Removing/refilling front shocks?

[germ]

I know a few people have done this. but im at a loss to understand how.

ohh and does anyone know if i really have to take trackrod ends off to replace steering boots???


Cheers
Muchly
Will

[filthyjohn]

ohh and does anyone know if i really have to take trackrod ends off to replace steering boots???

Yep. Sorry. Yours a bit crusty? They're dead cheap, I needed to replace 1 boot so I bought a pair of new boots and new T.R.E's for like £14 all in.



As for the shocks, get them out of the car and take the spring off (CAREFULLY: DANGER TO TEH FACE). There's a geet big nut just above the spring cup. Loosen this, loud swearing can help here. Now you can withdraw the damper rod and drain the oil. I put 10W40 in mine and with a cut spring they're somewhere similar to the spax adjustables on the rear of mine, on a soft setting.
I've glossed over the details of strut removal, but the haynes has no glaring errors on that subject.

HTH

[germ]

I love you man (in a non ghey way)

much apreciated and i shall crack on!

Thanks Very Much!!

ohh i don't spose you know base jet settings for a weber 38/38 on 2.0 engine..

Cheers!


EDIT ohh boots are holey lol think it was on last mot doc, im loving all these anoying jobs, still got to do the braided brake lines

[mac]

Hi Germ,
Just to add a little - the front dampers as original from the factory consisted of the various seals etc. assembled on to the piston rod (which connects to the top mounting) and installed into the strut tube which acted as the damper oil chamber. As fjohn says, on dissasembly the oil must be drained (and of course can be refilled with a differing grade). However the usual reason for renewing dampers is wear in the seal/rod wearing surfaces so even using a thicker oil would provide temporary improvement.

In almost all cases the original damper parts are discarded and replaced with a sealed, pre-filled cartridge assembly which simply slots into the strut tube and is retained by fjohns "geet big nut". The factory in fact supplied cartridge damper units in preference to replacement original seals. If your car has already had replacement dampers in the past they will almost certainly be of this type.

Do please use spring compressors when removing/replacing the springs - an unfettered spring will go some distance, and through a lot!!

As for a 38/38 Weber - no can help - the original Solex 34/34 no probs. Your best bet would be someone who has already fitted that conversion.

Mac (yes I'm still about, getting older, falling more apart, still not running a 300 (940LPT est, and a new S40 at the mo)).

[trabitom99]

Mac (yes I'm still about ...

That's good to see Welcome back, and have a happy Easter!

Tom

[germ]

Wow Thanks Mac, your amazing all taken on board and i shall try my hardest to remember!

Ofcourse i will use spring compressors, hoping the old ones in the garage are still ok, otherwise i wil get hold of some new shiney one's ( i like new shiney )

If they are indeed sealed or i chicken out, i shall have to bite the bullet and buy some new ones. its decided to be chilly today and that has put me off to an extent, still got plenty of other stuff to do!

Thanks Very Much for all your help! and Welcome Back Mac hope your well.

Will

[xtrmjks]

I got Gear oil (75W80) in Mine, matches rear Land rover shox nicely..
When You change oil, work piston in/out to get air out and then seal it.

[filthyjohn]

I have some cartridge style gas dampers and they don't fit, even though the part number was right.

[foggyjames]

Good to hear from you Mac. Did you get sick of the C70 being a pain in the arse?

I've yet to take a 300 series strut apart, so talk of the strut tube forming the body of the shock is most interesting. I have some KYB gas shocks waiting to go into late 360 struts for my 343...I hope they fit!

cheers

James

[mac]

Hi James,

"THREADJACK" - Yep the C70 misbehaved once too often for our liking, he last being a dumping of coolant at a family funeral in Harlow. Not being dressed to grovel a "well known motoring organisation" was summoned who misdiagnosed a heater hose problem, (those pesky clip in hoses), dismantled, lost the seal and spacer, and tried to bodge a new seal with self amalgamating tape (and force the pipe back into the matrix with a 2 foot pry bar)!! Result = two leaks. At this point I became quite "vocal" ("quote - "mechanics do this all the time" did not help my mood) and recovery was suggested and effected. (leak was from turbo coolant hose by the way).

Having looked back at the list of problems (all minor - but a loooong list) we decided to squeak a bit (depreciation) and chop the wretch in. Deb now has a (new) S40 2.0 diesel SE (by which I am quietly impressed - smooth, torquey, and utterly frugal MPG.)
(always said I would never buy a brand new car but I hope we've bought peace of mind). Naturally I still have the land barge!!

"BACK TO THREAD"
Further to the strut issue. The 300 was originally designed with repairable front dampers whereby the strut tube formed the body of the damper into which the damper rod complete with valve pack and upper seal fitted. During assembly a measured quantity of oil was added. Replacement dampers came as the usual cartridge which fitted as a direct replacement (having dismantled the old unit and syringed out the old oil.) This arrangement lasted until about '82' when from memory the factory started to fit cartridges as OE. If you look in a very early "Hay**s book of lies" it describes both versions, as do the earliest "green books".

Today I should think that an "untouched" Mk1 will have the early type but everything else will have cartridge type - I may well be out on dates but certainly replacements have always been cartridge.

All the best - Mac.

[foggyjames]

I'm not too happy with the 70s myself at present, Mac. The PAS reservoir overflowed on shut-off (I suppose putting the lid on would have been a good idea...), soaking the aux belt in ATF. The belt disintegrated the next morning, and some shards got into the timing belt cover. The timing belt jumped a couple of teeth, and I'm now fitting a new engine after it ate a valve...

On the other hand, Ryan's C70 (1998 T5 coupe) seems to be pretty well behaved.

Well I'm about to strip down the struts from the 81 343, so I suspect we'll see!

cheers

James

[Duvel78]

Ha! Excellent topic! I have a little question about the front struts...

But first, talking about the '70 series, I can't resist to give my advice about my 2002 C70: 8 months now that I drive that car and 25.000 km. I still love the car, beautiful design, very comfortable, no noise on board, incredible low fuel costs on LPG (+/- 4 € for 100 km, for an engine with more than 200 hp, try to beat that!!) But the bad is... that I was surprised by the list of problems and costs during the last months for such a recent Volvo that I thought to be perfect compared to the 300 series: broken coolant tank > new one, broken PAS tank > new one, worn front bearing > new one, radiator leak > new one, broken handbrake mecanism, new one... The story of the radiator was very pathetic! When the Volvo dealer replaced it, one of the coolant system hose wasn't on the right place and was touching the alternator belt... You can guess what happened to me on a german motorway! The hose was cut, all the coolant falling down on the road... I really hated the C70 that day! Sometimes I have some regrets to have stopped driving a 300 as a daily car, that car was just fantastic, it's just a shame for the parts and rust problems...

Back to the subject: the front struts of the 300! The last days I'm busy again with that model, I wish to see my red 360 back on the road for this summer. I'm breaking a GLT and I've removed the aircon and PAS, I've a little problem concerning the front strut, so there is my stupid question: how do I remove the big rubber/metal part on top of the strut? (the strut is out of the car, the spring is compressed and the big nut is removed) I there something special to do, is it necessary to use an extractor? In the Haynes they say to "remove clips", but I don't see any clips... That was maybe for older versions? I've already destroyed the bearing by playing with a big screwdriver between the big rubber and the upper spring seat... Thanks for your advice! (@ Mac: you said to be careful with spring compressors, I hope I do it right on the picture! The compressors have a little security system on the top)

strut1.jpg (142.26 KiB) Viewed 9889 times

strut2.jpg (192.48 KiB) Viewed 9889 times

How to remove this?

strut3.jpg (157.91 KiB) Viewed 9891 times

[foggyjames]

I've never done it, but I assumed that once the nut is off, it's loose. Maybe it is rusted on...?

cheers

James

[Bazboy]

That nut is pesky, was a two man job when i did my springs, one to hold the flat bit and the other to unscrew the bolt, form what i can remember that should be it.

Dan

[Andy P]

From the sounds of it yours has seized itself in. Just give the top mount a good yank and it should come off (might be an idea to try a little releasing agent of some sort)

Good luck!

When I did mine I should have documented a how-to... too late now! Ah well!

Andy