Hi Listers, finally fitted new rear shocks (Bilsteins) to cure the bounces
with the old ones.
Looks like the old ones may have been the originals, they had hardly any
pressure left in them and were a strange orange colour like the front shocks
I replaced a couple of months ago.
I managed to buy the strongest set of spring compressors I could lay my
hands on for the job, they worked fine.
Had a couple of problems (as always)… on the LHS shock the end of the
shock had been "monstered’ by someone obviously replacing the bushes at some
point (as they looked pretty good), took a long time to get a grip on
something to unscrew the nut, hacksawed a slot in the top eventually. On the
RHS shock all went well till the last bolt on the top fixing plate just
wouldn’t take, no replacement to hand so I will have to get hold of a new
one next week.
After completion, the bounce test no longer gets me 3 bounces at the rear,
nice and tight now. Only had time for a quick test drive but I immediately
feel less body roll on turns, no more bounces and no more annoying sporadic
creaking from the back end (the car’s, not mine).
I am sure I will notice more improvements in the following days too, the
drive from work includes a tight turn I can normally feel the rear end doing
some strange things on normally.
All together not too difficult a task (although I am knackered now !).
I replaced my SLS about 3 months ago and I have to agree, the ride is much
better. My SLS shocks had one bad bushing and the other leaked. Though they
still worked ok I still felt a big improvement in the overall ride.
Tom
'90 Soveriegn
Il,USA-----Original Message-----
From: Paul White
To: Jag Lovers
Sent: 2/9/2002 3:31 AM
Subject: [modern] New Rear Shocks - improved ride…
Hi Listers, finally fitted new rear shocks (Bilsteins) to cure the
bounces
with the old ones.
Looks like the old ones may have been the originals, they had hardly any
pressure left in them and were a strange orange colour like the front
shocks
I replaced a couple of months ago.
I managed to buy the strongest set of spring compressors I could lay my
hands on for the job, they worked fine.
Had a couple of problems (as always)… on the LHS shock the end of
the
shock had been "monstered’ by someone obviously replacing the bushes at
some
point (as they looked pretty good), took a long time to get a grip on
something to unscrew the nut, hacksawed a slot in the top eventually. On
the
RHS shock all went well till the last bolt on the top fixing plate just
wouldn’t take, no replacement to hand so I will have to get hold of a
new
one next week.
After completion, the bounce test no longer gets me 3 bounces at the
rear,
nice and tight now. Only had time for a quick test drive but I
immediately
feel less body roll on turns, no more bounces and no more annoying
sporadic
creaking from the back end (the car’s, not mine).
I am sure I will notice more improvements in the following days too, the
drive from work includes a tight turn I can normally feel the rear end
doing
some strange things on normally.
All together not too difficult a task (although I am knackered now !).