rich28uk

rich28uk

Well-Known Member
Hi everyone just about to swap a strut on my 4.2sc l322 and just wondering about the weight that’s on top of the strut, according to workshop manual only models with brembo brakes have them supposedly called brake vibration damper, now this may be a stupid question as iv never seen them before but why would they need a weight on the top for brake vibration? Any info is welcome as it’s something iv never come across.
Cheers.
 
Harmonic resonance - it's not something most people would notice but for a vehicle of the cost and prestige when new, NVH was, and still is, something heavily invested in at design. Of course, with a vehicle of the L322's age, there's a lot more to rattle and resonate but they do feel somewhat 'unsettled' without them.
 
One reason I’m removing and checking/ swapping the drivers strut is a clunk bit like a knackered top mount, iv noticed the weight moves and can turn within its cup which I believed to be held on with the shock absorber/ damper top nut where passengers side is solid, iv also got a odd noise a bit like off road tyres- rhythmic noise that either something that rotates or something bouncing so I’m wondering if the shock/ damper top nut is actually loose as iv heard of it before on l322s. This then got me thinking how much do the damper weight’s actually do and if slightly loose could they create noise/ vibration.
 
Surprised if they make so much difference that without them it would feel “unsettled” never had them on my td6 but then a 4.2sc is a more refined animal.
 
Also fitted to the 3.6TDV8 with (as you noted) Brembo brakes.

I'd imagine that they would / could cause some unwanted noise if loose, they thread into the top of the damper and are about 1.3kg each from memory. There is a hex socket in the top of the casting so they can be torqued correctly.
 
That’s what I was thinking if I can pull the strut out and remove the threaded weight then torque up the cup it screws onto and the top damper nut it should help, it did have new front struts about 3/4 years back with previous owner and they still look in good condition. Like I say it was interesting to find there related to brake vibration etc as it’s something iv not seen before and evey YouTube video on l322 suspension never shows them.
 
The damper weight should be removable from the engine bay, no need to remove the strut, it threads into the top mount which is part of the airbag, the strut passes through the airbag to fasten into the top mount with a couple of seals.
1720562158631.png


The standard damper is 0.8kg, there is a 'HD' version at 1.8kg - so much for parts memory!
 
That was what I read the other day but the weight is locktighted to the mounting and even when warmed up the whole thing rotates and there isn’t enough room to get something to grip it’s mounting cup from in the engine, need to take strut out and have it in a vice then get something like stillsons on it to hold the mounting up, once the weight is free I can check the top nut which I think is loose.
 
It sounds like the top mount is failing, even with a loose damper nut, it should be solid. Also bear in mind you'll affect the wheel alignment when you remove the strut.
 
It's not entirely clear from the schematic, but the thread is on the outside of the damper, and threads into the top mount, not the top of the strut. you should be able to get a tool down the centre of the damper to check for any rotation of the strut in the top mount.
1720590038481.png
 
Can’t get anything down at moment as the large hex socket on the weight doesn’t go through and no room at the sides to get anything in, when turning the hex on the weight everything seems to rotate, unlike the passenger side where the weight it solid. That’s what made me think is the top nut loose but need to get the strut out anyway to get the weight off as there’s no room under the engine bay to get anything to grip the cup that the damper screws into. Then I can get an Allen key in the damper and really torque the top if loose.
Wheel alignment is out a bit anyway since I changed a driveshaft so doing a few bits on it then I’ll get it aligned.
 
Just had to change my front struts (3.6 tdv8) after one air bag decided it had been an air bag to long, one that went was original 2008 and still had weight on it couldn't shift it with 2ft breaker bar but 14 mm allen in the impact gun did in seconds other side had been changed at some point and no weight on it. The weight screw's into like cup washer which relies on strut being tight to stop it turning so if it's turning then yes the strut top could be loose.
 

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Just been out while it's not raining took pic of side without the weight, does look like your best bet is to drop the strut out to hold that cup washer.
 

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That’s what I mean, it’s too tight for access with the actual metal shell of the car getting in the way of getting grips or stillsons etc on that metal cup.
 
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