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Lotus Europa Forums => Garage => Topic started by: TurboFource on Monday,January 17, 2022, 01:06:07 PM

Title: Shock spring protectors?
Post by: TurboFource on Monday,January 17, 2022, 01:06:07 PM
My rear shocks were wrapped with some kind of heavy duty fabric/tape I believe to
protect them from wear from the spring hitting them? Does someone have a better solution
for this issue?
Title: Re: Shock spring protectors?
Post by: tedtaylor on Monday,January 17, 2022, 01:14:16 PM
should be a plastic/rubber tube/cup or sleeve.  i've not heard of tape or fabric.
Title: Re: Shock spring protectors?
Post by: BDA on Monday,January 17, 2022, 02:26:59 PM
I believe that rubber "tube", which according to the parts manual, was to help keep the long rear springs from rubbing against the shock body. They might not have been an easy fit on your Konis so the PO could have tossed them and opted for tape instead. I put a section of bicycle innertube over my rear shocks to stave off the potential of the spring to rub on my shocks. r.d. enterprises used to sell Teflon sheets with some contact cement. The sheets were treated on one side to take the glue and you would trim them to fit the size of your shock body and glue them on to keep the springs from rubbing. I don't know if they still sell them. I'm sure there are other simple solutions - PVC pipe maybe?
Title: Re: Shock spring protectors?
Post by: GavinT on Monday,January 17, 2022, 07:52:18 PM
I've read of people using tubes made from empty caulking cartridges, though not tried that myself . . and you'd have to like white.  :(

Is there a commercial product available?
There are split tube protectors for the front forks on motorbikes that may be adaptable.
Title: Re: Shock spring protectors?
Post by: Pfreen on Tuesday,January 18, 2022, 05:06:27 PM
I used sheets of mds-filled wear resistant nylon sheet 1/32 thick from Mcmaster Carr.  I cut the sheet to the right size lengthwise( full shock compression) and let the sheet ride on the inside of the spring.  It expands to the spring id because of rhe sheet's rigidity. 
The Mcmaster p/n is 8555k51.

Title: Re: Shock spring protectors?
Post by: TurboFource on Tuesday,January 18, 2022, 06:38:06 PM
Thanks! I will check that out!
Title: Re: Shock spring protectors?
Post by: brucelotus26r on Tuesday,January 25, 2022, 05:09:53 PM
I used 2" radiator hose from Tractor Supply on my rear Spaxes
Worked great.