Sign of a knackered coilie? Changing damping itself!

[Jim 2]

I'm due in to Stealth (hopefully in the not too distant future) to be rid of my current suspension in favour of some new, fixed damping / height Koni STRT shocks. Reason for this is that I think my current shocks are well past their sell by date and basically not working properly.

 

Yesterday as a bit of experimentation I opened the bonnet and took to the damping adjuster and found that the side that I think isn't very well was at a completely different damping setting (ie in the middle of the adjustment range) whereas the driver side (which I think is fine) was set mostly to firm. I thought that was a little strange as I would have changed them last, and wouldn't have set them like that so I adjusted them both sides to their firmest setting and set off to work.

 

I popped the bonnet again this morning this time to wind them to their softest setting and found that the passenger side damping had somehow moved back to a middleish sort of damping position whilst the driver side was as I'd set it yesterday. WTF! Is this a sign that something is wrong?

 

Suggestions anyone?

[dr_mat 0]

I'd guess there's either no locking nut there, or you didn't tighten it enough! ;)

[Jim 2]

The coilies were removed and refitted um... towards the start of the year by 2cc. The car was fine for a while, and its been into a few garages for a poke around a few tims - no one has found anything obviously wrong. The top nuts on that side have been airgunned tight at Stealth once after I complained about vague handling and banging from that side.. its making me thing that something is actually missing that side now though afterall!

[Jim 2]

Tempest suggesting setting them the other way - wound down to the softest setting. I did that but then nudged them in half a turn on each side.

 

Checked this morning and the good one was, as it should be, as I left it. The other (bad) side had turned in so that it was only about 20 degrees of turn needed to put it to the softest setting..

 

I'm totally bemused. When I mentioned it to Tempest he looked at me like i'd been on the crack pipe again but its done it now past few days in a row..

 

Maybe the good doctors diagnosis is correct..?

[dr_mat 0]

Got a picture of the adjuster? I don't know, I was just guessing, but I assumed that there would be a locking nut or some other mechanism for clamping it in place once you've adjusted it.

[Jim 2]

I don't have a picture to hand but its the koni type adjuster. Just a little nipple sticking up at the top of the strut that you put a little adjusting nut onto and turn one direction to firm it up or another to soften it.... so no bolts to tighten up or anything like.

[Supercharged 2]

Nah, no locking nut on Koni's - therte is no force on the adjuster so it won't move by itself altho it's good practice to wind down to soft and dial the firmness back in every to often...

 

Jim has a wierd missmatch of shocks on that car so they need changing really anyhow... I still reckon your steering column should be next tho mate as there is deffo lots of play there!!

[Furkz 0]

time to upgrade Jim or get them rebuilt! they are shaggged unfortunately

[double-6s 0]

time to upgrade Jim or get them rebuilt! they are shaggged unfortunately

 

They're shagged Jim, but not as we know it, not as we know it, not as we know it....

 

They're shagged Jim, but not as we know it, not as we know it, Jim

 

:)

[Jim 2]

Yeah.. was pretty resigned to the fact that these shocks are totally fubar. Have all kinds of problems with handling at the minute and as everything else has been changed, this "self adjusting damper" has pretty much sealed the deal.

 

Got some new kit on order at Stealth so these old shock's days are numbered!

[Toad 0]

Why don't you jsut set the working coily to the medium setting the other one goes to? Easy way out I reckon....

 

ROFL @ Double6s!!