

Steve

[Gazzab]

I would get them set up by someone who knows cerbs eg APM.

[JensenA]

Gazzab said:

I would get them set up by someone who knows cerbs eg APM.

Agree - The setting up is just as important as the new shocks, if you dont get the car set up, your just wasting your money buying shocks. Gaz Gold's are good though.

[Gazzab]

I see you are in Dorking (I lived there for many years by the way) - there are loads of people who can fettle your suspension for you. I would say that the nearest guys are probably ok but that andy at APM effectively helped develop the Gaz shocks set up for TVRs and knows those shocks and Cerbs very very very well. APM are also very keenly priced on the hrly rate. If you get grease monkeys to do it you will only end up paying for it again later.

[Old Geezer]

Cheers again.

But can't someone just give me their settings?
Preload measurement and damper adjustment setting?

Must be close and better than the originals?
Assuming they come with a standard spring rate?

Steve

[Ballsy]

Old Geezer said:

Cheers again.

But can't someone just give me their settings?
Preload measurement and damper adjustment setting?

Must be close and better than the originals?
Assuming they come with a standard spring rate?

Steve

Iam planning to get new shocks within a few months and was thinking about these aswell, i agree wi Old Geezer about the set-up settings!! Surely each car doesnt need individual setting up?? Iam based in Fife so there not exactly loads of places to set the car up.

[Ab Shocks]

Easy answer

Buy them from somebody who actually has a bit of an idea on ride heights, initial damper settings and baseline geometry.

[Ab Shocks]

Ab Shocks said:

Easy answer

Buy them from somebody who actually has a bit of an idea on ride heights, initial damper settings and baseline geometry.
Before you think this is sour grapes, we get the same questions on these forums from people who have bought £1000 Nitron kits from sources who know nothing about the product either

[Old Geezer]

If only I could get AUSTEC to answer the bloody phone!!

Thanks for the advice Derek, but I have in the past uprated suspension on previous cars and had to set up from empirical data. (trial and error )

As I also studied Engineering, the principle of MASS - SPRING -DAMPING is somewhat familar to me.
Although Calculus was never a favorite subject!

Indeed the optimum damping to many engineering systems is pretty much the same.

BIG HEAD! Perhaps!

But your comment somewhat infers that only an "Expert" can do it and the secrets shall not be passed on in an open enthusiasts forum like here.
I understand where you are coming from, its your business after all, but I was imediately rather put off by your negative comments. Sorry but that's how it came across.

Mr Trackcar on the other hand always seems to offer his best advice upfront, and I suspect he reaps the rewards when customers decide they really need his skills and knowledge.
If only he were down south!

I only wish to replace the originals with a 1/2 decent road setup and was hoping someone would say "6 clicks front jack up till chassis X inches from ground, 8 clicks rear X inches"

I doubt I will seriously track the car, but if I were to get serious, then yes I would seek out expertiese like yours as and when required.

Please don't be offended by my comments, but it looks like I might just get have to get them and do it myself the hard way.

Steve

Edited by Old Geezer on Monday 30th June 20:08

[trackcar]

How far is Derek (at Offords now?) from you? My advice is always to buy your dampers from the place fitting them. I contacted Corby Perf through their ebay shop and they don't have a fitting centre and the only info they have on setting up is the info you would get from gaz anyway which is perfectly ok as far as it goes, but if you buy off ebay you're going to be in a bit of a no-mans lands when it comes to asking for specific advice .. if you buy from derek I'm sure he'll give you all the advice he can.

[ryan-isla]

I totally agree. Always buy from someone with knowledge about the product they are selling. Derek is an excellent example.

[Ab Shocks]

I'm sorry if I came across all negative but politics are clouding my judgement at the moment and I get upset about shocks I developed getting sold by every Tom,Dick and Harry who know nothing about TVR cars.
I fit to all models, so have a good idea of baselines for the diy guys and I have a good network of installers for Gaz and Racing Red for those who want local fitting.

[Old Geezer]

Ab Shocks said:

I'm sorry if I came across all negative but politics are clouding my judgement at the moment and I get upset about shocks I developed getting sold by every Tom,Dick and Harry who know nothing about TVR cars.
I fit to all models, so have a good idea of baselines for the diy guys and I have a good network of installers for Gaz and Racing Red for those who want local fitting.

Thanks for being so up front and honest Derek. I am impressed!

I now have a difficult moral dilemma to decide.
I did not know you had developed those GAZ shocks!
So do I support the man who helped make the Cerb handle, and there-by prolong the life blood of Cerbera existence, or buy a tank of petrol with the savings???

Come on lads help me make the correct choice!!

Steve

[JensenA]

OldGeezer - I suspect your background in cars is with owning run of the mill production models that were churned out in there tens of thousands - you now own a TVR Cerbera Old boy .
But I do now exactly where your coming from because about a year ago I asked exactly the question you are asking "Surely someone can just give me the standard Set up?".
I had bit of a ding-dong with Jules over it, because he was saying there is no such thing as a standard set up. I now understand exactly where he was coming from, through my experience, and that's the whole point, they need to be spec'd, fitted, and set up by someone with experience of these Cerberas.

However because I have sympathy with your request for an answer, my shocks are......

Shocks : Gaz Gold.
Front: 9" x 400lbs, set to 20 clicks.
Rear: 10" x 350lbs, set to 12 clicks.
Front height at chassis rails set to ....(I forget)
Rear height set to....(I forget but it's the Front measurement + 15mm

There are too many variables, so get someone with experience like Derek at Abs Shocks, Andy at APM or Jules at TrackCar, to spec and fit them. They will then check and set up the Front and Rear Camber and Toe in correctly (based on their experience), and then they will use there experience to set the shocks up, tailoring them to suit your personal driving preferences.

You'll also probably now get other people saying well mine are 11" x 420lbs and I have them on 26 clicks". Do you see the problem? There are a lot of mechanical variables, and the one big Human variable - Your personal driving preference.

Edited by JensenA on Monday 30th June 21:54

[Ab Shocks]

This is a quandry I find myself in regularly because I also supply all the dealers as well.
How do you think the small indies feel when customers turn up with ebay shocks and ask for them to be fitted?

[trackcar]

The ebay bedroom sellers get on my wick to be honest. There's people trying to make a living from developing stuff and then it gets sold on to all sorts like ebayers who probably have other incomes and don't even declare their ebay sales. If i had my way etc etc mumble grumble

[RichV6]

Bought my gaz gold shock and spring kit through a main supplier from their ad in tvrcc mag.
Did all the work myself including polybushes and chassis repaint, and whilst the engine was being set up by Trackcar had a base line suspension set up which has been stiffened slightly as the componants have settled.

The cars is on 17"RL's and standard factory fit tyres. Ground to top of arch through the centre of the wheel is 650mm rear 620mm front. Not technical but quick and easy to get you started. Rear is now 12 clicks from fully soft front 14 or 15 not sure which. FYI when setting rear spring length I found there was very little weight on the spring when the car was off the ground.

Currently find the front end about right but the back too soft and grounding
on some of our more interesting northern roads. In time I may up the spring rate, but in general I am more than happy with the set up over the standard factory issue.

[Old Geezer]

JensenA said:

OldGeezer - I suspect your background in cars is with owning run of the mill production models that were churned out in there tens of thousands - you now own a TVR Cerbera Old boy .

Alan old chap, as you mentioned it!

Being an old gezzer my "twidling" with cars started over 30 years ago with a Mk1 for Escort than was my first car after being a "Biker".
Having fitted the 1600GT Pinto engine from a Capri together with the gear box, cut and welded the prop to fit, I went on to fitting Capri Disks and struts.
Rear suspension ended up with Mk1 Cortina estate srpings (2 leafs removed) and SPAX adjustable shocks.
That car was great fun for a while, especially the brakes, as the Cortina Mk2 (I think) master cylinder had a habit of locking the rear wheels if hit a bit too suddenly!
Not quite run of the mill?

I did have a nice Hillman IMP that had straight cut gears on 3rd and 4th and no rev limit!
It just kept going and would spit out red hot carbon from the exhaust because of the lack of oil seals on the inlet valves that helped it rev its nuts of! Great fun at night at 90 up the local bypass! It had cut down coils and looked so low it was mean! But interesting handling!

All this was long before most Piston Headers were out of nappies! I Only jest!

2 kids arrived and a nice Rover V8 3500 was found!

But to be honest I found cars a bit boring for many years and returned to sports bikes for fun as they are faster and more exiciting and need more skill to get round the corners!
All number of Porches, Triumphs, TVR's, Jags and Jap odds and ends were dispatched with great ease along the way!

I did dabble with a Subaru Turbo way back, it was fast and held the road well but had no soul!
Had a Range Rover for over 5 years until recently when I made redundant. Still got a couple of bikes, but getting a bit older I thought I'd slow down and get a nice sports car.

So am I allowed to own a TVR, or do I still have to be a rich tt to qualify? jesting again hoooonest!

BUT thanks for the information, as this is what I sort of expected form a forum.
But that was before I found out about the history and that MR AB Shocks developed them himself!

As you say your settings might not suite me at all!
Just this evening I went out for a little drive and it does drift nicely on opposite lock on the 10 year old original shocks!


Still got a Moral choice to make though!