Inspecting
Congratulations on getting this far - its all easy picking from here
Dont worry your car wont fall down unless you dislodged the spring
The damper unit is designed to restrict the movement of the spring - reduce the number of oscillations your get when a spring is put under a load
So first of all inspect the shock absorber
Any Rust - Remove it - seal it up
Anys leak, is it misting or leaking fluid? if in doubt seek professional advice
The bushings, any heavy deep cracks allowing slop resulting in the bushings doing more work then the damper?
I refitted mine with some cracking, as the bushing was still serviceable
The movement of the shock absorber is critical
if the back end was very bouncy - the shock absorber is to blame
if the back end was rock solid, the culprit is most likely a seized shock
So complete 2 to 3 full sweeps of the shocks movement
There should be resistance similar on both motions (compress and expand)
If you can compress really easily and cant expand as easily, the valves inside have reached the end of there life and replacements would be on the table
Its the same if expanding is easier the compressing - replacements would be needed
If the shock Wont budge, its seized, i personally would just replace
If the MOT man says its a failure - replace it
If there is excessive leaks - replace
If the body is corroded and Moist looking from a leak - replace it
If the bushing is sloppy - Replace it, i don't think they can be replaced, but don't hold me to this
- Next page: Refitting
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