Hard Suspension

[smoking joe]

The previous owner (retired engineer) replaced the entire
front, rear suspension and steering 6 months before I bought the car last year.

I have not driven another 7 so cannot gauge, but the front offside does seem rather hard, local small garage I used for years looked over it and said its fine, its a sports car what do you expect !

But I am not sure, he's been wrong before, the hardness feels the same as when the steering bush has gone, metal on metal. Until I replaced that, I thought that was the sensation, but clearly is not.

Are these cars that hard in the suspension ?

Any ideas appreciated.

SJ

[Workshop Help]

Nope, not in a stock format. They are famous for smooth yet controlled rides. First guess is the springs are too stout.

Mildred Hargis

[claypole1360]

Hi, is it good round the bends? That would be the pay off for hard suspension. [:D]




1978 TR7V8 FHC
1962 Herald Coupe 1200
1989 Peugeot 205 xs
2003 Peugeot 206 GTI
2009 VW Passat

[smoking joe]

Yes, Its pretty good around bends, but his invoice from Rimmer bros, states std. coils, bushes and shocks.

Could it be a bush between subframe, because when stationary and bounced
it seems normal.

[Workshop Help]

My 37 year old and 166,500 mile stock springs hold everything in place just fine in the tight curves and snake roads. Yet, my delicate tokus is not being bounced around in the seat and my pretty little head ain't bouncing off the ceiling. Isn't that how it's supposed to be?

As to that Rimmer's invoice, please realize there are two front coil springs with different parts numbers. One is for NON-A/C cars and the other is for A/C equipped cars. The A/C cars will have heavier springs to tend to the extra weight of the compressor, fan assembly, hoses and other items to keep you cool. That's physically cool, not image cool, which we all are anyway.

Mildred Hargis

[TR Tony]

Standard suspension should be quite soft & comfortable. If you feel the problem is just affecting the front O/S, it could be a faulty shock absorber, even if it is nearly new! I note that you say it feels OK if you bounce that corner, but bear in mind that out on the road the shock absorber will be subject to much greater & sudden impacts from the road surface, if the valving in the shock is defective it may not be reacting properly in road conditions.

The "standard" shocks that you get these days from Rimmers & others are not original manufacturer (which I think was Monroe and/or Armstrong), but pattern parts from India or China, much of the TR7 stuff is made by County, which I think is made in India. With some of this stuff there have been reports of quality issues, such as TR7 carb rubber mounts that split in a few months, or the gearbox rubber mounting which are far too hard compared to the original spec and transmit too much noise through the drivetrain.

Having said that I have Rimmers standard shocks in the front of my TR8 (all I could afford at the time!), I put them in after I found both the KYB front inserts that were in the car were leaking. For a couple of years they have so far been trouble free.

Anyway, you may be faced with stripping down that strut to check the shock absorber. If you frequent autojumbles and the like keep your eyes out for some NOS inserts, they do appear from time to time. Unipart GDA3000 or TKC1212, Monroe MR848, Armstrong RC629. Or of course modern replacements like Spax, Gaz or KYB.

Tony

<font size="1">1981 TR7 FHC Cavalry Blue
1980 TR7V8 DHC Jaguar Regency Red - sadly sold!
1977 TR8 FHC EFI Factory development car Inca Yellow</font id="size1">

[FI Spyder]

Depends what you are comparing it to. If you are comparing it to your Honda then the answer is yes. However what you lose in advanced suspension you gain in direct feel to the road. No fly by wire with this car.

Don't know what you mean by "standard components". Stiffer suspension can be caused by hard poly bushings (black), some have mentioned hard rubber bushings, as opposed to soft poly bushings (coloured) or stiffer springs. Tire pressures are an important component (that's why factory recommended 24 psi front) but I prefer the harder 30 psi which give better wear, road feel, handling and sacrifice some softer ride.

- - -TR7 Spider - - - 1978 Spitfire- - - - 1976 Spitfire - - 1988 Tercel 4X4 - Kali on Integra - 1991 Integra - Yellow TCT

[smoking joe]

Well I have checked the invoice again from Rimmers and it is all std spec.items.
Now, I can push down on both sides of the front in one go without too much effort and hit/hear a bump/small thud, which seems the type of sound I am experiencing. Also, like one hits a kerb with a flat tyre.

I will get my son to help tomorrow, to see if when he pushes down it hits the bump stops, unless anyone can diagnose it here. Could it be the shockers, there is no apparent leaking from them, that I can see.

Many thanks.

SJ

[busheytrader]

I've learnt over the years never to assume that a new replacement part can't be faulty or picked incorrectly by the supplier.

If you haven't already, take a look at this thread on TR7 suspension. http://www.forum.triumphtr7.com/topic.a ... C_ID=20145

The standard suspension travel at the front is little over an inch. If the front springs have sagged or are shorter than standard, it won't take long before the bump stops make contact. I found the standard shox fairly weak as well.

Hope this helps.

Adam



TR7 V8 DHC Jaguar Solent Blue. 9.35cr Range Rover V8, Holley 390cfm, JWR Dual Port, 214 Cam, Lumention, Tubular Manifolds, S/S Single Pipe Exh, 3.08 Rear, 200lb Spax & PolyBushes all round, Anti- Dive, Strut-Top Roller Bearings, Capri Vented Discs & Calipers, Braided Hoses, 4 Speed Rear Cylinders, Uprated Master Cylinder & Servo, AT 14" 5 Spokes or Maestro Turbo 15" Alloys, Cruise Lights, S/S Heater Pipes, Replacement Fuel Tank. No Door Stickers. Mine since July 1986, V8 from 1991 courtesy of S&S V8 conversion and big brake kits.

[smoking joe]

Thanks BT, yes thats something I've learnt also.

But in practical terms, surely I should not be able push down
on the car, not bouncing it up and down, just push down and
hit something, bump stop or otherwise. I cannot on my modern daily
drive ! Seems strange that's it possible on both sides, is it more likely to be coils or the shocks ?

PS. I am 6' 1" but not a fat ....., so thats not the reason

[FI Spyder]

That doesn't sound right. There should be no clunking. The top nut on the strut may have come loose. If the gaiter is there pull it down and see what you can see at the top looking under the wheel well. If the nut is loose, as you undo the steering control the spring will release with a bang/clunk unless you support the bottom of the strut to take the spring pressure. On the strut there was an indent near the top to prevent the top nut from coming loose. Once it is taken off to replace the shock, it should be screwed in using Loctite and not reply on the tightness of it alone (ask me how I know).

If the nut is loose the shaft of the shock will rub against the threads of the strut rendering the strut useless in time so you don't want to delay.

Regardless I would take the struts apart and inspect and not assume the PO did everything right. I would use the standard shocks but the gas KYB's as a minimum. Standard springs are fine. I have standard springs (with A/C) and I wouldn't want it any stiffer. While you are at it you might want to put in a roller bearing kit (there are two types, needle and ball bearing) to keep parking lot steering loads to a minimum.



- - -TR7 Spider - - - 1978 Spitfire- - - - 1976 Spitfire - - 1988 Tercel 4X4 - Kali on Integra - 1991 Integra - Yellow TCT

[smoking joe]

Thanks Spyder, had a look last night, gaiter nicely
secured with cable ties top and bottom, so left for now.

However, having jacked the car up, then lowering again I tried to
repeat the downward push, but I could get it to hit a stop and it was far more resistant, as i would expect. So in my mind this is pointing toward the
shockers being the issue, is that fair to say ?

SJ

[FI Spyder]

That would be my guess as I can't make mine reach bump stomp by pressing down and pulling up in sequence to try and get maximum motion.

Although cheaper, I don't think the regular cheapest shocks are worth the money. I would bottom every speed bump on the cat heat shield so when I started to go over car (to pass "out of country saftey check") I replaced the original springs with new standard springs and gas KYB's. When I took out the old shocks there was zero resistance to them. I could push/pull them to full extension with finger and thumb.

Don't know how long your shocks were in but you might have early failure but wouldn't rule out loose top nut so would proceed with caution.



- - -TR7 Spider - - - 1978 Spitfire- - - - 1976 Spitfire - - 1988 Tercel 4X4 - Kali on Integra - 1991 Integra - Yellow TCT

[smoking joe]

Thanks again Spyder, it will be a week or 2 before I get chance to really look at.

A little confused though, having not taken the suspension apart on these before (only classic mini in fact), i thought the main nut on the top of the damper was the one visible under the rubber donut inside the engine bay.

SJ

[FI Spyder]

That nut (at the top of the shock) holds the spring (compressed). The nut at the top of the strut (hidden by the gaiter) holds the shock in the strut. It's effectively the other end of the compressed spring. undoing either of these will make the spring go sproing unless it's compressed. That's why if the lower one is loose to being off when you take the control arm off it will go sproing unless you have a jack under the wheel taking up the pressure of the spring. I haven't done it in situ but it's good if you can cut the zip tie first to pull the gaiter down to see if it's a factor.

Ron (Orange Rag) had his come off as well. Mine happened on the way down to California And I could hear the clunking so be the time I got back the strut threads were wrecked.





- - -TR7 Spider - - - 1978 Spitfire- - - - 1976 Spitfire - - 1988 Tercel 4X4 - Kali on Integra - 1991 Integra - Yellow TCT