The Battleship,Williams, sentenced to death!

[magnumpi]

One day just maybe everything will be fixed and i'll be able to use it trouble free.

As suspected just removed the rear shock absorber and it's had it. Push it down and it doesn't return at all so that would be why the back end is sitting lopsided, as said above they are adjustable Spax less than a year old and done no more than 3000 miles at a push!

Landy shocks for me it is then.

Edit: Just looked at my inbox and it was April 09 i bought these and i didn't fit them straight away. I have such shite luck with things i buy !

[volvosneverdie]

where did you get them man?
thats shocking.

[magnumpi]

I got them from Dai, obviously not his fault, i probably just got the one dodgy shock of a batch of millions no doubt.

[foggyjames]

That's shocking. I'd have a chat with Dai, as I think that's a totally unacceptable lifespan. He may be able to have a rant in Spax's ear about it. The warranty is not the only thing to consider - there's also whether or not they're "fit for purpose".

cheers

James

[magnumpi]

I did try ringing him this evening but couldn't get through, i'll try again tomo just to see if they have any warranty or similar on them.

Well they had been on the car i'd say around 6 months or so and had as far as i'm aware been fine, within 3 short journeys of using the car with the rear end dropped 2" they have died, make of that what you will

[magnumpi]

So i popped down to meet Jay yesterday (nice to meet you mate) and got some second hand shocks for him to use temporarily.

So i fitted one onto the side that i think the Spax has died on, only for it to make no difference, so i removed the other Spax from the passenger side and sat it back down on the floor. The car is now devoid of shocks on both sides, but it's still sitting with a lean of about 1 1/2-2" difference from passenger to drivers side.

I'm wondering if there is actually nothing wrong with my Spax, although it didn't move from compressed position all night, but now it's been left in my hot boot it has?

So has anyone got any ideas as to whats going wrong here, could the leaf spring have lost it's tension? If so how come no one else has issues when they lower their car just me



Some pics to try and explain:

The floor discrepency is about an inch according to the level, yet the arch gaps are more than that.







Drivers side sitting low:






Passenger side sitting high:





Any ideas i'm stumped by this and just want to drive the bloody thing!

[CBA]

theres a wopping dent in the wheel on the "low side", something is bent, spring/mount bet the leaf spring has actually bent... if it's hit too fast it will bend permanent...

[magnumpi]

Well spotted, alas thats not the problem as that was on the front when i hit a brick or something in the road about 6months ago, i just swapped it to the back when i had a tyres fitted.

[SteveP]

Confusing... get some pics of the underside if you can of the lowering blocks etc. Something to do with the anti tramp bar? The low side is the side that has it?

[magnumpi]

Yeah it's the low side thats got the ATB on it. I'll pop out and take some pics now, see if it throws up any more info.

[Speedy88]

hmm I'm just trying to imagine the underside at the rear, the axles aren't attached at any other point other than the shocks and springs no? (ignoring the ATB). I'm stumped! Perhaps one of your leafs has given way, so on one side it is 1 holding it up but on the other side its 2. Try taking out a leaf from each side?

[SteveP]

Unless you've got a rusty leaf spring hanger that's been bent out of shape due to that?

[magnumpi]

hmm I'm just trying to imagine the underside at the rear, the axles aren't attached at any other point other than the shocks and springs no? (ignoring the ATB). I'm stumped! Perhaps one of your leafs has given way, so on one side it is 1 holding it up but on the other side its 2. Try taking out a leaf from each side?

Thats what i'm thinking maybe one of the leafs has gone, take a leaf out? It's only got one per side, that is normal isn't it?

Maybe these pics will shed some more light, i've noticed a difference with the rear hanger on the low side so i'm guessing it may be that, as it's further back than the otherside, hence leveling out the spring? If it is just the hanger is it a case of unbolting it, getting it in the correct position then doing it up again?

More pics.

Passenger side, high





Drivers side, angled rearwards (it's hard taking clear pics in blazing sunshine ):






The blocks in situ, drivers side, the spring doesn't seem to have much curve:




Passenger:




Passenger rear hanger:






Drivers side hanger:





The front hangers:

Driver




Passenger:

[Speedy88]

Sorry, thought you had double leafs. Yeah it looks like a collapsed spring to me. Weird that is just went all at once though.

[Speedy88]

Also I don't know if it is just the light but it appears that the spring isn't a constant curve, it appears to bend more after the lowering blocks to the left. Might just be light distortion though.