1962 series 2 with a strange rear shock absorber set up

Rob Thompson · Apr 17, 2012

I have just started restoring a series 2 that has been off the road for 10 years.

I have 2 rear shocks that a normaly mounted to the axel but side mounted to the chassis.

The shocks are also fitted with 2 tubes that meet and go though the seat box. It looks to be fitted to an582397_10150795532195132_534800131_12162305_735115713_n | Flickr - Photo Sharing! air valve that could be pumped up with a foot pump.

Anybody got any information on them?

mad git · Apr 17, 2012

Best of luck with the S3

I'm probably wrong, but, those shocks have a definate motorbike look about them. I've messed and farted around with bikes for more than 30 years now, and they look very bikey to me

crashbox · Apr 17, 2012

Had a look at the photos but its not very clear what you are referring to. It has obviously been given some customised flooring and shocker mounts.

NiteMare · Apr 18, 2012

i doubt they're bike shocks, i've seen that kind of top mount on shocks before but for the life of me i can't remember what car they were on (might well have been an old volvo as i've owned a couple and the family have had a few going back to the old amazon)

obviously the chassis mounts are homemade, not sure but i'd guess the airlines are to enable the pressure to be increased to assist with carrying heavier weights (those springs also have at least one "helper" leaf)

johnny curt 1 · Apr 18, 2012

looks to me like some kind of hydro elastic suspension like on the old minis or metros set up to act as some kind of anti roll device

definately home engineered not made as the brackets seem to be old but have had a lot more thought and effort put into them than the average tinkering job in the back of a garage

can i ask is there a fluid reservoire or manual pump anywhere to pressurise the buggers or piped into each other in any way

if its not a hydro elastic system if it has or had any kind of pump on them it could be some kind of ride height adjuster for either offroading or towing like the cruise height air bags on articulate trailers

there are only suggestions as to my best guess

what i would do is thoroughly investigate how these things work and what they do and difference they make when on the vehicle as oppose to when theyre removed

please let us know the outcome of yer findings on these things as if its a good un i might be tempted to do it with my series 3

mad git · Apr 18, 2012

johnny curt 1 said:
looks to me like some kind of hydro elastic suspension like on the old minis or metros set up to act as some kind of anti roll device

definately home engineered not made as the brackets seem to be old but have had a lot more thought and effort put into them than the average tinkering job in the back of a garage

can i ask is there a fluid reservoire or manual pump anywhere to pressurise the buggers or piped into each other in any way

if its not a hydro elastic system if it has or had any kind of pump on them it could be some kind of ride height adjuster for either offroading or towing like the cruise height air bags on articulate trailers

there are only suggestions as to my best guess

what i would do is thoroughly investigate how these things work and what they do and difference they make when on the vehicle as oppose to when theyre removed

please let us know the outcome of yer findings on these things as if its a good un i might be tempted to do it with my series 3

He says there are pipes from each shock that meet under the seat somewhere, with an air valve. I said "bikey looking", as I've seen some big air assisted shocks over the years, and I currently use a pair on the leading link set up on mine, it's suprising what they will lift.

johnny curt 1 · Apr 18, 2012

mad git said:
He says there are pipes from each shock that meet under the seat somewhere, with an air valve. I said "bikey looking", as I've seen some big air assisted shocks over the years, and I currently use a pair on the leading link set up on mine, it's suprising what they will lift.

if you have a disused front fork shock with what appears to be a car tyre valve on the top they make fookin good improvised pneumatic rams

the first time i put one on the compressor it was in the vice and punched a concrete slab clean out of me dads garage wall

we later used it to force the rear end of a mk 3 escort straight after a rear shunt ( bloody emmense power in that bugger )

mad git · Apr 18, 2012

johnny curt 1 said:
if you have a disused front fork shock with what appears to be a car tyre valve on the top they make fookin good improvised pneumatic rams

the first time i put one on the compressor it was in the vice and punched a concrete slab clean out of me dads garage wall

we later used it to force the rear end of a mk 3 escort straight after a rear shunt ( bloody emmense power in that bugger )

Yeah, it's surprising, even a small one is extremely strong.

tacr2man · Apr 18, 2012

It could well be an air assist s/absorber . Not that common in UK , probably off different application (that is not an unsual mount system ) Quite a popular mod in OZ on utes and 4x4 to give a temp load capability increase . They do tend to hammer the bushes and mountings if over used ie using high pressures 90psi + !!!. They have been more or less replaced now by airbags in springs , lot lower pressure (eg 35psi) , and less likely to bust off shockmounts on FE engineered modern vehicles HTSH

Rob Thompson · Apr 18, 2012

Sounds like you all have some good ideas. Sadly the pervious own has died, I bought it from a scrap dealer. So I don’t have any history.

I does look like it has towed heavy loads in the past. The various mods are 109 front and rear brakes, big tow bar, v8 mated to the standard gear box, hydraulic winch.

Also one of the cross members (the one that has a round hole) has had the bottom part cut away to allow the prop to fit. I will get some pics on soon.

Im planning to keeping the rear shock and springs if the work. Just need the replace the bushes.

NiteMare · Apr 18, 2012

how about getting a few pictures of the truck up so we can have a tour round it, might be quite interesting, show us some of the other oddities and a couple of the whole truck

The Mad Hat Man · Apr 18, 2012

why do yu want pics of his truck? be better to have pics of his S2 surely?

NiteMare · Apr 18, 2012

The Mad Hat Man said:
why do yu want pics of his truck? be better to have pics of his S2 surely?

my name ain't surely

mad git · Apr 19, 2012

NiteMare said:
my name ain't surely

Haha, and......................his "truck" ain't a truck

Rob Thompson · Apr 19, 2012

Will do mate when its not tipping it down.

1962 series 2 with a strange rear shock absorber set up

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