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Post by Chuck Berry on May 19, 2015 23:23:25 GMT
Well I have had a couple of interesting days!
After a month or two driving around on a 'surfboard', I decided to attack the HD springs JRW sells as they say these are the only type available now.
Heavy duty? they aren't kidding. Going over a sixpence I could tell if it was heads or tails up!
So ... I cut away the Denso tape and what did I find? water! loads of it ... coming out of the cuts in the Denso tape. In fact when I broke down the springs they had water in-between the leaves!
So now as far as I am concerned, tape is out! I just coated the springs with lashings of Moly-Grease.
When looking at the nest of springs, there are the two top ones that are wrapped around the leading bush. The next one down was removed, but the lower two with the riveted brackets on the ends and the bottom one was put back in the nest.
The car now sits level, not like a dragster! The ride is beyond compare. There was no jarring, the car almost "floated," and this was an empty car. I had been driving around with tractor weights and a very heavy LPG pump in the boot, in an effort to keep the back end down and to ease in the springs, all to no avail.
So now I have my Rover back to how it should be. I might just treat her to some new shocks by the way of a thank-you!
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Post by Warwick on May 20, 2015 3:36:47 GMT
Hi Warwick, I have one measurement, but my springs are still being re-set so the other will take a few weeks. The measurement J3-J4 on my car is 1258mm centre to centre. I measured pretty accurately (within 1-2 mm I would say). The manual says it should be 1250 +/- 3mm, so assuming my measurement is right mine is 5mm out of tolerance. Would be interesting to hear what others measure. Sorry Richard, I seem to have missed your post until now. I don't have my copy of the WSM handy. Which dimension is J3-J4?
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Post by johnwp5bcoupe on May 20, 2015 6:07:43 GMT
Chuck don't blame the Denso tape if the springs had been greased and wrapped/sealed correctly you should have had no water ingress!
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Post by richardlamsdale on May 20, 2015 7:54:14 GMT
Hi Warwick, I have one measurement, but my springs are still being re-set so the other will take a few weeks. The measurement J3-J4 on my car is 1258mm centre to centre. I measured pretty accurately (within 1-2 mm I would say). The manual says it should be 1250 +/- 3mm, so assuming my measurement is right mine is 5mm out of tolerance. Would be interesting to hear what others measure. Sorry Richard, I seem to have missed your post until now. I don't have my copy of the WSM handy. Which dimension is J3-J4? Thats from the centre of the front bush bolt hole to the centre of the rear shackle bolt hole (where the rear shackle bolts to the chassis).
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Post by Chuck Berry on May 20, 2015 19:33:32 GMT
Chuck don't blame the Denso tape if the springs had been greased and wrapped/sealed correctly you should have had no water ingress! Now that's an interesting point and now I see the sense in it. I did ask the question before starting to fit the new ones if it is necessary to dismantle the springs grease and then refit. I seem to remember a reply (Not sure who said what now - it was some time ago) that the springs are ready to install, in other words no need.
Having now seen the construction, forgetting the reason for my earlier actions, and reading of other spring threads there is definitely a case to grease before fitting. Out of interest there were no friction pads either, hence my very liberal greasing. I did recall someone using pringle tops?
Would you endorse now to fit Denso tape over the greased leaves, or leave them as they are?
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Post by johnwp5bcoupe on May 20, 2015 19:49:50 GMT
I would wrap them in Denso to keep them "clean" and dry Chuck if you leave them as they are all the cr*p off the road will eventually stick to the grease and find it's way between the leaves! When you apply the tape keep it tight and mould it as you go overlap by half the tape width.
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Post by Chuck Berry on May 20, 2015 20:29:19 GMT
I thought that would be the case. Denso Tape it is. Is it worth trying to source the proper gaiters or keep to the tape? I used up one roll per spring last time, and that didn't cover it all. I left the bottom spring uncovered.
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Post by johnwp5bcoupe on May 20, 2015 20:52:15 GMT
My choice would be the tape Chuck if you want the look fit the Gaiters as well! try and get the 4"/100mm roll of Denso Wrap the whole spring!
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Post by Warwick on May 21, 2015 3:03:44 GMT
Thats from the centre of the front bush bolt hole to the centre of the rear shackle bolt hole (where the rear shackle bolts to the chassis). Thanks Richard.
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