Hi Ron,
Welcome to the list. It is a terrific resource for newbies and not so newbies
alike, as well as an amusing source of entertainment at times. 8~)
I guess going the shock conversion route comes down to some personal
preferences with regard to performance versus originality. Lever shocks were
used in the Group 44 race cars back in their heyday, although I'm sure with a
few changes. If you can still find them, there are replacement valves for
lever shocks that will increase the firmness of the shock's response. For some
reason I think they have something to do with MGB lever shocks. You may also
have read about different oils being used other than the stock Armstrong stuff,
including straight race engine oil. This will also increase the firmness of
the shock.
However, unless the oil is designed for hydraulic use there may be problems.
Apparently certain additives in engine oil do not agree with the properties of
shocks and their seals. Exactly how I'm not sure. One shock oil that I've
read somewhere that can be used is Harley Davidson high performance shock oil
designed for their heavier bikes. As it is intended for shocks it is totally
appropriate. Whether it makes a noticeable difference in shock response,
though, I can't say. Maybe another lister can comment on this. Lastly, let's
face it, lever shocks are one of those British anachronisms that make your TR
unique. So, it is possible to improve performance with the lever shocks if you
really want to keep them. But do not try any of this with original lever
shocks. The seals probably will not hold up.
Tube shock conversions come in several designs, although I would tend to avoid
kits that require you to cut or drill through body sheetmetal in order to mount
the adapters. Again, personal preference and comments I've heard about damaged
sheetmetal. Using adjustable tube shocks does allow you to tune your handling
to taste at all four corners. There are also conversions that go up through
the rear spring, freeing up the rear shock link mount in the trailing arms for
an adjustable rear sway bar. Pretty neat.
So, get many opinions of those who actually have either, the costs involved,
what you want out of your TR, and then decide. I decided to keep my fairly new
levers and use stiffer valves. Believe me, this is only the first of many
choices you will have in the years to come, be it rims, tires, engine,
drivetrain etc.
As far as your clunking noise, while broken diff mounts are very common you
should also hear it to some extent over rough roads. If not it could also be
your u-joints either in the driveshaft or the independent rear axles, an even
more common repair. A cracked diff mount can be seen if you can under the car
(properly chocked and supported of course). It is usually the front left if my
memory serves me correctly. There is a reinforcement kit available that will
strengthen the diff mounts should you need to repair it anyway or decide to do
it regardless. Knowing the nature of our TRs it is not a bad idea whether you
need the repair or not.
Good luck!
Greg Dito
CD6250L
Chapel Hill, NC
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