My Amazon is ill

[stuart131]

After many posts raving about how my Amazon gets better and better ,God decided enough is enough and decided to teach me a lesson.
I was driving along when I heard a loud bang from the back of the car .I turned the radio down thinking it my have been a misfire but there was no change in engine note .There was however a massive difference in the handling .
The back end was rolling about like that "shake your ass "advert and I had to really take it steady for the last couple of miles home.
On looking under the vehicle it was evident that the lower torsion bar on the drivers side had snapped off where it meets the axle .....
Now ,this is where I would appreciate a bit of advice ,Im going to replace BOTH torsion bars but do you think I should replace the springs and shocks at the same time ?Im sure whats under there is original and looks pretty rusty and covered in the usual half inch of black goo.Also ,the one bar going may have put a strain on other parts of the suspension ?
Thought Id ask before ordering the parts.
best regards

[222s]

Hi Stuart, sorry to hear what's happened.

That's not a torsion bar, it's a radius / trailing arm, and the type as fitted on early Amazons have a reputation for rusting-out.

If something that major has gone, it's probobly best to expect a complete rear suspension rebuild to be required (ie all bushes etc, as well as both radius arms). If the springs / shocks are ok, then replacing them may not be needed, but I suspect that it won't be that much extra work to fit new ones, given the dismantling that will be required to replace the radius arms.

As for strain elsewhere, I'm not familiar with where they are positioned, but it's possible that the extra movement (rearwards?)which the axle was then capable of doing (as it wasn't properly located / attached) may have placed undue strain on the flexible brake lines. Someone who knows these car better than I do, should be able to comment on this, but in the case of such safety critical items, I think it's best to replace if in any doubt.

Hope you get it all sorted out soon, and with the minimum of hassle!

Best regards,

Paul

http://x-files.serveftp.com/paulharkerdesign/personalgallery/albums/Amazon/AS_Signature.sized.jpg
1967 Amazon 122S B20 o/d Estate, 1961 A-H Sprite Mk2 948cc

[stuart131]

Cheers mate much appreciated ,
This is the downside with old motors ,one job invariably leads to another aah well ,such is life.
best regards

[stuart131]

Yep you were right ,its called a torque rod .Just spoke to Brookhouse to get the bits and he said replace both rods just in case ,also he didnt think springs and shocks would need any work but I reckon while its in bits might as well replace the lot ,sorted then isnt it ?
Apparently its a doddle undoing it all ,but given my incompetence in all things mechanical ,Ill leave it to the experts .
Just hope theres no serious rot under there !

[TomTom]

Bad luck, mate, but it's better to have a brand new shiny rebuild than the nagging worry that something's gonnna give.

As I've heard it from the experts, the big labour is doing the suspension bushes, with the shocks and springs much less work, although of course you have the price of buying them. You should think if you want poly bushes or regular rubber, standard springs or lowered, bog-standard shocks or bilsteins. There's quite a lot of discussion about these on other forums.

I have ridden in a lowered car with bilsteins and the ride was a bit harsh over speed bumps but cornering was great, hardly any wallow.

I need to get back to my charging problem. The idiot light came full-on red yesterday, so I need to see where the break is. It's never a dull moment....

Tom

[stuart131]

Well chaps my own example of the worlds greatest ever car is in the hospital tommorow morning .Luckily the torque rods came with the bushes fully fitted ...RESULT!! .
Got the inspection lamp and grubbed about under the car for a while.All the underneath looks suprisingly rot free ..bit of grot where the wheel well meets the chassis and a hole under the spare wheel well neither being un sortable...
I checked for any corrosion on the brake lines etc and saw no sign of any leakage.
Spent a few pleasant moments last night looking at my shiny new bars ,pristine springs and fabuloso new super smooth shiny shocks mmmmmmm .Cant wait to see them on the motor....
In the summer Im going to jack her up and fully treat the underside probably waxoil it ,however years ago Dunlop used to do a product for this ,I think it was called "rubberseal" can you still get this I wonder ?
Sad as it sounds ,I was daydreaming about trying to keep the bars clean ...perhaps painting all the supension bits a nice glossy black...when I realised my wife had been talking to me for a few minutes and I hadnt heard a word of it...sorry dear...what was that ?

[tommy_andrews]

yeah dunlop did make it and it was crap, use a wax based inhibitor such as waxoyl,dinitrol etc

[stuart131]

The Amazons back on the road.Picked her up this morning with sparkling new suspension bits .I hadnt realised how saggy the back end was before .I always noticed that when on the drive the cars nose was a bit higher than the tail now its dead level .
Nicer ride now too ,a lot firmer ,corners better and seems more upright somehow.
The garage informed me that the upper stay bars are fine but very old and hes recommended replacement of the pair.Ill probably get this done in April before the MOT .
We also had a good poke about underneath and couldnt find any significant rot which was good .With a final "dont worry mate well get her through the MOT no worries "off I went .
I tell you what ,I get a bit of stick from them ,but a local garage like that is worth its weight in gold ....and definitely the case of Budweiser Ill drop in on the way home .

[TomTom]

Hi Stuart

Could you elaborate on the kind of new gear you got. Are the springs stock heigh or lowered, did you use poly bushes or rubber ones and what make are the shocks.

I'm interested because at some point I will have to go down this line. Let us know whether the ride is much harsher when going slow, and over speed bumps etc, and whether the cornering is noticeably better.

Thanks

Tom

[stuart131]

Hiya ,
I got the lower arms brand new from Brookhouse (about £90 each ..ouch)
which came fully fitted with rubber bushes both ends.Spings were new items and standard size ...take care when ordering as there are two types apparently .Im pretty boring so shocks are standard Munroe jobs .The ride is infinitely better,you notice a massive difference ,nowhere near as much roll .Still go a bit steady over the speed bumps though.Naturally being new bits the ride when going along feels a bit "stiff" if that makes any sense but so much better .
Cost wise to fit ,the garage said it was 3 hours labour and charged me £110 which I thought was excellent .
The car sits nicely as well with the arches about 2 inches above the tyre front and back .
Rang up earlier to pay the bill (yes they let you take the car away BEFORE paying how rare is that?)and his parting shot was "get some wing mirrors"
Let me know if you need any more info...by the way ,did you find out what was causing your excessive fuel consumption?

[222s]

Hi Stuart, glad to hear that everything has now been fixed!

:-)

http://x-files.serveftp.com/paulharkerdesign/personalgallery/albums/Amazon/AS_Signature.sized.jpg
1967 Amazon 122S B20 o/d Estate, 1961 A-H Sprite Mk2 948cc

[stuart131]

Cheers Mate !
Notched up another 200 miles on Saturday ....lovely .

[stuart131]

Hi paul ,
Sorry to bother you ,I was going to ask the other day .When you are on the move and engage overdrive do you get a brief surge forward? mine does and also seems to want to pull everso slightly to the right
The surge I understand as going up a gear but the movment I dont get ...had a look and cant see anything loose I might check the front suspension is lined up correctly at the weekend .Probably much fuss about nothing I suppose .

best regards

[TomTom]

I think that the slight surge is natural, mine does that to a greater or lesser extent at different speeds. You'll find that if you ease off the accelerator and then engage OD, that it's a bit smoother.

The pull: sounds like there's some alignment issue; try shifting brutally from 2nd to 3rd or 3rd to 4th and see if the pull is there as well.

Tom

[222s]

Hi Stuart,

My car experiences this surge too - I've never really thought about it before, but I'm pretty sure it's caused just by the lower engine rpm when engaging overdrive being at a higher point in the torque curve than before.

BTW, I believe that the clutch is supposed to be used when engaging and disengaging overdrive. I rarely bother (especially under full acceleration) as it's so easy to change in and out using the column stalk, but I find that when I do, the changes are much smoother, and there's no surge.

As for the movement, I've no idea I'm afraid - sorry I can't help more!

Paul

http://x-files.serveftp.com/paulharkerdesign/personalgallery/albums/Amazon/AS_Signature.sized.jpg
1967 Amazon 122S B20 o/d Estate, 1961 A-H Sprite Mk2 948cc