Shock Absorbers to Hydrolastic Car

[Mini4Ever]

I am putting the suspension for my Mk2 S together. I will have hydrolastic suspension, but with std displacers as I have not been able to source proper silver band ones. Hence, I will also use shock absorbers at the front. My question is whether the shock absorber pins in the C-AJJ3362 kit of Mini Spares will go through the holes in the top arms without drilling them. The bolt HBZ420 with which the bump stop is fitted is not as thick as the pin used on rubber

[Peter Laidler]

There's a valid school of thought, to which I agree, that there's no need to add shock absorbers to a hydro car, especially of the hydro system is in good working order. After all, the hydro system is its own shock absorber. You're adding a shock absorber to a system that it its own shock absorber.

Others will disagree of course but having made a detailed study of the hated hydro system it's ......... anyway.

[Oneball]

The hole in the hydro arms is smaller than the shock pin, you have to drill them to fit a shock. The cone seat is in a different place on the hydro arms too so they’re not simple the same as the dry ones but with a smaller hole.

[mk1]

The holes need opening up from 5/16" to 3/8" for the larger shocker pins, but other than that it is pretty straight forward. Having driven hydro cars with & without shockers added, I personally prefer the handling that the extra damping gives. It certainly reduces the hydro's tendency to rock front to back.

[Dr S]

I like the extra damping from the shockers. I found that with the comp bump stops the difference between compression and rebound a touch on the terrifying so the shockers have calmed it a touch

[mab01uk]

Dry & Hydro Top Arms compared:-
viewtopic.php?f=31&t=33008

[Peter Laidler]

Off the subject a bit but wouldn't it have been a simple project to make the front suspension arms interchangeable between the dry and hydro!

[Mini4Ever]

Perhaps to add some perspective

20220622_175915_small.jpg

The used one is a proper specification pin to fit shocks to a hydrolastic car which came from one of my Cooper S's. The new one is just wrong in many ways... I do not want to drill my NOS top arms to fit a pin that would be too short to still fit the bump stop...

The use one is unfortunately bent and I have only one...

[tmsmini]

Similar question a few years ago:
https://www.theminiforum.co.uk/forums/t ... drolastic/

Special Tuning kit, Shock Absorber Kit C-AJJ 3362, Not sure if the MS kit has all the same components:
http://www.minispares.com/product/Class ... J3362.aspx
Actually I was just curious if the original kit required drilling as well, previous post answered that.

[Allen Brzeczek]

I have run my Cooper S without and with front shock absorbers.

In fitting these I encountered a number of issues as have been mentioned in earlier responses however, while I accept that the fitting of shocks is not altogether necessary I much prefer my suspension with them.

When I first used them I fitted some adjustable ones but have since found that the less expensive shocks from Mini Spares are a straight forward and better choice. However, from personal experience if like me you run your car on the lower height, with this set up I would avoid also fitting competition bump stops. I fitted them and there was very little clearance and free travel on the front suspension, as a result the front of my car bounced all over the road, on bumpy roads, at speed it was scary trying to keep a straight line.

After a couple of trips out I reverted to the original bump stops.

[Peter Laidler]

A local machine shop will be able to turn a new one up, to your spec, made to measure in about an hour

[Spider]

I find the 3/8" Bolts very marginal on thickness, I wouldn't want to be leaving them at 5/16".