Armstong Shock Questions

I'm a relative novice at auto hobby. Co-worker convinced me a couple years ago to buy '76 Midget for restoration. Moving slowly, but recently I've been replacing the rear rubber on shocks, shackles. Two questions about Armstrong shocks:
1. What is proper way to replace fluid? I've opened the top cap and unscrewed bottom bolt with the spring. Was that okay?
2. How do you separate the link from the shock arm? I hesitated to do it when encoutnering lots of resistance.

I have never pulled the lever off of the shock and hesitate to do so, never found it necessary. If the bushings are worn and the lever wobbles then the best/almost only thing to do is send them to Peter Caldwell at World Imports and have them rebuilt.
If they don't wobble then just open the plug and unscrew the plate, wash everything out until it is clean (I use kerosene) and reassemble. I use 10w40 or 20w40 oil, whatever I have around but use the same weight on each side whatever weight you use.
When you are filling them be sure to get all of the air out of the system before you close it up completely (except the little reservoir at the top which needs to be mostly empty.

BillM

Motorcycle fork oil is my suggestion, straight 20w oil non detergent is my second. You need special tools to remove the arm. FWIW

I think Frank wants to separate the link from the arm on the rear shocks.

Frank, the hole in the arm is tapered as it the pin on the link. Much like the tapered pin and hole on the tie rod ends at the front of the car.
Remove the shock and link together from the car, if you want to flush and fill the shocks. Remove the link from the leafsping plate. You may decide to not remove the link from the shock arm, as it wont help with the flush and fill.

If you want to remove the link from the arm, here's how. Loosen the nut, don't remove. Support the shock arm such that the hole is like a bagel you want to slice, with an edge uppermost. Smack the edge with a hammer to momentarily squeeze the hole, and the link taper will pop right out. Doing this on the car is difficult as it requires you to support the bottom of the "bagel" with a second hammer. Why leave the nut on loosely?.... it'll protect the threads from an errant hammer blow.

Good luck.

Peter C.

Peter C is right, I was thinking about separating the link from the arm. I wondered if it was like the tie rods, but I decided to play safe and not damage it without knowing. Thanks for the help everyone.

I like Peter's advice to me when I called him to ask what periodic maintenance lever shocks require, he said:

If the arm is loose / wobbles side to side, or if there is a leak coming from there, then the shock needs to be rebuilt. Other than that, they need no maintenance. If there is no leak then the fluid does not need refilling, and if it leaks then filling it will only temporarily remedy the real fault (worn out bushing/seal). Also, the fluid never needs changing. It doesn't wear out, and if you need to flush the shock because of some failed part, then it is time for a rebuild, so why bother flushing?



If there is no leak, and the arm is solid in the shock body, then leave it alone and enjoy.
Pretty good advice from a guy who just talked me out of a sale because my dampers were OK!


Norm "learning everyday" Kerr

Very well put Norm "learning every day" Kerr

Put another way..........................ain't broke, don't fix it:bouncing:

The only qualification to all this is, a shock can be tight, but have a shot valve (rare, 'cos the lever arm seal will usually be leaking too) causing the car to bounce and or wheels to hop. Replacing the shock is the best remedy here too.

If I understand this post correctly, my 30 year old lever arm shocks can't/aren't worn out? They show no signs of leaking, or of ever having leaked and they still seem to work as designed, but I am finding it hard to believe that there are parts on either of my MG's which do not need to be replaced/rebuilt, especially in the suspension, where most of the other moving parts are toast? There is no bouncing or hoping, but I was really looking forward to pulling them off, sending them to Peter for new ones, and then having a Jag-like suspension when I reinstalled them.... Am I being unrealistic here?

there are internal seals that could wear, leading to reduced damping, and there are bearing surfaces that could wear, leading to a loose arm / unwanted (fr) suspension movement, particularly under hard braking. The latter may show up as a fluid leak as well, around the pivot.


You have two choices:

1) check what you have
- undo the damper from the suspension and pull hard fore/aft (fr), or side x side (rr) to confirm whether there is any play in the arm's main bearing surfaces.
- cycle the arm up and down through its whole stroke. Compare the two to each other and confirm they both feel quite firm, and smooth through their whole travel.

or

2) send them to Peter for rebuild. From experience, if they do NOT need rebuilding, he will tell you so and save you money, and if they do need it, you'll get the best ones you can get.

Norm "no reason to support Peter, in fact he talked me out of buying new ones based on the condition of my old ones so he has my trust" Kerr

You should have read my post to Hap about sending him my 1500 and getting something back with small block chevy power. Made Hap laugh too..