Newbie with wonky P38

Daniel · Jul 1, 2011

Good morning chaps.

I've just picked up a cracking 4.0 P38 (see pic below) for a song, it's got a few little gremlins to sort but I'm working my way through them.

It's been converted to coils and the drivers side is noticably lower than the passenger side, about 25mm when measured between top of wheel and arch.

I've not looked at it yet, thought I'd have a chin wag with you lot first...could it be as simple as the rears being slightly longer than the fronts, whoever fitting them having fitted them side to side?

I'd be grateful of your comments.

Cheers

Dan

towbar0 · Jul 1, 2011

It is normal practice to colour code springs with a vertical stripe on each coil. If there is a difference its different for front and rear. If coding is all the same you will need to remove them (with the right kit!) and measure
them. There was a myth that the nearside were longer. I never believe it.

gfromleeds · Jul 1, 2011

Sounds like a broken spring to me
do they look like Theve been on years?

clarkie · Jul 1, 2011

throw the coil springs in the bin and put it back to air springs as it should be

amongstit · Jul 1, 2011

I had a P38 that sat exactly the same,I checked the springs and they were badly corroded to the point where they were dropping bran flakes,I think the issue is with cheap coil springs that get tired and corrode faster than you'd expect

Datatek · Jul 2, 2011

clarkie said:
throw the coil springs in the bin and put it back to air springs as it should be

I'll second that, if the EAS stuff is there, put it back on air

362bkr · Jul 2, 2011

datatek said:
i'll second that, if the eas stuff is there, put it back on air:d

Agreed.Then notice the difference in ride comfort.

gfromleeds · Jul 3, 2011

Datatek said:
I'll second that, if the EAS stuff is there, put it back on air

I'll third that
even if the eas parts are missing you can get the full kit from a braker for a few hundred quid
You'll spend that putting a set of new spring on

CEZ1869 · Jul 3, 2011

gfromleeds said:
I'll third that
even if the eas parts are missing you can get the full kit from a braker for a few hundred quid
You'll spend that putting a set of new spring on

& Ill 4th that..

Looks like a nice P38 mate, so have a good look round & take for a nice long test ride 1st, giving time to check all electrics, Heater & air con working as should. common faults are half (passenger side) blowing warm, & drivers side blowing cool. As with many say on here it depends on price of the vehicle, look further & you may see another p38 already running on air thats been looked after for same price? theres loads out there.

TAH · Jul 4, 2011

CEZ1869 said:
& Ill 4th that..

Looks like a nice P38 mate, so have a good look round & take for a nice long test ride 1st, giving time to check all electrics, Heater & air con working as should. common faults are half (passenger side) blowing warm, & drivers side blowing cool. As with many say on here it depends on price of the vehicle, look further & you may see another p38 already running on air thats been looked after for same price? theres loads out there.

I'd guess that "Just picked up a cracking P38 for a song" means he's already purchased the car..

CEZ1869 · Jul 4, 2011

TAH said:
I'd guess that "Just picked up a cracking P38 for a song" means he's already purchased the car..

You know what they say about too much caffeine & what it does to ya.! :doh:

jamie1210 · Jul 5, 2011

Daniel said:
Good morning chaps.

I've just picked up a cracking 4.0 P38 (see pic below) for a song, it's got a few little gremlins to sort but I'm working my way through them.

It's been converted to coils and the drivers side is noticably lower than the passenger side, about 25mm when measured between top of wheel and arch.

I've not looked at it yet, thought I'd have a chin wag with you lot first...could it be as simple as the rears being slightly longer than the fronts, whoever fitting them having fitted them side to side?

I'd be grateful of your comments.

Cheers

Dan

id 5th that

id say change it back to the way it was if the eas has been removed you can get a manule set up for very cheep and youed just pump it up at the petrol garage when needed you can get the air bags for as cheep as £15 each on ebay and once you have the sping off it will take less then 20min to put each air bag back in its just two clips and one little pipe to push in very easy..depending on how botherd you are about it and im going to get hanged for saying this but you can get rubber infills for the spings jack the car up slip them in and bobs a uncle it will make the ride a bit harder but not buy much as id say it could be cheep springs that have gone week on that side the rubber infills are not that hard and have some give in them £10 each but only a cheep short term fix... like i said id do it the right way. but thats just a few short cuts if needed... and id have to say wot a beautiful looking car as i have very much the same looking one as you mine is a 2001 dhse in same blue its mint and yours looks just as clean i got mine back today as it had a few grems of its owen but all sorted intill the next one moves in

Daniel · Jul 6, 2011

Replacing the original suspension certainly seems the way to go, it seems to have everything apart from the air bags.

I've not looked at it in great detail thus far, hoping to spend a good portion of the weekend having a root around.

What's the process for removing the springs? Is it a big job?

jamie1210 · Jul 6, 2011

Daniel said:
Replacing the original suspension certainly seems the way to go, it seems to have everything apart from the air bags.

I've not looked at it in great detail thus far, hoping to spend a good portion of the weekend having a root around.

What's the process for removing the springs? Is it a big job?

hi i dont think it will be that hard of a job. i know that when you change a leaking air bag it can be done in five min once the cars jacked up its just two clips and a small pipe.. getting the springs out id get a set of good clamps and dig in

the back ones could just fall out if jacked up enough

? if not they should not take much to get out. the front i think the legs have to come off but not a big job once the spring are out it will be easy.. if you have a look on utube there maybe a video of some one who has done it....or this might be a bit cheeky of me but if you go in to one of my threads and find mr wammers he will know 100% wot and how to do it he knows every thing about every thing

Newbie with wonky P38

Daniel

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towbar0

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gfromleeds

Well-Known Member

clarkie

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amongstit

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Datatek

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362bkr

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gfromleeds

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CEZ1869

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TAH

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CEZ1869

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jamie1210

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Daniel

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jamie1210

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