[Steering & Suspension] Identifying a part

[El Berlingo]

   

Hi all,

Can anyone correctly name the damper in the picture? It’s located on the rear suspension train. The rubber boot is perished and I’m pretty sure this could result in an MOT failure. Also, has anyone attempted to either replace e the rubber boot or the damper? Any advice very welcome.

Not sure if picture inserted?



El Berlingo

[Gadgetman]

You need a 24mm socket, a large Hex bit and two long breaker bars to loosen the bolts and nuts. I also reccommend a whle lot of penetrating oils to deal with the rust.

It's also a good idea to jack up the car first.

Get fas-filled shocks, not oil-filled.
If you get oil-filled ones(please, no), mount them vertically in a vise or something, and extend and contract them fully a few times before mounting. (The oil will usually have shifted around in them so they don't really work until you've pumped hem a few times)

It's a half-hour job, unless you have a tea break.

[El Berlingo]

You need a 24mm socket, a large Hex bit and two long breaker bars to loosen the bolts and nuts. I also reccommend a whle lot of penetrating oils to deal with the rust.

It's also a good idea to jack up the car first.

Get fas-filled shocks, not oil-filled.
If you get oil-filled ones(please, no), mount them vertically in a vise or something, and extend and contract them fully a few times before mounting. (The oil will usually have shifted around in them so they don't really work until you've pumped hem a few times)

It's a half-hour job, unless you have a tea break.

[El Berlingo]

Hi Gadgetman,

Thanks for the reply / advice. Any need to support the suspension unit from dropping down? I’m going to order two of these online, so what am I asking for? I now this sounds dopy but everything seems to come back with shock absorbers for the main suspension.
Regards

El Berlingo

[El Berlingo]

Hi Gadgetman,

Just realised that these are, in fact, the main shock absorbers. Should look harder prior to pen to paper!

Thanks again,

El Berlingo

[Gadgetman]

Put jackstands on te regular jackup points in front of the rear wheels.
The suspension drops to the fully extended position as you jack it up, but that still leaves a bit of travel on the shock absorbers. So you have good access to the bolts from the rear.
Or you can do it from underneath if you have access to a 2 or 4poster lift.

The only real issue you may find is if the rear rubber mounts have expired. Then you end up with the wheels still on the ground after jacking up the rear end.
(you can see a smal lhole in the metal part, in a line directly between the ruined rubber and a hook in the frame holding your spare wheel. That goes straight up into the rubber mount)
The front mounts won't fail as badly, so they will act as a fulcrum point.

[brodfather11]

Don't think its an MOT failure , as long as the unit is not leaking oil.

[Gadgetman]

No, it's not an MOT fail as an MOT is a 'this instant' review of the car.
But the bare arm will get dirty and pitted, and as it gets pushed into the shock body, then pulled out again and again and... (I hear English roads can sometimes rival Norwegian roads when it comes to pot holes and speed bumps) dirt gets into it and kills the seals.
and when the seals begins to fail, it goes fast.

You may be able to find just the boots on sale somewhere, but new shocks aren't all that expensive, and you still have to unbolt one end of each shock to fit new boots, so...

[El Berlingo]

Hi guys,

Bit of online research reveals that split, damaged or missing boots could result in an MOT failure. This seems true from about 2018. However , see this thread where no mention is made of boots being a failure.
https://www.mot-testing.service.gov.uk/d...ection_5.3

I suppose the official site is to be believed? Open to interpretation by individual MOT test stations?

El Berlingo