
Shock absorbers, esp. bushes
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Re: Shock absorbers, esp. bushes
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Re: Shock absorbers, esp. bushes
Have just increased the quota, Andy.
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Re: Shock absorbers, esp. bushes
Those are the type that AVO supplied me as the free exchange for the damaged original poly, what I found is that as they had worn away the eye into an oval shape that they came loose and rattled about, solved by JB Welding the spacers into place and no more rattling issues
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If you can see the tree before you hit it that's understeer
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If you can see the tree before you hit it that's understeer
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Re: Shock absorbers, esp. bushes
Andy, FIRST OF ALL I AM NOT HAVING A GO AT YOU.
Those are Not Metalastic bushes, just the cheap rubbish they been using for years.
Metalastic bushes are made from Proper Rubber and were developed by Dunlop Polymer Engineering not a man grating up old tyres in a shed in India.
Just feel how soft they are.
All the steel bushes are doing is "Containing the rubber that gets pushed out of the sides.
It will not prevent the centre tube from wearing its way through the rubber, been there seen the results.
I have used injection moulded plastic in the past and it seems to last about Four times longer than those awful rubber sleeves.
At the end of the day they should use a correct type of bush for the loads that are applied to them, and I have told them so.
Back in the late 90`s, I was the First RSSOC trader to stock and supply Avo`s and I fell out with them for the shocking ( pun intended) quality of those bushes, now Gaz are using them too.

Those are Not Metalastic bushes, just the cheap rubbish they been using for years.

Metalastic bushes are made from Proper Rubber and were developed by Dunlop Polymer Engineering not a man grating up old tyres in a shed in India.

Just feel how soft they are.
All the steel bushes are doing is "Containing the rubber that gets pushed out of the sides.

It will not prevent the centre tube from wearing its way through the rubber, been there seen the results.

I have used injection moulded plastic in the past and it seems to last about Four times longer than those awful rubber sleeves.

At the end of the day they should use a correct type of bush for the loads that are applied to them, and I have told them so.

Back in the late 90`s, I was the First RSSOC trader to stock and supply Avo`s and I fell out with them for the shocking ( pun intended) quality of those bushes, now Gaz are using them too.

See the Beast on youtube under" RELIANT SCIMITAR CONVERSION LOL.,Se5,Se5a, Se6a, Two Se6b`s, GTC, SST 1800Ti & not a lot of sense
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Re: Shock absorbers, esp. bushes
Metalastik was a trade name that Dunlop bought /pedant off 

Jim King
Current: SE5 (8Ball), TI SS1 (snotty), 1600 SS1 (G97), 1600 SS1 (C686CCR), 2.5TD SE5a (diesel 5a), 6 x random other SS1s.
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CURE THE FAULT - NOT THE SYMPTOMS
Current: SE5 (8Ball), TI SS1 (snotty), 1600 SS1 (G97), 1600 SS1 (C686CCR), 2.5TD SE5a (diesel 5a), 6 x random other SS1s.
Previous: SE5, 3 x SE5a, 2 x SE6a, 3 x SE6b, GTC, 2.9i GTC, 3 x 1600 SS1, 1300 SS1, Mk1 Ti Sabre, Mk1.5 CVH Sabre
Chief mechanic for: 1400 K series SS1 (Megan3), 1400 CVH EFi SS1 (Grawpy), Sabre/MX5 auto (The Flying Broomstick),
1300 SS1 (Number One) & Sarah's coupe.
CURE THE FAULT - NOT THE SYMPTOMS
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Re: Shock absorbers, esp. bushes
I had wondered about the quality of GAZ, given their low pricing. Having been round Spax and Protech recently, there's only one way to go cheaper and that's to source parts from the lowest bidder and at some point quality is compromised or bottom price is reached.
Jim King
Current: SE5 (8Ball), TI SS1 (snotty), 1600 SS1 (G97), 1600 SS1 (C686CCR), 2.5TD SE5a (diesel 5a), 6 x random other SS1s.
Previous: SE5, 3 x SE5a, 2 x SE6a, 3 x SE6b, GTC, 2.9i GTC, 3 x 1600 SS1, 1300 SS1, Mk1 Ti Sabre, Mk1.5 CVH Sabre
Chief mechanic for: 1400 K series SS1 (Megan3), 1400 CVH EFi SS1 (Grawpy), Sabre/MX5 auto (The Flying Broomstick),
1300 SS1 (Number One) & Sarah's coupe.
CURE THE FAULT - NOT THE SYMPTOMS
Current: SE5 (8Ball), TI SS1 (snotty), 1600 SS1 (G97), 1600 SS1 (C686CCR), 2.5TD SE5a (diesel 5a), 6 x random other SS1s.
Previous: SE5, 3 x SE5a, 2 x SE6a, 3 x SE6b, GTC, 2.9i GTC, 3 x 1600 SS1, 1300 SS1, Mk1 Ti Sabre, Mk1.5 CVH Sabre
Chief mechanic for: 1400 K series SS1 (Megan3), 1400 CVH EFi SS1 (Grawpy), Sabre/MX5 auto (The Flying Broomstick),
1300 SS1 (Number One) & Sarah's coupe.
CURE THE FAULT - NOT THE SYMPTOMS
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Re: Shock absorbers, esp. bushes
This post interests me as I have two AVO shocks that have been leaking from only a couple of years (and less than 3000 miles) after they were fitted new. I now have 2 years of MOT advisory notes saying shocks weeping (during which the garage told me not to change the shocks as they would eventually dry up and the problem would solve itself!) So I don't want to go back to AVO and was considering GAZ. Since I am more interested in quality than price, while there is no overall consensus here, am I safer to go for Spax or Protech than Gaz?
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Re: Shock absorbers, esp. bushes
I too am more interested in quality than price but the GAZ were recommended by quite a few people and the ride does seem better than the AVO (but early days). Today 'again' I went back to Nigel at AVO about the bushes and mentioned the "fit for purpose" his response was I'm just being a cheapskate.
I agree it would be a great help to many if we knew the facts about the various shocker options.
Regards
Mick
I agree it would be a great help to many if we knew the facts about the various shocker options.
Regards
Mick
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Re: Shock absorbers, esp. bushes
Perhaps the traders could look into obtaining and providing a proper metalastic bushes from somewhere such as these people, possibly something an individual wouldn't be able to do but a trading company could, would certainly give options to unhappy customers.
SE4c rebuilding. SE5a similar it seems!
SAAB C900 2 door
Scimitar SE4 SE4c SE5 SE6b Austin A35
High Peak Noggin Secretary & general dogsbody
www.high peak noggin
If you can see the tree before you hit it that's understeer
if you only feel the tree as you hit it that's oversteer
SAAB C900 2 door
Scimitar SE4 SE4c SE5 SE6b Austin A35
High Peak Noggin Secretary & general dogsbody
www.high peak noggin
If you can see the tree before you hit it that's understeer
if you only feel the tree as you hit it that's oversteer
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Re: Shock absorbers, esp. bushes
If you want Spax, then wouldn't you rather buy them from someone who actually wants your business? 

Yes, we can mend your Scimitar!
Order your Scimitar parts any hour of the day at http://www.classicmicrocars.com (member's discounts).
Fancy a holiday in Gael, France? http://www.ianrhu.com
There is no point trying to teach a pig to sing. It doesn't work and it annoys the pig.
Order your Scimitar parts any hour of the day at http://www.classicmicrocars.com (member's discounts).
Fancy a holiday in Gael, France? http://www.ianrhu.com
There is no point trying to teach a pig to sing. It doesn't work and it annoys the pig.
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Re: Shock absorbers, esp. bushes
I know some of the compies are using GAZ without problems but I now only look at protech and Spax.
Jim King
Current: SE5 (8Ball), TI SS1 (snotty), 1600 SS1 (G97), 1600 SS1 (C686CCR), 2.5TD SE5a (diesel 5a), 6 x random other SS1s.
Previous: SE5, 3 x SE5a, 2 x SE6a, 3 x SE6b, GTC, 2.9i GTC, 3 x 1600 SS1, 1300 SS1, Mk1 Ti Sabre, Mk1.5 CVH Sabre
Chief mechanic for: 1400 K series SS1 (Megan3), 1400 CVH EFi SS1 (Grawpy), Sabre/MX5 auto (The Flying Broomstick),
1300 SS1 (Number One) & Sarah's coupe.
CURE THE FAULT - NOT THE SYMPTOMS
Current: SE5 (8Ball), TI SS1 (snotty), 1600 SS1 (G97), 1600 SS1 (C686CCR), 2.5TD SE5a (diesel 5a), 6 x random other SS1s.
Previous: SE5, 3 x SE5a, 2 x SE6a, 3 x SE6b, GTC, 2.9i GTC, 3 x 1600 SS1, 1300 SS1, Mk1 Ti Sabre, Mk1.5 CVH Sabre
Chief mechanic for: 1400 K series SS1 (Megan3), 1400 CVH EFi SS1 (Grawpy), Sabre/MX5 auto (The Flying Broomstick),
1300 SS1 (Number One) & Sarah's coupe.
CURE THE FAULT - NOT THE SYMPTOMS
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Re: Shock absorbers, esp. bushes
Mike those bushes are the same type that I use, but mine are either OE Metalastic or from an OE manufacturer.
See the Beast on youtube under" RELIANT SCIMITAR CONVERSION LOL.,Se5,Se5a, Se6a, Two Se6b`s, GTC, SST 1800Ti & not a lot of sense
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Re: Shock absorbers, esp. bushes
Might be worthwhile as a trader Mark to actually say what you are able to supply in the traders section as I had no idea tbh hence my comments abovegtcse8 wrote:Mike those bushes are the same type that I use, but mine are either OE Metalastic or from an OE manufacturer.
SE4c rebuilding. SE5a similar it seems!
SAAB C900 2 door
Scimitar SE4 SE4c SE5 SE6b Austin A35
High Peak Noggin Secretary & general dogsbody
www.high peak noggin
If you can see the tree before you hit it that's understeer
if you only feel the tree as you hit it that's oversteer
SAAB C900 2 door
Scimitar SE4 SE4c SE5 SE6b Austin A35
High Peak Noggin Secretary & general dogsbody
www.high peak noggin
If you can see the tree before you hit it that's understeer
if you only feel the tree as you hit it that's oversteer
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Re: Shock absorbers, esp. bushes
No longer a professional trader Mike.
Couldn`t live off the profits/losses when I did.
But I do have a lot of stock, and have kept in touch with the manufacturers and suppliers, and still have the machinery to manufacture parts myself.
Couldn`t live off the profits/losses when I did.
But I do have a lot of stock, and have kept in touch with the manufacturers and suppliers, and still have the machinery to manufacture parts myself.
See the Beast on youtube under" RELIANT SCIMITAR CONVERSION LOL.,Se5,Se5a, Se6a, Two Se6b`s, GTC, SST 1800Ti & not a lot of sense
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Re: Shock absorbers, esp. bushes
Jim I once fitted a set of Gaz that a customer supplied me with, he requested the rose jointed type as he too was not happy with the rubbers.
When the units arrived it was obvious they would NOT be a straightforward swap as the inner ball was too narrow for the chassis so I had to turn up a set of sleeves to stop them moving around, Two of the joints failed within a year and we just bought another pair to fix it rather than go through a protracted argument with Gaz.
This was even though they were plastered in Moly Grease to keep water out.
The car is now in France so I don`t know how its doing.
When the units arrived it was obvious they would NOT be a straightforward swap as the inner ball was too narrow for the chassis so I had to turn up a set of sleeves to stop them moving around, Two of the joints failed within a year and we just bought another pair to fix it rather than go through a protracted argument with Gaz.
This was even though they were plastered in Moly Grease to keep water out.
The car is now in France so I don`t know how its doing.
See the Beast on youtube under" RELIANT SCIMITAR CONVERSION LOL.,Se5,Se5a, Se6a, Two Se6b`s, GTC, SST 1800Ti & not a lot of sense