L Wagon Rear Shock 'Shroud' Dropped.

Esubie · Post by **Esubie** » Sat Jan 26, 2013 8:33 am

G'Day Guys.

Recently joined the site seeing as I thought the 430Km thing might need to keep on rolling for a bit longer.

On my '85 L Wagon the rear shock 'shroud' has dropped down on both sides of the car cos the original retaining rubbers have finally let go.

Since I live down a dirt road the dust is already getting in at the good shocks.

What are my options to get replacements ?
Is this a suspension dismantle job with spring compressors and all ?

Thanks for any help.
(I'll be back)

steptoe · Post by **steptoe** » Sat Jan 26, 2013 11:05 pm

To get in there to replace the gaitor? , yep sounds like you know it. After market universal steering rack boots come in a few different shapes and sizes, are cheap and wil do the job. Same too if a motor cycle place is handy

Esubie · Post by **Esubie** » Sun Jan 27, 2013 12:46 am

After market universal steering rack boot ?
That's to replace the whole 'gaitor' or resecure the old one ?
Any chance of a link or reference so I can see the sort of thing I'm after ?

thanks.

steptoe · Post by **steptoe** » Sun Jan 27, 2013 6:31 am

Esubie wrote: What are my options to get replacements ?

Someone did ask for replacement option, not a repair.

Look at the rack boots on your steering rack, keep that picture in your mind, take a look at your problem we can only picture in our minds at the moment , see any connection that might be a possibilty?

Orinals only falling down, not destroyd as well ?

Cable ties, zip ties ? Can you see them working for you?

Esubie · Post by **Esubie** » Sun Jan 27, 2013 8:54 am

Will have a look at steering rack boot thanks.

Original sleeve fallen down. Rubber top stuffed. (That's why they have dropped).

steptoe · Post by **steptoe** » Sun Jan 27, 2013 12:01 pm

just looked at some wagon rear struts and there is two or three parts, internal bump stop rubber that ends in crumbs and two shields, one softer than the other, from memory they fit just before spring top goes back on....musta banged a bigger hole in yours

Esubie · Post by **Esubie** » Sun Jan 27, 2013 12:20 pm

Car got new shocks just before I got it 30k KM ago. Nothing else renewed I suppose.
Might take me a while to check it out properly. Am too crook to even go outside today, and the CV comes first too.
Thanks for having a look.

steptoe · Post by **steptoe** » Sun Jan 27, 2013 8:12 pm

Oh, didn't go to any effort for you, was just in my travels

When I have bought new rears also had to buy the bump rubber cushions as an extra. Used to have a part number for Mr Pedders , his site works well and number can be found in thereor search vortex rear shock bump stop pedders

steptoe · Post by **steptoe** » Sun Jan 27, 2013 8:23 pm

Rear Bump Stop / Kit

pedders #4360 Bump Stop-1pk ithink even the wagons had these and they are crumble rubber after twenty years

Esubie · Post by **Esubie** » Sun Jan 27, 2013 9:28 pm

steptoe wrote:Oh, didn't go to any effort for you, was just in my travels

Even better.

steptoe wrote:When I have bought new rears also had to buy the bump rubber cushions as an extra.

Looks like that wasn't done in this case.

steptoe wrote:Used to have a part number for Mr Pedders , his site works well and number can be found in thereor search vortex rear shock bump stop pedders

steptoe wrote:Rear Bump Stop / Kit
pedders #4360 Bump Stop-1pk ithink even the wagons had these and they are crumble rubber after twenty years

After 30 years the crumbly rubber's fallen out.
Looks like that is the part for the wagon too, from their website.
Would be nice if I could buy them online. Nearest Pedders dealer is nearly 100ks away.

steptoe · Post by **steptoe** » Mon Jan 28, 2013 7:05 am

from mamory the originals had a groove to hold the plastic guards in place ? Could be wrong. Wagons real bump stop is obvious, the L sedans did not get them, not even the RX? they got twice the poundage struts instead

but had a bump stop on the strut. The Vortex 4WD is same - needs strut bump stop.

If you are remote the steering rack boots and disassembly may be the go. Sedan rea springs are usually soft enough to not need s pring compressor to get back together, wagon is stronger. Maybe you are closer to fence wire to wrap around coils in compressed under car weight first, stand back when undo top mount in case wire breaks, if lucky reassemble uninjured.

Stupidly once I undid a top nut of a front strut without compressors to hold tension, held in one hand, rattle gun in other, gun hand went up, strut went down, spring lost its tension, I kept my face. Also done rears under boot and rattle gun, foot felt the release and something smacked the shed wall

Esubie · Post by **Esubie** » Mon Jan 28, 2013 11:15 am

We have a town mech (but no petrol). He will do the CV so maybe he can get the bump stops and do that for me too now that we have the part number.

Kept my face also when I was young and ignorant and took the top wishbone off a Holden front end. Spring ended up behind me . Don't know how.

Esubie · Post by **Esubie** » Wed Jan 30, 2013 7:18 pm

standby Steptoe for some silly questions.

Went to the town mech today and he had no idea about this, which was strange cos he is old school and these have been around for years. Maybe they just don't break often.

Anyway...
can you please confirm that we use the old gaitor/boot with the new pedders part#4360.
and does the resulting assembly fix to the top of the mount (as I think) or does it sit on the shock and ride up and down (as the mech suggested).

The CV is due to be done next week so he will look into it more then anyway.

steptoe · Post by **steptoe** » Wed Jan 30, 2013 9:39 pm

the bottom of the shock rides up to the top, the two shroud bits stay at the top unless you wanna try a steering rack boot where you might fix the bigger end at the top of the shock body, the narrow end at the top of the shiny shaft with the bump stop kit inside.

When I held up my wagon rears the other day they stayed up top. There is something in the assembly process that holds them there. Think the bump stops sit up top factory but Pedders may sit at the bottom of the piston/shiny shaft.
When you pull it apart you may see the shroud has parted company with its retaining top washer sort of thing....

Esubie · Post by **Esubie** » Thu Jan 31, 2013 12:11 am

OK, sounds like a few options.
... and if the shroud has parted from it's top washer... ? is it permanent or can be reattached ?
I'm keen to have something covering the shiny shaft to keep grit out of the shock but mech says it's not important !?

steptoe · Post by **steptoe** » Thu Jan 31, 2013 6:40 am

Once someone gets it apart, gets some pics going, you may be able to see the damage and repair it. Sounds like it has broken through. If all parts are still present and not somewhere scattered about the Bega Valleys netowrk of roads, the hard plastic can be repaired with a soldering iron plastic welding, some good old silicone etc.

The seal at the top of the shock has never been sealed from outside worlds grit and grime before and has made it this far. They are also a replaceable item- reusing those shields

YouTube · Post by **El_Freddo** » Thu Jan 31, 2013 6:26 pm

Are we talking about that black plastic cylinder part that the shock moves into when the suspension compresses?

If so: That plastic part is usually held up by a rubber stopper that grips a rim on the shock's shaft.

If you're only doing urban driving I would worry about a shroud to cover the whole shaft - but if you live on a dirt road or off road regularly it might be worth the effort. I like the idea of the steering boot that Steptoe has mentioned - going to have to check this one out and steal the idea

Cheers

Bennie

Esubie · Post by **Esubie** » Fri Feb 01, 2013 10:01 am

yeah, live down a dirt road, so every drive is into grit from dust or mud.

Esubie · Post by **Esubie** » Wed Feb 20, 2013 11:28 am

This done now by the town mech. Thanks for the help.

Most expensive bit of the job by far was the Pedders parts esp after they added 'freight' cos I don't live right next to one of their shops.

Generic steering boot used fits over the Pedders bit with a little clipping on the hole at the top of the boot. Boot attached top and bottom with cable tie.
Only thing to look out for is to get narrow diameter steering boot. Ours were a bit wide so were fiddly to fit in and ended up in contact with the steel spring, so might wear out a bit fast.

steptoe · Post by **steptoe** » Wed Feb 20, 2013 4:33 pm

Good stuff. Hope you have the idea how to do it yourself next time, and maybe gather the bits when you can.....any pics? - someone is gonna ask !