Hi all,
I recently bought a set of these:

http://www.minisport.com.au/prod3.htm

They've just arrived, and they look great. However, I'm a little confused. I haven't had much experience with new dampers, but I thought I would be able to move them by hand. But they're stuck solid! The old ones I can compress/decompress fine, and even the ones on my hilux can be moved easy by hand. Is this because they're new? How do I get them to move!

they`re a gas charged shock.,.. so they will be a little harder than a std shock

you`ll need some decent force to get them to move yes

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No offence intended here but--> anyone writing a book about minis 30 years ago may not have experienced such worn or stuffed-with components as we are finding these days.

You should put your heart & soul into everything you do.

Do gas shocks still need priming?

The term `gas shocks' is a misnomer.
They are charged with low pressure nitrogen rather than having air in there, but they are still a fluid damper, using shocky oil.
They will prime themselves in use once mounted vertically.

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

just curious - what is the part number for the fronts?

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did I tell you that I won a trophy?

The ad said
"they are self adjusting (much the same as the monroe sensortrack"
How does that work ?

I've often wondered what they meant by that. Seems like one of those doesn't-really-mean-much advertising things (there's no permeate in our milk!). I bought them because they had good reviews on this forum.

I can check the front part number, but I imagine it is 552018, as that's what they are here: http://www.minisport.com.au/prod826.htm

It's to do with multi valved piston inside. Basicly if you push them quick, i.e. drop car out second story window, the shocks react by being stiff. If you just go over whoop de do's slow they remain soft.

Not the most thrilling of videos to watch, but it explains the gas adjust nicely.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_V4JAIOF2c

The problem I have is, if I can't get them to move it's going to be a lot more difficult to attach them to the car!

Some shocks come with a metal clip holding the shocks compressed to make them smaller for shipping. They will have a clip that goes around the shaft and locks under the collar. Or, they could just be really stiff!

Trolley jack under the hub does the trick for stiff gas shockies.

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Too many cars, and too little time.

this one is really interesting - he shows a transparent damper at the emd and very clearly demonstrates what the gas pressurisation does

watch to the end

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4ZZYqRVzLc

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did I tell you that I won a trophy?

I've just fitted these rear shocks a few days ago, I could not move them by hand, but once I fitted the bottom end of the shock on the pin of the swing arm, I was able to use my body weight to compress the shock and keep in compressed enough to swing it up and around and fit the top of the shock into the wheel arch mount.

Caleb