i have, its really helpful!! im just asking what im un certain about, anyway parts arrive monday, so will be fitting next week

Quick question slightly different angle, but still on suspension, I feel the need to avoid drains and bumps in the road, as it feels so damn hard on the van, I've fitted telescopic shocks on the back but not the front, could it be duff shocks? It doesn't bounce like the back did with duff old shocks so I was wondering if it could be something else?

rebel,
I noticed in your picture of the van posted under another topic that the front ride height looks rather high.
In my experience, if the tie rods have been wound in to the point where they're under considerable tension even with the wheels on one side of the van jacked clear of the ground, that will result in harsh suspension.

Slackening the toe rods off so that the shackles can move freely on their knife edges with the axles on full 'droop' would be worth a try, perhaps?

Of course, worn out or incorrectly adjusted friction dampers wouldn't help, nor would inertia dampers which have seized up...

ken.

If that's the case, I have a pair of Batteurs in my tool box at work, I don't know why, or where they came from either, but they're yours if you want them.

Drop test?

If they don't do the Mexican jumping bean trick, they need oiling or taking apart and repairing.

ken

I have dropped them recently to demonstrate them to the bloke next door. He didn't understand...

Batteurs? I have inerca dampers I know(I think) how it works the backs had seized, it had crossed my mind, as had the ride height, but I can't drop it far as it bounces over the stupidly huuuge speed bumps. Am I right in thinking you unscrew the cap and fill with oil?

Pity he wasn't wearing steelies, then...

Batteurs is the French word for inertia dampers, Rebel.

That's the friction dampers not doing their job, by the sound of things.

I did a chassis change on a '75 drummer recently and the garage down south which had been 'looking after' the car had told the owner that there wasn't anything they could do with the friction dampers.

As they hadn't been adjusted since new, tightening the adjuster nuts by 'around' 9 turns restored it to how it should be, soaking up speed bumps as though they didn't exist...

ken