Front suspension damper

[Mick Hanna]

Having replaced my single front damper with a double, I've disassembled the single unit ready to be refurbished and put aside for future use. This single damper has three brass discs, the type used in the rear shock absorbers. All the drawings and parts list do not show brass discs used in the front. Have others come across this with their cars or is it just an anomaly?    

Not a very clear picture I'm afraid, but you might be able to spot a couple of the brass discs.

[JonE]

Someone restored it wrongly? (So we won't actually be getting an objective comparison between the single and the double operation after all, now!)

[Mick Hanna]

Only if the brass discs have compromised the comparison.

[Ian Williams]

I have come across brass disks on the front of late Ruby's on a couple of occasions, I have no way of knowing for sure if this was original fitment.

[JonE]

how late is your car, Mick?

[Mick Hanna]

It's 1936, an early ARR, but it was extensively refurbished in the mid-1980s by A. Archers of Dunmow.

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Thanks, Ian. It's not something you would ordinarily notice unless dismantling. Good to know later ones may have them.

[John Cornforth]

Hi

I have never been quite sure why brass discs are needed, unless it is to keep damp wooden discs away from contact with the steel parts to avoid rust buildup.

I converted some time back to a twin front setup, and found a small but worthwhile improvement in stability. One would expect an increase in roll damping for the twin setup, as the single arrangement suffers from reduced damping when the arms are travelling in opposite directions.

The only downside is that the modern adjusting nuts have standard threads rather than the fine pitch of the original, which makes setting the correct tension more difficult. I use a spring balance and aim for about 18 lb at the end of the arm before it begins to move.