31 replies to this topic

[maystro]

Hi guys,

 

 

I'm still having problems with my rear suspension after replacing everything. I have new rubber cones, Matt Read Hi/Lo's, and have fiddled with short and long shockies.  

When I had normal length mini shockies I had a clang tinnie noise when I think they were extended or compressed past their limit.  

Now I have fitted van/estate length shockies I feel a different kind of solid clunk.  

 

 The problem is my driveway is 45 degrees which requires a run up in second gear at about 40 km/hr in the wet to get to the top.  This creates a hell of a lot of force on my suspension.   In the dry I just put it in first and power up with plenty of traction no problems.  

 

The problem is it is making a hell of clunk which to me sounds like it is going to break or bend something.  

 

I did break a trailing arm pin hitting my driveway this way with the original flat donuts and trumpets. 

 

My trailing pins are still intact and my Hilo's aren't bent for now.  

 

I'm having regrets now for throwing my old trumpets in the bin?  

I have wound out the HILO's so that I have  a lot more clearance/height than I would like and still have this problem.  I think I needed to do this because the HiLo rods were lose even against brand new cones?  I have plenty more adjustment, should I be winding these rods out more so that they are compressing against the cones ?

 

Thanks

 

  

[KTS]

so the new kind of solid clunk is likely to be the shocks bottoming out, in which case you need to extend the hi-lo's.  or move house 

[DeadSquare]

First,  mark the place on the lower / inner part of the damper, where the upper / outer shield of the damper comes to when it is fully compressed.

 

Then make a TELL - TALE   " figure 6 type" rear exhaust pipe clamp out of cardboard and lightly clamp it (wire / rubber band / jubilee clip) to the lower / inner part of the damper so that the upper / outer shield will catch it and push it down as you run your vehicle up your drive.

 

If the top of the TELL _ TALE lines up with your mark, your damper is bottoming out.

[Spider]

Hey Brad,

 

I trust you are keeping well mate.

 

It does sound like something's bottoming out here, though, it might well be something else too. I'd suggest first looking to see if it's bottoming out and just which part is doing that.

 

You could test for the rear shocker as Deadsquare suggests.

In regards to winding out your Hilo, I'd suggest be careful here how far you go with that, I wouldn't suggest letting them get any longer than the stock parts as that only lets the cone get closer to the silly bump stop that breaks the trailing arm pin. If you've been winding this out already, it may well be the cone that's bottoming out. If you find you do need to wind them out longer, then I'd suggest either modifying the subframe or fitting jack up rings (or both).

If you find here it is the rear shock (alone) that's bottoming out, then I'd suggest that you have the suspension set too low.

[maystro]

Thanks fella's,

 

https://1drv.ms/i/s!...g7lEsB?e=OlBKmw

 

This is a pic of the clearance I have now between the fender and the tyre which shows I'm not running too low any more.  

 

I don't think this would be a shock length issue since I originally had standard mini shocks which made a clunking noise so went to great pains to find Moke shock lengths and I still have sudden shock bottoming out but not from the shocks I think, it doesn't have that tinny noise.  

 

I don't mind cutting out the bump stop but it seems strange I would only need this now since fitting new suspension components when in the past with my 40 year old flat donuts and trumpets  I never had a bottoming out issue?  

 

Maybe their was no flex in the old donuts?

[Spider]

Yes, that did occur to me Brad.

Is the noise coming from both sides ?

I'll also add that the new cones will be much softer than those you took out, so while the rear suspension is sitting higher, it will also move (and compress) more than it did.

Just check here too that it's not the shocker stud on the arm that's not hitting the subframe.

[maystro]

Hi Chris,

 

Yeah the noise sounds like it is coming from both sides at once.  

 

I did check the lower shock bolts and they do stick out past the subframe and would collide if the travel extended that far but I don't think it does because their is no damage to the threads or the subframe outer lip?

 

I might try winding my suspension down a little because it does have that jacked up look in the rear which was all the rage in the 80's but sadly I don't have my flares anymore to carry that look   

If I wind down my rear HiLo's will this put less pressure on the rubber cones bottoming out on the bump stops just as a trial?  I was a little worried the HiLo rods would fall out if I didn't wind them out to jack the vehicle up, but of course that was all viewed from when the Moke was jacked up and the wheels were off the ground which hopefully doesn't happen to often while driving??

[Quinlan minor]

Just a thought, but it might be gentler, and more efficient, to reverse up the driveway/ramp, particularly in the wet.

[maystro]

Just a thought, but it might be gentler, and more efficient, to reverse up the driveway/ramp, particularly in the wet.

Thanks mate but I want  my Moke to be bullet proof and be able to handle anything.  I was able to drive up my driveway before with sagged out 40 year old suspension so obviously their is a problem with the new suspension parts. 
I'm thinking the HiLo's are the problem?   

[maystro]

I'm looking at these trumpets, the same ones I think I threw in the bin.   

Would anyone know if these are an exact replacement for a 1981 13" wheel Moke?  

https://www.minispar...c/21A1684S.aspx

 

Thanks  Brad

[Spider]

I'm looking at these trumpets, the same ones I think I threw in the bin.   

Would anyone know if these are an exact replacement for a 1981 13" wheel Moke?  

https://www.minispar...c/21A1684S.aspx

 

Thanks  Brad

 

That's them ;)

[Steam]

Gday Brad
I wonder if having wound the hilos up you are too tall even for the new shocks. The hilos are just adjustable trumpets, thay may have a different rate due to platform shape but if you set their height to that of a standard trumpet then all should be equal, surely?

[maystro]

Gday Brad
I wonder if having wound the hilos up you are too tall even for the new shocks. The hilos are just adjustable trumpets, thay may have a different rate due to platform shape but if you set their height to that of a standard trumpet then all should be equal, surely?

I'm hoping that is the problem Dave,  I will let you know when I get a chance to wind them down a bit.   

I would really like to know the dimensions other Mokers using HiLo's have from the same point I am using as a measuring stick?  It is the truest measurement from the top of the tyre to the closest point of the down folded lip of the guard.  Mine was about 113 mm's.

 

Thanks Brad

[68+86auto]

 

I would really like to know the dimensions other Mokers using HiLo's have from the same point I am using as a measuring stick?  It is the truest measurement from the top of the tyre to the closest point of the down folded lip of the guard.  Mine was about 113 mm's.

 

At least on minis the suspension height is usually measured from the centre of the wheel.

[Steam]

Trumpet lengths are 305mm and 315mm the longer were on the commercials, not sure about Mokes. Spider may know.
Also see pm on ausmoke forum.