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 Bushes rear end 95
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DIRTYGIRTY
Starting Member

United Kingdom
8 Posts

Posted - 21 Feb 2010 :  21:49:10 Show Profile Reply with Quote
Hi Guy's,
Can anyone tell me where i can get ' bushes' for lever type shock absorbers and mounting plate?

Are they the same as 96' shock bushes?


Im a bit reluctant to remove anything until i've sourced them.

How easy/hard is it to do the job?

Any clever tecniques?

blue95V4
V4 Fanatic

United Kingdom
415 Posts

Posted - 22 Feb 2010 :  09:01:20 Show Profile Reply with Quote
Hi, welcome to the forum. There aren't many of "us 95 owners" around but there is a lot of experience here and you'll usually get sensible/practical answers .

I refurbished a 95 rear axle a couple of years ago but I can't remember what I did about the shock bushes and the mounting plate bushes. I got a set of bushes from Chip Lamb of West of Sweden Saab in Richmond, VA, mainly because I happened to be visiting/working in that area at the time! IIRC, the bushes for the mounting plates are slightly different - flatter? - from those used for the link- and drop-arms, which are, I think, pretty much the same as for the front shocks. It would make sense for them to be "standard" but when did car manufacturers do anything sensible? Unlikely that Saab would have had bushes made specifically for their [relatively small] production run so probably sourced from an OEM. I'll have a look at mine when I go over to my workshop. I might even have some photos of the setup in my archives, as I've been scheming a lever-telescopic conversion for a while; even got Spax engineering bods interested (they're keen to make me up a set of adjustable coil-overs ).

Working on the rear suspension of a 95 is relatively easy - especially if you remove the wing panel first (but that's not actually necessary!). Remember that a lot of the fittings on these older cars are A/F, with a few metric thrown in for good measure! A good soaking of WD-40 or Ferrosol (the latter is highly recommended) a day or so before you start work, and a quick wire-brush of the thread ends to remove dirt and corrrosion, makes life a lot easier. I use a length of timber (min 4x2) under the rear of the car to jack it up in one go - both wheels well off the deck with suspension in its extended position - and 2 sets of axle stands - one under the rear jacking points and another under that bit of timber. When you remove the straps and the drop-links, the axle will pivot/drop and the coil springs will fall out (the easiest way to remove them!). Use another set of axle stands to make sure that the axle is supported when you undo the drop-links from the shocks.

Nothing on these cars is too difficult with care and the correct tools/safety precautions. Have fun.

David (95 V4, 260-2 Saabo and a 96 2T, plus a modern Saab)

Edited by - blue95V4 on 22 Feb 2010 09:12:05
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DIRTYGIRTY
Starting Member

United Kingdom
8 Posts

Posted - 22 Feb 2010 :  09:34:07 Show Profile Reply with Quote
Hi David, thanks for all the info. i do believe you are in Dorchester? im in sturminster newton.
if you have any joy with the telescopic conversion i would
be most interested in having a look.
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scallyrally
V4 Beginner

85 Posts

Posted - 22 Feb 2010 :  20:07:38 Show Profile Reply with Quote
http://www.saab-v4.co.uk/speedball/topic.asp?topic_id=1869&whichpage=3

Just changed my whole armstrong lever arms with spare ones that i had - but also looking to replace the bushes on the ones in pic above so have been looking into this without much success at the moment
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DIRTYGIRTY
Starting Member

United Kingdom
8 Posts

Posted - 22 Feb 2010 :  22:14:58 Show Profile Reply with Quote
you can get armstrong lever shocks from www.applehydraulics.com/british.htm
U.S.A $75.00
If anyone has an old set of bushes we could use them as a pattern to see if we could get some made. How many 95' enthusiasts would be interested?
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freewheeler
V4 Mad

United Kingdom
601 Posts

Posted - 22 Feb 2010 :  22:35:55 Show Profile Reply with Quote
I am not familiar with the 95 rear suspension set up, but would it possible to fabricate a mounting plate to fit Armstrong lever arms from an MG? There are plenty about.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/MGB-SHOCK-ABSORBER-LEVER-ARMS-ARMSTRONG-RECON_W0QQitemZ170443771143QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM?hash=item27af3d8d07

Just a thought.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

http://www.lihikset.net/images/kuuppa/index.htm


http://www.saabphotos.com/gallery/My-other-saabs


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freewheeler
V4 Mad

United Kingdom
601 Posts

Posted - 22 Feb 2010 :  23:02:40 Show Profile Reply with Quote
Converting from lever arch to standard shocks.

http://www.crumplezone.co.uk/project95v4/95shocks.html

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

http://www.lihikset.net/images/kuuppa/index.htm


http://www.saabphotos.com/gallery/My-other-saabs


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Banjo
Starting Member

14 Posts

Posted - 23 Feb 2010 :  19:12:44 Show Profile Reply with Quote
Have a 95, and I can not disassemble your current Lever type shock absorbers
One tip
The oil can be filled to high and it will leak oil trough the bush
The cylinder is upside down so you do not need to fill it to that level than its no real problem.
Seccond
There is some modification to the valve possible, but I do not yet figured out, how many washers to add to stiffen up the spring.

but taking them off is a piece of cake
cleaning all wear from the inside is a mess
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blue95V4
V4 Fanatic

United Kingdom
415 Posts

Posted - 24 Feb 2010 :  20:25:34 Show Profile Reply with Quote
I'd seen the JW "simple conversion" doc before - it does look relatively simple but I think I'd prefer teh shocks to be more vertical. That m,eans fabricating a cantilever arm - not that difficult. I do also think that - in my case - adjustable shocks would be better as I will be towing [Saabo] some of the time. Hence my discussions with Spax Engineering dept, having read a comment from someone else who'd done a conversion "wish i'd gone the whole hog and fitted coil-overs while I was at it". That got me thinking!

DG - did you recently buy a Sienna Brown 95 from A&D in Yeovil? Hope to meet up with you sometime and compare notes. I'm now on my 4th 95 and have a lot of spares ......... although yours looked in pretty good nick when I last saw it.

David (95 V4, 260-2 Saabo and a 96 2T, plus a modern Saab)
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DIRTYGIRTY
Starting Member

United Kingdom
8 Posts

Posted - 24 Feb 2010 :  22:57:13 Show Profile Reply with Quote
Yes Dave i did. She's stood for 5 years . Started 1st time once i got some fuel into her. This is my second. I picked up 'Gurtrude 'from ebay end of last year. I drove her home from Leeds with a knackered balance shaft which i easily replaced and she is in super condition.Always on the hunt for spares. Would be nice to meet.
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rsimps
V4 Guru

United Kingdom
1616 Posts

Posted - 25 Feb 2010 :  08:00:15 Show Profile Reply with Quote
You should be able to get the dampers rebuilt. Alot of cars used hydraulic lever arm dampers from the 1930's onward. You might need to look more towards companies dealing with vintage to 1960's cars. I would think there should eb someone somewhere with the lever bushes and the mounting plate bushes.
http://www.stevsonmotors.co.uk/dampers.htm
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UK_Sub
V4 Guru

United Kingdom
2555 Posts

Posted - 25 Feb 2010 :  08:28:50 Show Profile Reply with Quote
I e-mailed the guys at superflex to see if the had any polyurethane bushes that might work and got this reply...

Firstly please view this list in case a match can be found http://www.superflex.co.uk/datasheets/SuperFlex%20Universal%20shock%20eye%20bushes(3).pdf
If not we could develop, subject to demand. We would need an initial order of 100 to justify tooling costs.

I got my rear dampers rebuilt and the lever arm bushes replaced for £50 the pair - there should be a thread on here that names the company . . .
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Banjo
Starting Member

14 Posts

Posted - 26 Feb 2010 :  18:20:32 Show Profile Reply with Quote
The lever shocks can be no better then new.
Like the update 95 rear to koni's, JW style.

Someday would add the hitch and start pulling my '67 Sprite caravan (loaded only 650kg)but that's just a future idea now. First rebuilding the engine, while driving a old engine.
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rsimps
V4 Guru

United Kingdom
1616 Posts

Posted - 01 Mar 2010 :  12:20:31 Show Profile Reply with Quote
Lever arm dampers usually are ok once rebuilt. You can alter the damping rate through the valve. I have some Luvax dampers on a different type of car and they can be altered by an internal screw. One thing I notice is that they need to be full of oil and you need to make sure there is no air locked in the valve (important when filling from new). Apart from that mine would damp a truck! There should be a few spe*****ts around as alot of cars used those lever arm dampers. Less cars probably used the Luvax and you can buy all the parts for those, the seals are usually the only problem. You need to use the correct oil for the dampers too.
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Banjo
Starting Member

14 Posts

Posted - 13 Mar 2010 :  10:22:35 Show Profile Reply with Quote
Experimented with hydraulic fluid 32 and motorcycle front damper oil
Don't found much difference but personally prefer the motorcycle because the usage is more the same.

Only problem I still have is the outgoing shaft to the level
I can not take is apart to check or replace seal.
so they are always dark due to minimal leakage of oil.
so will need to contact rshimps adress to renovate them.
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