Struts

[spud]

There are Monroes listed on there right now but the seller doesn't actually have them- he thinks he's going to phone Monroe and get them sent out to the buyer but he ain't cos they don't have any left...

Andrew.

[Neil-yaj396]

I got a full set of inserts (front and back seperately) from ebay over a period of about a year. The auction for the second set (back I think) didn't take off at all, and I think they only cost me £30 including postage. It's just a matter of keeping your eyes peeled.

As above my problem is that at least two out of my four struts are sealed units.

[spud]

...If you want endless adjustability from ORIGINAL ROAD STIFFNESS to full on rock hard... Marcus.

I have the Spax units and mine don't do that...

Andrew.

[andybeta]

I've had no trouble sourcing a full set of NOS inserts...

Really? Where from? I can't find ANY ANYWHERE. KYB, Sachs-Boge, Monroe, ALL obsolete, ALL no longer available. I'm currently awaiting information from lancia.co.za regarding availability but apart from that I can't find any apart from the Spax.

Andrew.

I picked up a pair of new Waiassauto OE rear struts (Excuse the spelling) last summer at the Lancia AGM and several new OE top mounts, so stuff is still out there. As has been suggested you need to keep your eyes peeled and of course have a bit of luck.

[Neil-yaj396]

MOT time is fast approaching and not sure if my leaky rear strut (though by no means my main worry!) will make it again this year. Has anyone got a spare rear strut sealed or not. I can offer my current sealed strut in exchange if that sweetens the deal, once it is replaced, just so I can keep my car on the road while it is fitted/converted.

[Bjwhite]

I searched and searched for konis and apart from a guy in Australia sellng for $1100aus not counting shipping.   Then, all of a sudden I found a guy local to me (Seattle) selling a pair of Koni fronts still with springs and hats installed for US $200...also came with a pair of Sachs rears.   Then, two months later got a matching set of rear Konis on ebay for  $110 shipped...

I got lucky....now looking for springs.  IAP would be top choice from what I've read.   

And I'll sell that pair of Sachs rears....

[Neil-yaj396]

Are the rear HPE/Coupe strut bodies interchangeable? I know that when fully assembled the Coupe strut is longer, but is this accommodated by a longer insert shaft rather than a bigger strut body? I have now sourced 2 HPE strut bodies but no Coupes. Both are sealed but Mark W is willing to convert.

[Neil-yaj396]

Just found a thread from October 2009 'Strut Bodies' which states pretty unequivocally that Coupe rear strut bodies are longer than HPE (I'd actually contributed but this saga has gone on so long!).

Subject to the above I have a sealed HPE strut (including spring, top mount etc.) if anyone wants it???

Neil

[rossocorsa]

AFAIK coupé struts are shorter overall and I think it's all in the area above the spring platform also I think the strut turret is higher in a hpe to allow for additional suspension travel which is achieved by longer springs and strut. If you are modifying to take inserts maybe an hpe strut body can be cut down to coupé size()

[HFStuart]

It would be very useful if someone (or several someones) posted measurements of strut bodies  - that way newbies and slightly confused oldies could check.

For instance I’m 95% certain I've got the right struts on the front of my Spider BUT it sits too high at the front and it's possible I might have two sets of wrong struts - it would be good to know that they are definitely the right ones. I'll kick off by measuring the spare ones I've got tomorrow and posting the figures  - I'll also stick a diagram up to show where I've measured too/from.

[MattNoVAT]

I will measure my struts as I know they are definitely correct struts for the coupe.

Great idea to show where measurements are taken so it remains consistent.

I will collate all measurements and put into a single document.

Spider = Stuart
Coupe = Matt
HPE = ?
Berlina = ?

[WestonE]

Stuart

On static ride height it is useful to realise that Gaz struts/ inserts result in the car sitting higher at rest than the original oil based types. Hence if you have gas struts on one end only with sandard springs the car can have an odd stance. The Spax gas strut inserts with the Beta Boyz lowering springs all round do sort this out very nicely. I first encountered this with Monroe Radialmatic (oil) and Monroe Gasmatic (gas) inserts about 20 years ago.

Eric

[HFStuart]

Eric,

Thanks for the idea (something I've seen before TBH) but these are not gas pressurised inserts.

Dimensions to follow.

[HFStuart]

I've measured my front struts - the rears I forgot I sold my spare pair so I'll measure the set on the car at the weekend.

I tried to make it as simple as possible so I measured from the upper mounting hole to the underside of the spring pan the flat section close to the strut body (there's a small hole there on my front struts don't know if that's standard) and from the top of the strut body down to the other side of the spring pan. I'm calling the dimensions A & B on the front struts and C & D on the rear.

Pics should make clear.

FRONT


REAR


So far
A = 172.5mm
B = 77.2mm
C = TBC
D = TBC

Note mine are rebuildable ones, dimensions B & D might be a little different on sealed units.

If others could oblige we should be able to put together a simple little chart

[MattNoVAT]

For the S1 Coupe (Inserts F & R not Sealed units)

A = 172 mm
B = 77 mm
C = 305 mm
D = 65 mm

I will check my S2/FL Coupe which has sealed units fitted to see if they are the same.  But have to do this after the blue Coupe goes off to the body shop as theres no room in my garage at the moment.

[HFStuart]

Thanks Matt, looks like mide are the right ones then.

Can someone do the same for HPE and Berlina?

Stuart

[Neil-yaj396]

Mark W has confirmed that HPE sealed struts can be converted to fit Coupes when they are converted with the collar he fits.