Rear Shock Absorbers.

[cwchrisp]

Hello all,
Having serviced my rear shock absorbers, is it right that the brass discs should rotate with the friction plates?
If not should I fix the brass discs?

Also, I have had to fettle the rubber bushes in both width and bore to suit the new links and existing spring pin and new link pin. Is this ok, or have I missed something there?

I'm guessing the rubber bushes should rotate around the link pin/spring pin and not around the bore of the link and the nuts adjust for this?

First time looking at the rear shocks, hence the questions.

Many thanks, Chris

[JonE]

Surely the Rubber bushes shouldn't need any cutting - the width will squash to enable the tightest possible fit on the pin which you've pushed through?

[Hedd_Jones]

yup, the disks are free to rotate. 

The rubbers push into the links fine using two suitable sockets and a vice. They should be longer than the link. 

I fit the pins with a single socket and a g clamp. 

The sockets provide suitable clearance

[cwchrisp]

Thanks for the advice.
It seemed strange that the brass discs rotated so that the friction discs wern't doing their job?

When the rubbers were in the shock arm and the fibre washers too, they pushed the shock arm way out of shape.

I will try the socket/ g-clamp to fit pins.

Also, Woodrow says to just nip up nuts to rubber so no squashing?

Thank you again

[stuartu]

I agree about the brass discs.

I have heard it said that the similar Big Seven arrangement incorporated a tag to stop the brass disc rotating. Can anyone confirm this?

I have been known to Araldite the discs to the fixed member. I cannot honestly claim that I can detect a difference in performance as a result but at least I feel that I've tried!

Regards,

Stuart

[cwchrisp]

Thanks for helping my sanity  
I am very happy to drive my Austin the way it was designed though good to know I'm not without logic!

So, to squash the rubber or not? Do I make the pins tight in the rubbers or with some movement as Woodrow suggests?

Thanks, Chris

[JonE]

I have heard it said that the similar Big Seven arrangement incorporated a tag to stop the brass disc rotating. Can anyone confirm this?

That is extremely interesting. So was the brass next to the steel perhaps only introduced after the earlier years... and they were just experimenting with customers?

["Slack Alice" Simon]

"Were the discs on a Big Seven prevented from moving?"

I wish you has asked this last week, I got rid of some Big 7 bits then.

I don't remember any retaining system for the brass discs, I am 95% sure the brass discs were unblemished circles inside and out.

There is no indication of a locating "pip" in the Big Seven parts lists.

The question still stands - why the discs?   How can a friction surface work if lined with brass that can move?

Presumably they were introduced to modify the performance of the shock absorbers.

[Terrytuned]

To prevent the brass discs from rotating drill four equdistance 3/8" holes in the centre plate then indent the brass discs with a ball bearing or small ballpien hammer this will locate the disc when assembled. Terry.

[Ray White]

All these years I have simply accepted the original design thinking that Austin must have had their reasons...How wrong can you be?