Girling Shocks Top Bush Replacement

[Oggy]

Hello all,
My S1.25 FHC has perfectly functional Girling front shocks (probably not original but certainly 20th century). Unfortunately the top and bottom bushes have failed giving rise to annoying squeaking now and the likelihood of mechanical damage in the long-run. The metal sleeve has seized onto the bolt and detatched from the rubber so the only way to remove them involves cutting through both the sleeve and bolt right next to the rubber - obviously destroying the bush completely

The bottom bushes have replacements available from all the usual suspects but the top ones seem to come pre-installed in replacement shocks and aren't available from the usual places, from what I can see.(I'd love to stand corrected on this!)

Has anybody had experience of replacing the top bushes?

Are replacements available?

Do they require a hydraulic press to insert?

Cheers, Paul

[mgcjag]

Should be readily available..if you cant see what you want online then call the usual suppliers....or Poly bush etc....press not needed...soapy water and a vice will do..Steve

[Oggy]

Well, after an afternoon with a very small hacksaw blade I've managed to get the front shock off... turns out to be a Koni 82-1232 painted the proper Girling 633 blue by a PO. Not sure that changes anything wrt the top bush though. As suggested by mgcjag I'll take some measurements and see whether the usual suspects have non-catalogue items that will work.

I'm still a bit surprised that top bushes never seem to get a mention compared to their bottom bush brothers.

Why do the replacement shocks always come with the top bush fitted but not the bottom one?

Cheers,

Paul

[Oggy]

Well, my original fears are being confirmed: not at SNG, and Polybush don't have anything either. Back to the original question... Has anybody replaced the top bushes on Girling or Koni Series 1 front shock absorbers?

[mgcjag]

My thoughts are the S3 bush and sleeve fits....but you would need to check......iv fitted replacement bushes and sleeve in the past.....no idea where i got them but it would have been one of the usual suppliers.....Steve
.ps insert shown as the same for all models https://www.martinrobey.com/jaguar/e-ty ... ion/124103

[Oggy]

Progress!

Thanks for that heads up mgcjag! SNG denied all knowledge of such bushes being available so I went after bush suppliers and shock specialists next. Turns out that Polybush were very helpful but had nothing in their inventory that had the correct dimensions. Koni's website points you at two independent service companies.
The chap at SP Suspension said that he could help with the bushes but warned that fitting it was a PITA, rubber first then sleeve pressed in.

Given that the Martin Robey parts are cheap I'll just have a go myself with a vice and a bit of windowlene.

I should have looked beyond the diagram on the website (schoolboy error) as the bushes are listed under the same diagram number as the shocks themselves.

Lesson learned. Now I just hope that the other shock is a little bit easier to remove than the first.

P.

[Oggy]

Success!

The top bush is now fitted and the newly painted shocks are back on the car.

Here's a bit of advice for anybody trying to fit the bush in the future...

It is easy to insert the rubber into the ring with a vice, a socket of a suitable size, and a bit of grease. However,if you do this it is then almost impossible to push the metal sleeve into the rubber.

The solution that I found was to warm the bush in some boiling water, to push the rubber halfway into the ring, then partially push the sleeve into the exposed rubber bush. Only once the sleeve is part way into the rubber can you push the rubber into the ring and finally push the metal sleeve fully in, again using a vice and different sized sockets.

Hope this helps. P.