Fitting front shock absorbers to hydrolastic car

[LMM76C]

Just to clarify, apart from homologated items, it is necessary to check the "freedoms" under the Appendix J for the year in question (available on the FIA site). You then have to read the Group 2 "freedoms" in conjunction with Group 1 (because the Group 2 regs usually state that the "freedoms" are in addition to those in Group1 rather than being a complete list themselves. Dampers were free, even in Group1 - but not the number or the mountings. 1968 Group 2 makes no additional reference to dampers as such.
The rear h/d bump rubbers were homologated in the same May 68 amendment as the front dampers.
The 68 Monte cars, leave alone the 67 ones, were before May 68. You will see damper brackets on at least one of those ORX cars in NI - but they were in private hands relatively early so could have had the damper kit fitted post-works. Interestingly the kit uses standard type top mountings, not the modified dual supports for the pins used on earlier dry works cars (under the previous Appendix J) and it is that standard mounting that is in a photo of one of the ORX cars in NI. Supersonic on here is the expert on the NI cars. The dampers on dry cars are of course a whole different ball game regarding stressing of the mountings.
Works Group 6 cars, widely used in 67 because events often allowed Group 6, were under no such restrictions.
I cannot comment from personal observation because the Gulf London in July 68 was the first event I serviced on. The private Cooper concerned had the H/D rear bump stops by then but not the front dampers. Same spec for 68 RAC (and 69 and 70 RAC on a different car).

[Peter Laidler]

To be fair, I did say in my initial hydro + shocks comments that they related to your average road cars. So we’re going way off at a tangent here bringing works into the frame! A couple of years ago I would have responded to the posts so far with a thought out reply. But after a not too well thought out written arse kicking some time ago I’ve refrained since. An O level in needlework for beginners and pottery and the loosest grasp of mechanical engineering and physics prevents a return bout this time!

A bit tongue in cheek of course, but I’ve said my piece. Once bitten, twice shy and all that!

[Dr S]

I think in part as well, modern cars are much more damped than a hydro mini so a little extra is no bad thing...

[iain1967s]

I had mentioned this on Dermot's build thread, but it bears repeating in context here:

Given the rarity of good hydrolastic displacers these days, and the crap quality of modern roads, fitting the C-AJJ3362 front kit can also be considered as cheap insurance to reduce the damping load on the hydro system.

The last thing you want is to burst a 50 year old hydro bag as a result of hitting a pothole, when a cheap shock absorber could have taken the load instead. Probably at the expense of the tyre/rim, but those are cheap and easy to fix compared to a displacer.

I've got front shocks on my wet 1275 S and I never noticed them cause any detrimental effect.

[Daz1968]

If i fitted front shock absorbers to my cooper, would I have to replace my competition front bumpstops for standard or leave them all round, it’s something I had considered but not made my mind on yet,

Thanks

[Dr S]

I’ve left them all round. I’ll report back in a few weeks.

[LMM76C]

To be fair, I did say in my initial hydro + shocks comments that they related to your average road cars. So we’re going way off at a tangent here bringing works into the frame! A couple of years ago I would have responded to the posts so far with a thought out reply. But after a not too well thought out written arse kicking some time ago I’ve refrained since. An O level in needlework for beginners and pottery and the loosest grasp of mechanical engineering and physics prevents a return bout this time!

A bit tongue in cheek of course, but I’ve said my piece. Once bitten, twice shy and all that!

Not off at any tangent. Merely answering a previous poster's specific mention of a works car.

[Peter Laidler]

Hey LLM, don't even think for a second that I was having a dig or go at you or mini-mad for asking and answering. Not a bit of it. Just a little tongue in cheek explanation on my part why I didn't continue a further explanation! I'm probably the biggest off-at-a-tangent offender on the forum.

Kind regards.

[IslandBlue]

I can't add anything to the technical discussion but I fitted competition bump stops and front shock absorbers to my wet car because Vizard's book on how to modify your Mini said it was a good idea!

I seem to recall he suggested it improved the feel of the steering or something along those lines as well as reducing the pitching fore and aft.

Anyway, I've felt no desire to put it back to standard and have always felt it made a positive difference but maybe that's just a placebo effect?