Priming shock absorbers
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From: Periproct on 30 Jun 2010 05:51 I've done pretty much all my own car maintenance since I started driving but I've never heard of priming shock absorbers before. Apparently extend and contract them a few times in the orientation they will be when on the car before fitting. I recently put new telescopic shocks on the rear of my car and it's sounding terrible. Every pothole results in a rapid series of clunks as if the suspension is bouncing, IE not much shock absorbing going on. I'll get out there and do the priming thing and see what happens. Question is, have I knackered the shocks by using them 'unprimed'.
From: Chris Whelan on 30 Jun 2010 06:20 On Wed, 30 Jun 2010 10:51:18 +0100, Periproct wrote: > I've done pretty much all my own car maintenance since I started driving > but I've never heard of priming shock absorbers before. Apparently > extend and contract them a few times in the orientation they will be > when on the car before fitting. > I recently put new telescopic shocks on the rear of my car and it's > sounding terrible. Every pothole results in a rapid series of clunks as > if the suspension is bouncing, IE not much shock absorbing going on. > I'll get out there and do the priming thing and see what happens. > Question is, have I knackered the shocks by using them 'unprimed'. It used to be necessary if shocks were stored/transported in a non- vertical alignment, but I've seen no reference to it recently. I believe it was done in order to get the fluid back to the reservoir part. Try it by all means, but I'm not sure it will solve your present problem; I'd imagine that the fluid would have drained back to where it should be by now. Chris -- Remove prejudice to reply.
From: Periproct on 30 Jun 2010 06:34 "Chris Whelan" <cawhelan(a)prejudicentlworld.com> wrote in message news:0UEWn.51748$sD7.2051(a)hurricane... > On Wed, 30 Jun 2010 10:51:18 +0100, Periproct wrote: > >> I've done pretty much all my own car maintenance since I started driving >> but I've never heard of priming shock absorbers before. Apparently >> extend and contract them a few times in the orientation they will be >> when on the car before fitting. >> I recently put new telescopic shocks on the rear of my car and it's >> sounding terrible. Every pothole results in a rapid series of clunks as >> if the suspension is bouncing, IE not much shock absorbing going on. >> I'll get out there and do the priming thing and see what happens. >> Question is, have I knackered the shocks by using them 'unprimed'. > > It used to be necessary if shocks were stored/transported in a non- > vertical alignment, but I've seen no reference to it recently. I believe > it was done in order to get the fluid back to the reservoir part. > > Try it by all means, but I'm not sure it will solve your present problem; > I'd imagine that the fluid would have drained back to where it should be > by now. > Thanks for the reply. It's a BMW 325i and it failed the MOT on broken rear springs. I thought I might as well change the shocks at the same time as I occasionally carry a rear passenger with a back problem. I don't know how much shocks deteriorate over time but thought it can't do any harm. It did. :-) I'll get back under there and see what else I can find.
From: David Taylor on 30 Jun 2010 08:11 On 2010-06-30, Periproct <Periproct(a)btinternet.com> wrote: > I've done pretty much all my own car maintenance since I started driving but > I've never heard of priming shock absorbers before. Apparently extend and > contract them a few times in the orientation they will be when on the car > before fitting. > I recently put new telescopic shocks on the rear of my car and it's sounding > terrible. Every pothole results in a rapid series of clunks as if the > suspension is bouncing, IE not much shock absorbing going on. > I'll get out there and do the priming thing and see what happens. > Question is, have I knackered the shocks by using them 'unprimed'. Presumably by being used on the car they have already extended and contracted a few times (in the orientation they will be when on the car)? -- David Taylor
From: Periproct on 30 Jun 2010 08:58
"David Taylor" <davidt-news(a)yadt.co.uk> wrote in message news:slrni2md34.gn6.davidt-news(a)outcold.yadt.co.uk... > On 2010-06-30, Periproct <Periproct(a)btinternet.com> wrote: >> I've done pretty much all my own car maintenance since I started driving >> but >> I've never heard of priming shock absorbers before. Apparently extend and >> contract them a few times in the orientation they will be when on the car >> before fitting. >> I recently put new telescopic shocks on the rear of my car and it's >> sounding >> terrible. Every pothole results in a rapid series of clunks as if the >> suspension is bouncing, IE not much shock absorbing going on. >> I'll get out there and do the priming thing and see what happens. >> Question is, have I knackered the shocks by using them 'unprimed'. > > Presumably by being used on the car they have already extended and > contracted a few times (in the orientation they will be when on the > car)? > Good point. :-) The only difference is, not to their full range. Having spoken to a friend, he said he'd never done the priming thing. I'm wondering if I've just got a pair of faulty new shocks or or damaged something when the suspension went to full extension. |