EastUpperGooner
Junior
Joined: 12 Feb 2011
Posts: 4
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 Posted: 12/02/2011 22:38 Post subject: Chassis - FK coilover front damper rebuilding |
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Right, so you have a bust or worn out shock. The first you will know about it is if it is clunking, or leaking damper oil down the strut.
FK coilover dampers are NOT rebuildable. Instead, the coilover unit is a housing for a seperate damper insert unit which is sealed and disposable.
You will need to buy 2 new damper inserts from FK, which are £220 per pair inc VAT and postage at time of writing, different suplliers may vary. Always replace dampers in pairs.
They come in the box like this:
Contents: damper unit x2, collar x2, cardboard seal x2, top nuts x2, bottom washer x2 (sellotaped to the bottom)
How to:
- Take the struts off the car. You should already know how, or be able to work it out.
As you can see, one of them is in pretty bad shape.
- Put a strut in a vice, and undo the top mount. The nut size is 27mm. You can either undo it s shown in the picture, with an allen key holding the damper rod from spinning. Or you can just blast away with a wizzy gun, which is infinitely easier. As you come to the top, make sure you push down on the top to stop anything springing out at you.
- The top mount and the spring seat should just pull off now, along with the spring, and any bump stops or boots you have.
- Now undo the collar. You can either use a pipe wrench, or a big grinder spanner in the holes. Its a normal right-hand thread.
(yeah thats the new collar not the old, but you get the point)
- The collar and cardboard seal will now lift out, and you can lift the old damper right out of the housing.
- Now, take the sellotape off the bottom, and use grease to stick the washer to the damper. I also coated the entire damper in grease, because the insides of the housing isnt all galvanized.
- After that, its a simple job of doing the same in reverse. Make sure that the collar is tight. Don't mark the damper rod with tools, whatever you do!
- Its an easy job once the struts are off. The hardest part is taking them off, tbh.
Dont forget that it will all need recambered and retracked, or your front tyres will wear out in no time. |
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