There have been several threads on this forum raising questions about dampers in general and Spax in particular, as applicable to the Ace and Aceca chassis. Having reinstalled the original 1954 Armstrong dampers on AE22 it was apparent that the original open length, both front and rear, gave rise to various problems:
1) The front suspension is allowed to droop so that further travel is limited by the track rods contacting the wishbone inner mounting bracket. At this point the steering is obstructed.
2) The rear suspension is similarly allowed to droop excessively allowing the drive shaft U.J. maximum angularity to be exceeded. This locks the driveshaft.
3) The rear dampers have a clearance cut out in the rear carrier (B60061/2) but with excessive droop this clearance is insufficient and the damper body is forced against the carrier.
Of course one might rightly point out that unless you launch your Ace in to the air over a hump backed bridge these problems will not arise. Not quite true as they can be a nuisance when jacked up for greasing and are unwelcome, not to say dangerous, when on the track, where hard cornering can allow the unloaded, inner wheels, to droop far enough to reach these limits.
I do not know whether Thames Ditton ever addressed the issue, or even regarded it as significant - obviously they did not in the early days. In any event, as discussed in previous threads, Brian Eacott pioneered a shorter rear damper extension to restrict droop. Inspired by this I discussed with Spax a similar restricted extension damper for the front. They have now produced this. With the shorter type fitted, front and rear, to AE22, all clearance problems have been eliminated and I have decided to retire the original dampers to the shelf.
Out of interest the open length of the original dampers far exceeds the maximum suspension unloaded travel - front 15.25" rear 16". The Spax shorter extension dampers reduce this - front 12.9" rear 15.25" measured eye centre to eye centre rear and eye centre to mid stem on the front.
The Spax part numbers are:
Front - G9442AS
Rear - G623EA
I should say that the reduced extension rears are well tested on a number of cars, but the fronts await road testing and that will be a while so far as AE22 is concerned. If any one tries them meantime please report back. I must say Spax have been very helpful and, unlike many other manufacturers, their products have increased in quality since I first used them on BEF 2535 back in the seventies.The set I have had on CSX 2033 for nearly thirty years are as good as new.
Here is a rear on AE22.
And a front, don't copy the brake lines - the Formula III style mounting on the spring only applied to AE 22 and 23
