The time came

I've been speaking to someone this evening who claims that Trophy dampers are the solution to my problems.

Much like my (completely hypothetical) mention of coilovers with two sets of springs, he claims that the Sachs dampers should help/eliminate things like bump steer and help improve high speed stability with their improved damping ability. There were also talks of more caster, which means adjustable top mounts.

Thoughts? Anyone driven a Trophy?

Looking at prices, it's a lot of searching and probably around £400, so it would be an expensive experiment if it didn't work :(

Surely you would have come across this option when researching all the other work that you are hypothetically thinking of doing?
 
[TW]Fox;18992017 said:
With a join date of April 2011 there was no way you'd ever be able to understand this one :p


Bloody posts a lot though, not quite to your standard, but a lot for a forum noob.
 
Iron Maiden

Run to the hills, run for your life

Its a late night thread resurrection!
 
As are you. Nothing like a late night MikeHiow U Turn to keep the forum alive!

It's hardly a U-Turn, I've said many times that I like the car, and it was never an easy decision to sell. If I can address the issues for not too much money, I'd be more than happy to keep it.
 
£400??

And the rest for good condition ones surely?

The bloke I bought my Xsara VTS from was selling it (for £1400) to fully fund having his Clio Trophy dampers being refurbished, and his car was a 30k mile garage queen.
 
£400??

And the rest for good condition ones surely?

The bloke I bought my Xsara VTS from was selling it (for £1400) to fully fund having his Clio Trophy dampers being refurbished, and his car was a 30k mile garage queen.

He forwarded me an email from a company that refurbs them, from when He was looking into it;

The simplest way to get a rough idea the damping is effective is to perform a “bounce” test. The Trophy dampers are fairly hard as standard, so press down firmly 3 or 4 times on each corner of the car and note if there is any continued movement once you let go. If the car continues to bounce unaided, then this is an indication that the dampers are not working correctly and we would recommend a service.



Any oil leaks would be fairly noticeable, but another common problem we have seen in gas leakage due to varying levels of corrosion of the reservoir caps breaking the gas tight seal of the internal o-rings. This would appear to be an age related problem rather than due to the actual mileage covered. Without the Nitrogen gas pressurizing the damper oil, the structure of the fluid breaks down rapidly. This can be indicated by compressing the damper, and listening for of air/bubbles passing through the internal piston. The rod will also be fairly easy to compress.



Any major pitting or scratches to the shaft itself would mean that it would require replacing, as any major surface imperfections would quickly damage the internal seals and sliding bushes. A replacement piston rod (shaft) would be approximately £125. As the service we offer only covers the actual internal working parts of the damper, any major damage to the main damper body itself, such as a damaged or broken spring seat or mounting lugs, could render the damper as unserviceable.



Cost wise, a basic service which includes disassembly of the dampers, strip and inspection of the internal valving, replacement of all sliding bushes, seals and o-rings, re-assembly using new oil and fresh nitrogen and a dyno test to ensure everything is working correctly, works out to around £350 + VAT for the pair (including return delivery charge), with a turn around time of 2-3 days from receipt of the damper units. This cost is based upon you sending us the dampers in a clean condition with the front springs removed. It is not a problem if they are not, but you will incur a small charge for any additional labour required. Should something other than a basic service be required, such as replacement of a bent piston shaft, then you will be notified prior to any further work being undertaken.



We recommend that you book the dampers into the workshop prior to sending them in to ensure that we can allocate the necessary parts and complete the work on schedule. Failure to do so will lead to delays, as any other pre-booked work will take priority.



Finally, if you would like to be able to adjust the damping to suit differing road conditions or for track day work, we can replace the standard pinned compression adjusters for working items. The modification will enable you to make the damping harder for smooth roads/circuit work, or soften them to eliminate the harsh ride on bumpier “B” roads. This upgrade is available for approximately £65 + VAT per damper.

I hope you find the above information helpful.



I've seen apparently good ones go for £300.
 
If you got the money spare give it a go, can you sell them after if its a failure?
 
I'd imagine the dampers would be easy enough to move on providing I don't pay through the nose for them - there aren't exactly a lot of options for the 1*2 cups unless you start aiming for four figures, so I'd guess that there is demand for Trophy dampers.

Top mounts tend to go for around £100 second hand, so there's £60 to lose if I bought new.
 
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