| Author | Message | ||
     Luis San Juan Bueno Experienced User Username: guillesanjuan Post Number: 15 Registered: 10-2018 |
Hello community. I need to replace my front and rear shock absorbers and I'm not sure if the 24-014298 - Shock Absorbers Front B6 Performance Bilstein. 2x - 24-014304 - Shock Absorbers Rear B6 Performance Bilstein will fit. I have read that with the Silver Shadow 2 at least the front shock absorbers changed to longer ones without hydraulic leveling but I'm not sure if the mentioned bilstein will fit. Could you please help or provide guidance on where to buy them? Thanks. Luis | ||
| Robert J. Sprauer Frequent User Username: wraithman Post Number: 83 Registered: 11-2017 |
Keep in mind there are circular spacers at the bottom of the spring perch where it rests on the shock. The springs have to be captured as well for safe removal. You will find reference to Shocks here: TSD service bulletins https://heritage.bentleymotors.com/en/technical-library/1965-1980 | ||
| Paul Yorke Grand Master Username: paul_yorke Post Number: 2101 Registered: 6-2006 |
Hi. Not sure of the part numbers but if £200 each Plus shipping and vat helps give me a shout. It is a dangerous job to do without the correct tools. Bill Coburn has a write up of doing it one way. Factory tools are safer. If your car has spent it's life in Spain you may bet lucky but most here have the spring support and spacers rust welded together. Have you got access to tools? How much of a rush are you in to do the job? Cheers, Paul. | ||
| Luis San Juan Bueno Experienced User Username: guillesanjuan Post Number: 16 Registered: 10-2018 |
Thank you Robert and Paul. I am taking the car to a Rolls Royce specialist so I am sure he will take the necessary precocious when installing it. However, I am trying to provide him with the replacement to save some money. I have found the 24-014298 - Shock Absorbers Front B6 Performance Bilstein for 150 euros with shipping and vat included which is a really good price, but I am not sure if these are the right ones for the Shadow II. I have reviewed the manuals Robert provided and I have found the installation procedure but not the part number to really check if it fits the 24-0401428. Paul, could please check if the ones you sell for the Silver Shadow 2 are Bilstein, if so the part number should appear on a sticker. Thank you in advance to the entire community, Luis | ||
| Paul Yorke Grand Master Username: paul_yorke Post Number: 2103 Registered: 6-2006 |
Hi. Will see if I have any boxed or labelled here atm and will let you know. Excellent price. Thumbs up emojee. | ||
| Luis San Juan Bueno Experienced User Username: guillesanjuan Post Number: 17 Registered: 10-2018 |
Thank you Paul. They are good price but they are a bad purchase if they do not fit my Silver Shadow 2. Hope someone can confirm if they work. I also decided to share the link in where I found them at this amazing price so others can benefit too. They have a 15% aditional discount because of black friday sales. https://tune2mod.com/products/bilstein-b6-hd-66-76-rolls-royce-silver-shadow-71-80-rolls-royce-corniche-camargue-93-03-bentley-continental-r-front-46mm-monotube-shock-absorber Thanks, Luis | ||
| Christopher Williams Experienced User Username: christopher_williams Post Number: 12 Registered: 5-2017 |
Hi Luis, They do fit. I've installed them. They ride slightly stiffer than the originals, but do firm up the handling through corners a bit as well. I personally like them, and will be installing a set on my Shadow II in the near future. | ||
| Luis San Juan Bueno Experienced User Username: guillesanjuan Post Number: 18 Registered: 10-2018 |
Hello Christopher and thank you for your comments. I am happy to hear that someone has previously installed these absorbers on a Silver Shadow 2. However if they do work, I do not understand what is the difference between the Shadow 1 and Shadow 2 front suspension. On flying spares website they explain the following: ¨The first Silver Shadow and Bentley T models were fitted with a hydraulic ram on top of a "Short Stroke" front shock absorber. From VIN 11500 (approximately) the front height control system was deleted and a "Long Stroke" front damper was fitted. A number of cars have been modified from short to long stroke shock absorbers. Cars with short stroke shocks still have the T shaped ram on top of them which is visible when you lift the bonnet. Cars with long stroke shocks just have the circular top plate visible under the bonnet through the centre of which you can see the top of the damper piston. Before ordering short stroke dampers please confirm whether your car has been modified. We are happy to supply a kit to modify your car. ¨ I am not sure if these Bilstein are what they consider as short absorbers or long absorbers. I imaging that they would need to be long if they fit a Shadow 2... Thanks again, luis | ||
| Robert J. Sprauer Frequent User Username: wraithman Post Number: 84 Registered: 11-2017 |
Shadow 2 is long stroke. The Shadow 1 with the short stroke is an active hydraulic ram system to level the front of the car which was discontinued after short production. It was possible to remove the ram and replace the shorter shock absorbers with the longer ones which are now offered. You are on the right track. | ||
| Luis San Juan Bueno Experienced User Username: guillesanjuan Post Number: 19 Registered: 10-2018 |
Hello robert. I am happy you confirm my fears. However, I'm still unsure if the Bilstein shock absorbers are long or short. On their website the say it fits Silver Shadow from 1970 to 1975. I know that Silver Shadow 2 came on 1976. So I'm not sure if they have not include after 1976 because with the Shadow 2 they do not longer fit. Christopher has confirmed us that they do work but I do not understand then why Bilstein do not include the Shadow 2. Thanks. Luis | ||
| Paul Yorke Grand Master Username: paul_yorke Post Number: 2104 Registered: 6-2006 |
You can't always believe the internet. ;) They are much better than the BOGE offering. They are long stroke. Enjoy. | ||
| Brian Vogel Grand Master Username: guyslp Post Number: 2679 Registered: 6-2009 |
Excerpt from the RR & Bentley Parts, Repair, Restoration & Other Resources Compilation: Current Crewe-specified replacement shocks/dampers are: [Note: These give a firmer ride than the original Boge] Front: Bilstein 24-014298 (old part number F4-B46-1429-H0) Rear: Bilstein 24-014304 (old part number F4-B46-1430-H0) And to follow up on Mr. Yorke's observation, the Bilsteins are also officially recommended by Crewe, as they were developed specifically for the SY series cars. I have no idea why the vendor previously referenced omitted the SY2 series cars from their fitment list. These definitely work for the SY2s. Brian | ||
| Luis San Juan Bueno Experienced User Username: guillesanjuan Post Number: 20 Registered: 10-2018 |
Hello All and thank you for your help! I have finally purchased them following your advise. I will make sure I include pictures and share my experience when I install them. Have a nice Rolls Royce ride. Luis | ||
| Brian Vogel Grand Master Username: guyslp Post Number: 2680 Registered: 6-2009 |
Luis, Definitely have a look at this article, The Most Dangerous Job (Containing the front springs & replacing the front shocks), before you even think of touching the front shocks on your car. It's not that the job cannot be done by the home mechanic, but it's vital that this one be done correctly and with the utmost care. Brian | ||
| Christopher Williams Experienced User Username: christopher_williams Post Number: 13 Registered: 5-2017 |
The fronts are applicable all the way up through the end of the SZ 20,000 series cars as well. I just put a set on an 89 Corniche last week. Its a good set up. As stated above, you cant always believe what you read on the internet, which is a conundrum, as I am using the internet to inform you of that... | ||
| gordon le feuvre Prolific User Username: triumph Post Number: 279 Registered: 7-2012 |
Luis, the long stroke dampers were fitted from about 1970 on Shadow 1 as standard and through Shadow 2. There were two reasons for this. 1. It was found that although the front levelling rams had 1 inch of travel, all the alteration in the car levelling when weight was added was in rear. 2.The short stroke dampers suffered from side loading on the piston rod caused by suspension movement causing noise at slow speed, referred at factory as "damper bubble". So by replacing with long stroke dampers the factory was able to eliminate the wear problems and simplify the installation by removal of rams (x2) height control valve and roll restrictor valve and all associated pipes. The long stroke dampers and top plate were available as a kit to retrospectively fit to earlier chassis numbers if required. | ||
| Luis San Juan Bueno Experienced User Username: guillesanjuan Post Number: 21 Registered: 10-2018 |
Seriously thank you so much to you all! It is amazing how useful I find this community. I honestly mean when I say that owning a rolls Royce with the support of you all make it easy easier. I'll keep you posted when I receive and install the new absorbers! Best rolls Royce rides to you all. Luis | ||
| Alan Dibley Prolific User Username: alsdibley Post Number: 174 Registered: 10-2009 |
As a pompous aside to this thread, can I take issue with the use of "shock absorbers"? These items transmit shock from the road into the chassis. If they are removed the ride becomes less "shocking" because the transmission of shocks is reduced. Of course, the bounce would be/is horrific. The more correct term is "dampers". They absorb the energy stored in the springs during deflection by road shocks. Citroen (and others) illustrate this by having only slight damping effect in oleo-pneumatic suspension, which is possible because the spring rate can be reduced substantially by the addition of self-levelling, and gentle springs allow the use of gentle dampers which transmit LESS road shock through to the chassis. Shadows and later RR/Bs use the same principle. So do lots of other cars now. Here endeth the lesson. There's a bit more to it than that, of course. Get a copy of the Automotive Handbook by Robert Bosch - an old edition which has all the interesting stuff in it can be picked up for a few quid/dollars. Alan D.. | ||
| Steve Emmott Experienced User Username: steve_e Post Number: 14 Registered: 11-2018 |
And.........some of us use the term 'struts'  Definitely not the right term though for some cars | ||
| Luis San Juan Bueno Experienced User Username: guillesanjuan Post Number: 23 Registered: 10-2018 |
Happy holidays to all, I finally received my front and rear absorbers but I have a dilemma. My local rolls Royce specialist in Madrid (Spain) has quoted me 2000 euros for its installation which I believe it is too much. A local mechanic which told me is used to jaguar suspension and big SUVs told me that he believed he can do the job for 160 euros (4hours job). As you can see the difference is huge so my dilemma is... Would you trust the job to someone who is not a RR specialist? In addition, anyone knows of a cheaper RR specialist in Spain. FV classics in Madrid seems to be a good option but they are just crazy expensive. Thanks in advance | ||
| Brian Vogel Grand Master Username: guyslp Post Number: 2718 Registered: 6-2009 |
That really depends on the mechanic. This is a job that can be "done in the home garage" if you're willing and able to take the precautions necessary. I would have anyone who's saying they're willing to do this job that is not an RR specialist take a look at both the workshop manual instructions along with a print of this article: The Most Dangerous Job (Containing the front springs & replacing the front shocks). Although the latter is written for the SZ series front shocks exactly the same principles apply. I'd have to really trust that the mechanic in question has actually looked at these materials first and is willing to stop at any point if things hit a "I'm not familiar with that," point so that they can consult with you before continuing. I was very lucky at one point to work with just such a mechanic. All of the above being said, I believe that 4 hour estimate is very much on the low side, particularly given what I know of doing the front shocks/dampers. If the rear ones have issues being freed from where they connect to the height control rams that can get ugly, too. Brian | ||
| Paul Yorke Grand Master Username: paul_yorke Post Number: 2120 Registered: 6-2006 |
Hi Luis, I may be in Madrid in the next few months if you can wait that long. On a GB car 4 hours would be optimistic though to be honest. Is there much rust on the dampers and bottom spring plates? If it's always been trying may be fine. | ||
| Steve Emmott Experienced User Username: steve_e Post Number: 26 Registered: 11-2018 |
Luis, I think Brian is giving some good advice here as it is not a job I would tackle at the front without the right RR tools for compressing the Front Springs. | ||
| Alan Dibley Prolific User Username: alsdibley Post Number: 176 Registered: 10-2009 |
I have done the front dampers on my T using the T-letters article. It needs four lengths of HIGH-TENSILE studding plus some suitable nuts and some simple workshop work to make the "bridge". It's tedious twiddling all the nuts up and down the studding but not hard. Can't remember how long it took, but the second side took a quarter of the time. It may be worth buying four cheap ratchet-ring spanners - one for each piece of studding, or two people could do the nut-twiddling in half the time. Alan D. | ||
| Steve Emmott Experienced User Username: steve_e Post Number: 28 Registered: 11-2018 |
I agree it would not be too difficult to mock up a tool that could do the job. The original tool does have a profile on the split lower plate to ensure the load on the spring is spread around the coil and also a top plate with conical washers at the top again to spread the load on the top casting and when the nuts are turned.....again just a few things that a home made one may be overlooked. I was fortunate to buy all the factory RR garage service tools from a specialsit RR dealer that was closing down. This incuded a front spring compressor, lots of various size castle sockets etc and a lot of items I still don't know where they are for. I am sure the other part in the third picture again is something to do with the front strut/damper removal......does anyone recognise exactly what it is for. It has sat in the corner of my garage now for nearly 30 years.    | ||
| Paul Yorke Grand Master Username: paul_yorke Post Number: 2121 Registered: 6-2006 |
Top one is the compressor/clamping tool. Lower one is the decompressor tool. People modify / change the clamp and fit it with longer studding as mentioned. Not as stable as the above system, but useable with care. | ||
| Paul Yorke Grand Master Username: paul_yorke Post Number: 2122 Registered: 6-2006 |
Steve, have you got photos of the other tools? Cheers, Paul. | ||
| Geoff Wootton Grand Master Username: dounraey Post Number: 2057 Registered: 5-2012 |
If and when I need to replace my front dampers I will definitely be purchasing the clamp from Kelly. I am a reasonable amateur mechanic but would not have the confidence to try fabricating my own. My view is even with the added cost of the correct compression tool, it is still far far cheaper than having the job done at a repair shop. I should add that this would not apply to some of the experts on this thread, but for myself I need to play safe. | ||
| Steve Emmott Experienced User Username: steve_e Post Number: 29 Registered: 11-2018 |
Paul, I will take pictures of all the tools and upload them as a different post. Many have RR and the part number stamped on them. Any that are not Shadow specific I will just off load. I have used the spring compressor when I had to remove the whole top link on one side as I could not shift the ball joint top nut in situ to replace the ball joint. I can't even work out how the bottom picture tool would fit or how it works. I thought it may have just been for an older RR model. Obviously anyone who reads this locally to North Lincolnshire area is welcome to borrow anything FOC | ||
| Brian Vogel Grand Master Username: guyslp Post Number: 2723 Registered: 6-2009 |
Steve, You mean you won't ship internationally, FOC, return shipping provided as well? ;-) Brian | ||
| Luis San Juan Bueno Experienced User Username: guillesanjuan Post Number: 24 Registered: 10-2018 |
Helño all and thank you again for the information. I have shown my mechanic the document but he told me that he is used to big SUVs with bigger springs than a RR so he wants to approach the job differently. He has shown me a hydraulic spring compressor he uses to compress huge springs and by just compressing the springs he plans to replace the absorbers. I know this is different than the procedure you describe but I wonder if it will also work. After all, he told me than he replaces huge loaded springs and he doesn't fear this job since he uses special tools able to take the load. What do you think? Can the job be done by simply compressing the spring and taking the absorbers... Thank you again Luis | ||
| Paul Yorke Grand Master Username: paul_yorke Post Number: 2123 Registered: 6-2006 |
Steve, the small cage fits inside the decompressor. You then release the small cage nuts. You then loosen the big cage to decompress the spring. Luis how big are the suvs? Hummers? Not many vehicles load a spring like a RR does. I fear this job even when I use the correct tools? People have done it in different ways. I've seen what happens when they get loose. | ||
| Luis San Juan Bueno Experienced User Username: guillesanjuan Post Number: 25 Registered: 10-2018 |
Hello Paul, He shown me a couple of Toyota Land Cruiser, he recently have done and they had big springs because they were raised but I don't understand much about this. He specializes on raising trucks and doing suspension modifications but I don't like unnecessary risks. He said the method you describe was used back in the day but now there are special tools which can handle big loaded springs. Any thoughts? Is there anything besides the risk of the load spring that makes this job so dangerous? What is the worst thing can happens? Is it possible to take the load of the spring and to just replace the absorber without the need of take it all out as he describes? Thank you again to all | ||
| Robert J. Sprauer Frequent User Username: wraithman Post Number: 93 Registered: 11-2017 |
When the proper tools are used and designed for an application like RR's the job is safer and straight forward. I have removed the front springs during the total restoration of my 1980 SWII with Kelly's -British Tool Works spring compressor. The springs have to compressed evenly thru the top plate and I don't see how anything else would safely get the job done. | ||
| Steve Emmott Experienced User Username: steve_e Post Number: 31 Registered: 11-2018 |
Brian, If you cover my air fare, and put me up for few days and a few beers at Hooters, I will bring the tools personally to USA and help you do the job.  | ||
| Luis San Juan Bueno Experienced User Username: guillesanjuan Post Number: 26 Registered: 10-2018 |
Hello, I have seen that the removal tool is sold on flyingspares: https://www.flyingspares.com/shop/rolls-royce-bentley-shadow-t1-t2-corniche-mpw/suspension/front-suspension-shadow-t-corniche-1-2/shock-absorbers/front-shock-absorbers-shadow-t-1-2/loan-of-front-spring-compressor-rh8809-rh7909.html Do you know the load of the springs? I'm just trying to explain how complex the job it is to the mechanic but he doesn't see why it should be more complex than on a big truck which weights more than a RR... If anybody would know the load figure of the springs I could perhaps see if it exceeds the maximum capacity of the tool he plans using... Sorry for the multiple questions about the same topic but I have so many fears about this job and as I explained the RR specialist I know wants more money that what I can spend on this job. Thanks. Luis | ||
| Robert J. Sprauer Frequent User Username: wraithman Post Number: 94 Registered: 11-2017 |
It boils down to compressing and capturing the springs. The RR springs have the spring plate on top as you know which makes compression and capture a bit different compared to conventional design and thats why the RR tool is designed that way. Also the springs rest on a perch with 1/2 round spacers which must be accounted for on each side, a detail many conventional shop guys would likely ignore. |
