Triumph TR7
Chris’s wallet takes another hammering, but at least his underpinnings are now in fine fettle
The suspension on my TR7 had felt tired since I bought the car 18 months ago, but since then jobs such as replacing the cylinder head and gasket have pushed sorting it out down the to-do list.
The problem was worst at the front, so I tackled that first. The original plan was just to replace the dampers; one of them had leaked spectacularly and was revealed to be the main culprit behind the increasingly woolly feeling handling. However, the chaps at Robsport (01763 262263, robsport.co.uk) convinced me that as they’d unbolted the strut legs, it made sense to replace the springs (all round, naturally) at the same time. They also suggested I go for uprated springs. They were shiny and red; I was convinced. After agreeing that an anti-dive kit was also essential (to be fair, it has made a big difference to how the nose feels when its loaded under braking, adding a greater degree of composure) and that polyurethane bushes were needed for the spring hangers and anti-dive kit, I realised I’d got a little carried away. While I certainly can’t argue with the results, my wallet needed a month or three to cool down. That all happened before the summer, so now seemed the perfect opportunity to complete the transformation by sorting out the back-end, giving me time to enjoy the results before the ’7 goes into semihibernation for winter. So once again I found myself at Robsport’s premises in Royston, Hertfordshire. I’d already decided that as I hadn’t skimped on the work at the front, there was no point in being tight-fisted now. I selected a pair of freshly powder-coated standard trailing arms and tie arms to support the rear axle (purely cosmetic, but a no-brainer as my old ones were looking particularly grubby).
Having already specified Superpro items (01823 690281, superproeurope.com) at the front, I finished converting the ’7 to poly bushes by specifying them for the trailing and tie arms, and also the bump stops, as one of these had begun to snap. Lead mechanic Ben explained that it’s a tight squeeze to get the new tie arms in because the bushes are slightly wider than the originals. This is so the sleeve takes the twisting actions, increasing the bush’s lifespan and reducing overall flex.
Having chosen standard dampers at the front in May (see – I’m not as weak-willed as you think), I also opted for uprated adjustable dampers at the back. My thinking was that this would give me better B-road handling, even if it meant sacrificing a degree of comfort. Ben recommended a pair of AVO shocks that were new to Robsport’s shelves; I’d heard good things about AVO, so I was happy to get them. They’re £180 a pair at the back and £240 a pair up front – I’ll report impressions and verdict in a few weeks. The work’s straightforward for the most part, though I’m glad it wasn’t me replacing the dampers. On the driver’s side in particular, the position of the fuel tank and the filler neck make accessing the bolts for top mounts awkward.
With all that taken care of, I scarpered away from Robsport sharpish, before my wallet took more of a pounding. The good news, though, is that with the suspension now fully sorted and the servicing up to date, there’s nothing on the to-do list that I desperately want to check off before the end of the year. Although I am still tempted to consider wheel options…