alpines
[Top] [All Lists]

Re: Armstrong Rear Shocks

To: Eddie Donovan <Eddie.Donovan@PWGSC.GC.CA>
Subject: Re: Armstrong Rear Shocks
From: Ron Tebo <mrtebo@telus.net>
Date: Fri, 09 May 2003 06:06:34 -0600
Eddie:

I have your note from the other message board, and it says " Rear
shocks, Series II - Armstrong Lever Shocks Import Auto Supply" Is this
what you were referring to? 

Ron Tebo

Eddie Donovan wrote:
> 
> There was a posting a few months ago indicating that new Armstrong lever 
>shocks can still be purchased in the US but I can't find the note on it. I 
>also sent Jim Ellis a note a few months ago with a list of replacement parts 
>and contacts. Perhaps he still has the list around.
> 
>                 Eddie (Alpineii)
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Ron Tebo [mailto:mrtebo@telus.net]
> Sent: Thursday, May 08, 2003 7:50 AM
> To: Mike McMahon
> Cc: alpines
> Subject: Re: Armstrong Rear Shocks
> 
> Mike:
> 
> Here is a post from Jarrid that convinced me to leave my shocks
> original. Mine are still working fine after 43 years, and as Jarrid
> says, why try to fix that?
> Also, I think someone on the list once said that the MG Midget used the
> same shocks, so this might be a source of parts/replacements/tuning.
> 
> Ron Tebo - Series I - B9000627
> 
> Subject: Re: Series I Shocks
> Date: Thu, 15 Mar 2001 21:50:14 -0800
> From: Jarrid Gross <jarrid_gross@earthlink.net>
> To: AlpineDriver@aol.com
> CC: alpines@autox.team.net
> 
> AlpineDriver@aol.com wrote:
> 
> > << While I am not going to get into why the knee action shocks are
> superior
> > (or
> >  will I?)................
> > Jarrid Gross
> >  SII with rear original 1961 knee dampers.  >>
> >
> > Why not go into it? and while at it could you suggest what, if anything
> > can/should be done with them if one is reconditioning all [most] other
> > systems.
> >
> > Rob Carpenter
> > SII based Harrington
> 
> Well it pops up from time to time that people want to replace
> their armstrong lever action dampers with real shocks.
> 
> The best argument anyone could give me about telescopic
> shocks over the lever types is gas charging (keeps the fluid from aerating)
> but the pressures inside normal gas shocks isnt high enough to do that
> much good.
> 
> Let me start off by saying that properly maintained, the lever shocks
> last seemingly forever.
> There are a few issues with thes shocks though, and one is if you
> run them out of fluid, two things happens.
> The first is that you have no damping, the second is that soon after,
> the pistons sieze, and stop the rear from moving at all.
> 
> If they havent been run out of oil, then they seem to work fine,
> are cleanable, servicable and can even have the danmper oil
> removed and changed.
> 
> In answering question #2, if your shocks are working now,
> (not siezed or clunking) then you can clean them and install
> new fluid.  Make your own top gasket when you tear
> the 40 year old gasket upon removeal.
> 
> If the main shaft weeps fluid, theres a few people who
> advertise in hemmings who can seal them up for you.
> 
> Want more damping?
> 
> The bound and rebound springs can be removed and shimmed
> to whatever daming rate works for you.
> Garnted not as easy to alter as a set of spax, but that set of
> spax aint gonna last 40 years either.
> 
> Jarrid Gross
> Mike McMahon wrote:
> >
> > Hey Gang,
> >
> > here's a big general question...
> >
> > What's the deal with the rear lever shocks on my series 1? Are they
> > servicible, tuneable? Are there replacements available? Can regular shocks 
>be
> > fitted somehow?
> >
> > Thanks a bunch.
> > -mcmahon

<Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread>