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MG TD TF 1500 - Andrex shock specs

I picked up a pair of Andrex shocks last week and going to try to rebuild them, anyone attempted this project? Is there anyplace that has the internal discs for them or maybe the specs will do. Thanks Brad
BOW Brad

I would check with Peter Caldwell of World Wide Auto in Madison Wisconsin. I think he used to rebuild them, so I would think he might know a source for the disks. He's the best shock re builder I know of. PJ
Paul161

I don't suggest Apple hydraulics. A friend had a set done and they used some sort of phenolic type material that just ground itself up and ruined the units. Moss used to carry the wood discs but they where even incorrect. The wood (disc) shims actually were pressure treated, I am told. I am on the hunt as well for pieces for mine
W. A. Chasserq

Brad,
I did a search for Andrex Shocks and came up with 8 "hits",, this one might be useful for the disks,,

http://www2.mg-cars.org.uk/cgi-bin/gen5?runprog=mgbbs&access=&mode=archiveth&subject=8&subjectar=8&thread=2016011416362215917

It seems like a lot of people just rebuild them for "looks", and not functionality, because of the dificulty of finding parts


Steve
Steve Wincze

If you can't find any parts in the USA it may be worth contacting Andy King MG, Steve Baker MG or Barry Walker MG in the UK. If they don't have the parts they may know somebody who does.
Dave H
Dave Hill

Also, in the UK, Graham Brown, did mine. It took forever, but it was a good job!

http://www.vintageandclassicshockabsorbers.co.uk/
Ian Bowers

I'm trying to rebuild mine now and it's been quite a challenging project. Internal parts other than the wood disks appear impossible to find. In my case, one of the shafts is badly worn so I tried to see if I could get one machined but the cost was prohibitive (more than $400). I tried to come up with several work arounds including redesigning the shaft and internal metal parts to make them easier and cheaper to machine and managed to get the cost under $200 for the parts necessary to rebuild each shock. In the end, I decided against it as the general consensus I get from near everyone is that the shocks not only don't work well but many find that when they are in working order and properly adjusted, they detract from the car's handling and may even make it border on dangerous. With this in mind, I have elected to make mine look look OK but not function. You can get the wood disks from either Moss or Abington but I made up a set myself using an adjustable circle cutter on my drill press. I used a 4 inch think block of wood and then sliced it into disks on my bandsaw. Good luck.
J Cosin

J Cosin
What kind of wood did you use?

Jim B.
JA Benjamin

In this day and age they are more for show than go, I am afraid, as machining and rebuild costs are high, and long-term reliability is questionable, at best.

The Andrex friction shock contains two kinds of alternating discs, wood and steel. Some of the steel discs are locked immovably in the housing, while the other steel discs are internally splined and attach to the externally-splined shaft to which the arm attaches. The housing contains a heavy oil, theoretically stopped from leaking out by a rubber seal at the outside end of the shaft.

When the oil HAS run out the notoriously poor seal, and/or when internal pressure pushes the oil past the seal, everything becomes gummed up to the point where the splined discs are not able to rotate at all, so the discs' fine splines are then torn out of the shaft's splines. The shaft also rusts and corrodes, and is eventually too rough to support a replacement seal.

The only way to really fix these shocks is to machine a new shaft with an external hex instead of splines, and new discs with a matching internal hex. You then need to bush the body for the new shaft, make discs of the CORRECT wood (what is now available is not...), find a seal that will really hold in the heavy oil, and neatly vent the shock so the internal pressure does not build up to the point where the shock leaks again.


That's my opinion.

Tom Lange
MGT Repair
t lange

This thread was discussed between 14/06/2016 and 15/06/2016

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