[Healeys] Replacement Shocks/World Wide Auto Parts

[Charlie Baldwin]

Here is what Worldwide does to your shocks:


*How World Wide Approaches Rebuilding Lever Shocks*

First. What fails in a lever shock? Almost all of the (non-traumatic) 
failures result from lack of oil in the shock. The manuals always 
recommend Checking or topping-up your shox in various intervals 3000 
miles or so. Why? Because they leak!.. what a surprise! They dont leak 
just because they are British, they leak by design (now theres a bumper 
sticker). Speaking here of the rear shox... the shaft that protrudes 
from the body of the shock is rotating in the body without a bearing. To 
ensure sufficient lubrication there is often a channel or groove in the 
shaft bore. At the outside there is a rubber packing retained by a thin 
metal washer. A packing needs some lubrication to work at all and the 
weeping of oil acts as a deterrent to dirt getting in. Dirt getting in 
will score the shaft at the seal area hastening the demise of the 
packing and wearing the bearing surface in the body.

The solution that all of us rebuilders use is to machine the body and 
install a bearing. We use Delrin, others use bronze. Bronze requires 
oil, Delrin doesnt. We also machine the body for a rotary oil seal 
(others dont) (in fact we use a double lip seal with dust excluder). 
One guy does use a rotary single lip seal and the others use several 
rubber washers held in place with a steel washer or two. To solve the 
pitted and scored shaft problem, others sand or grind the shaft down 
(you dont need to be precise with rubber washers) We have manufactured 
for us, to our specs, stainless steel sleeves that allows us to have a 3 
micron finish and consistent diameter and concentricity of the shaft. 
After many years, we have found this to be very reliable. Our shox dont 
leak.

The process... step by step. Receive grimy old shock, tumble clean in a 
deburring/tumble cleaner. Glass bead blast entire shock. Disassemble. 
Tumble and hot wash internals. Bead blast the rest of the arm. Machine 
for the bearing and for the seal. Wash again. Press in bearing and seal. 
Press on sleeve. Inspect and repair/replace as necessary the pistons and 
the valving. Reassemble components using all new hardware of proper 
thread and style. Fill with oil and bleed. Compare valving with NOS 
shock, adjust if necessary. Wash AGAIN. Paint 2 coats primer and 3 coats 
high heat black enamel. Date code and ship.

There you have it.
Peter Caldwell president. 800 362-1025

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