The Triumph Dolomite Club - Discussion Forum

I'm going to be fitting my adjustable Gaz shocks this weekend along with my axle etc. to the back of the car. I've read quite a few manuals and posts but am a little unsure.

My Gaz shocks are adjustable height and for rebound etc. The knob adjusters are not on the same side as the bush eye so I think they will need to face forward rather than rearward to enable you to get your mitts in there to adjust, this is a bit annoying as it would make more sense if they face outwards, as in sideways in line with the trailing arms.

More annoying are the myriad of things in manuals and on here regarding the fitting of the shock assemblies and I've got a bit confused. I've got the type with the cut outs on the top mounts which I think face towards the front of the car, the tip of the top part of the coil spring should be at 90 degrees to the bush eye and face rearwards.

It's worth noting that my top mounts currently have shaped isolator rubbers in them, I wonder as they are already shaped whether they should be flat. I used the shaped ones because what I took off the car were of the same type.

I appreciate they will probably only fit one way round but it would be best to get it right the first time rather than redo it all.

My first advice would be to change the bushes by genuine superflex. The gaz shocks are very good but their bushes don't last long. It will save you doing the same job again within half a year.

Jeroen.

soe8m wrote:My first advice would be to change the bushes by genuine superflex. The gaz shocks are very good but their bushes don't last long. It will save you doing the same job again within half a year.

Jeroen.

My Gaz have been on for 3 years of hard use now with no sign of deterioration in the lower bushes. I thought it was mainly AVOs that had this problem.

The shox are designed to lean slightly forward at the top, so the rubber adaptor pads should have the thickest edge to the front, these are correct for your late model car, early cars had a shaped topmount to give the angle difference and a flat pad. It's apples and oranges, so long as you don't try and marry early topmounts with late rubbers, you'll be OK.
Since the top of the spring is flat and at 90 degrees to the centreline, I cant see that it makes any difference where the end of the spring is relative to the topmount position, I think I just fitted mine to match the marks in the rubbers.
When I fitted my Gaz, I wound the adjusting collars up just sufficiently to keep the spring fixed in place and used that as a starting point for later adjustments. There is very little point in trying to refine this until the car is fully fitted up and carrying all the interior trim, bumpers, fuel etc that it will be carrying in service.

I agree the knurled nuts should be at 90 degrees from where they are, though I would have mine facing inwards! Since beggars can't be choosers, like you, mine face forward!

Steve

The eyes of the fronts were rubbing the upper ball joints in no time. The rears did last half a year. But that includes a 90 liter lpg tank.

Jeroen.

soe8m wrote:The eyes of the fronts were rubbing the upper ball joints in no time. The rears did last half a year. But that includes a 90 liter lpg tank.

Jeroen.

Even with an LPG tank on board they shouldn't wear out that quickly, I hope you got onto them and complained. Was this some time ago? Maybe they have already done something about bush quality!

Steve

About 10 years ago and a half a year was at that time 25.000km. I did not complain. I did notice and repaired the same time. The shocks did last the whole 275.000km. On my wife's 2500 the gaz adjustable front inserts are gone now after 30.000km

Jeroen