Re: Re: RE: Anybody know any history?

[Mike Wattam <MikeWattam@domain.elided>]

Hi Andrew

The difference in the front strut should be confined to a different rubber
mount with an inner lip locating inside the road spring (the old one was
thinner, flat if I remember correctly, and could work out from under the
spring) and is thus the only modification you would pick up.

However (I believe at around the same time) the positioning of the lower
spring seat on the damper/strut body was changed by the various shock
manufacturers (made by Armstrong of Malton on OE) with a revised angle. 
This was to stop the road spring hitting the sides of the suspension turret
and was the 'perceived wisdom' at the time to stop the dreaded 'clunk' on
lock.

Unfortunately, most non-OE shock manufacturers don't bother with this
subtlety, and as most front shocks must have been changed on most cars at
least twice by now, this will almost certainly account for the visual
difference between your two shocks which is probably just the visual
difference between 2 different makes of shock.

Mike Wattam
Chairman - Triumph Stag Register