Your Austin Healey has lever arm dampers, and there's a way to adjust these dampers to make your ride smoother or stiffer, depending on what you like. This can be done by installing special valves. Think of these valves like tiny adjusters that can change how much oil goes through the damper - that's what affects how soft or hard your ride feels.
These valves work with a small tool called a needle valve, which lets some of the oil bypass the usual path. By adjusting this valve, you can control how much oil bypasses, thus controlling the damper's stiffness. Here's a quick guide:
- There's an 8mm hex bolt on the valve. When you turn this bolt all the way to the left (anti-clockwise), you're setting the damper to its softest setting. This means more oil is bypassing.
- Turn the bolt all the way to the right (clockwise), and you'll close off the bypass. This means less oil bypasses, making the ride stiffer.
- The best way to find your perfect setting is to turn the bolt all the way to the right first, then slowly turn it back to the left, counting the turns as you go. This way, you'll know how many turns you've made and can easily adjust from there.
- As a starting point, try setting the valve halfway between fully open and fully closed. This middle setting is a good baseline to start from.
Additionally, these valves have something called a shim stack, a feature you might find in high-end racing dampers. It makes the damper work better by making the change in stiffness smoother, unlike the original setup in your Austin Healey that has a fixed stiffness.
This setup will help make your Austin Healey's ride more enjoyable by allowing you to fine-tune how the car handles bumps and corners. Remember, a little bit of adjustment can make a big difference in how your car feels on the road!
Adjusts between soft & hard on front and rear shocks