White plastic spacers next to anti-roll bar rubbers

[Paul Narramore]

No response to yesterday's question so I'll try with this one.

At the bottom of the front dampers on an R4GTL, there is a long bolt which passes through the bottom shocker bush. At the other end of this bolt is a nut which retains the anti-roll bar rubber. On my car there's a crappy white plastic spacer in white plastic to prevent the rubber sliding along this bolt. The spacers are slit along their length. Is this how it should be as it seems to me to be a very poor design? I may well turn up some nylon spacers on my lathe which would do the job properly.

 

[petak]

Inside that plastic spacer is metal bush that goes al the way thru rubber and he is actually holding bolt in place.
Believe that plastic is just for "the looks"

This is what you are talking about?

 

[Paul Narramore]

Petak, Not only a reply but an exceedingly full one and with excellent images as well. You are now my best mate ;-) That's exactly what I'm talking about although the ones I have are thinner, made from old plastic tube and split along their lengths, and should prevent the rubber block sliding forwards. I'll probably turn up some new ones on the lathe. Mind you, years of exposure to the weather and oil, the rubbers look a bit manky so maybe I'll just renew them all. Thanks again.

 

[JonathanT]

I refitted my originals. They had gone cone shaped and I thought that's how they were meant to be . However they seem fine

 

[Paul Narramore]

Mine seemed to have been made from old garden hosepipe and not as thick as those in Petak's pictures. The rubbers are pretty squishy and although I've fitted stainless steel repair washers behind the nuts, the rubbers are not properly supported. Anyway, N/S damper replaced ( Because the two half nuts had seized solid, my new blow torch freed them off but I needed to cut the top shroud off to get mole grips around the central shaft of the damper). Brakes bled, wheels back on and off into town to see what the new brakes are like. No difference really but they need to bed in. I also need to have a butchers at the rear drums but, like repainting the awfully rusty wheels, that can wait for warmer weather.

 

[JonathanT]

Ha ha yes Paul some warmer weather will be welcome when it comes .

 

[petak]

Mine came without that white plastic ring.
Made it on my one.
PA6 material (kind of poliamid) used for bearing and big rolers on fishermans vessels.

At this moment it is -5°C with very strong "bura" wind (cold wind) blowing around 140-150km/h. Even 200km/h for moments. (official numbers). It feels like -15°C at least.

And who is telling that tere are no right winter in Dalmatia? (retorical question)