Fed up with Speed hump issue/ ground clearance

The air hose kit part # AK29. Which supplier did you use, the ones I have found won't ship outside of the US and suppliers this side of the pond want silly money.

 

Mine came from US. NAPA or something like that?
Ebay list them as available with free delivery, pretty sure that’s where I ordered them.

 

There are two suppliers on eBay, one appears to be a US supplier, one UK (but ships direct).
I don’t think mine came from either but pretty sure I ordered from eBay. It was so long ago I can’t check as it doesn’t go back far enough in purchase history.
I quickly Googled NAPA and they do sell them.

I’ve also noticed that some show them listed with the air line kit and others don’t. Worth checking.

As it happens they’re listed in Amazon for £75 delivered!

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Monroe-MA824-Max-Air-Adjust-Absorber/dp/B000C59SM4

Air line kit:

Monroe AK29 Shock Absorber Air Hose Kit (Adaptor Kit) https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B000CD386S/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_fabc_Xeh.FbDXNW3KT

 

@Gingerbus Thanks for that, the cheapest I can find from the US is $279.76 inc. delivery and tax. eBay (UK) £229.05 inc. delivery and import tax. €270.27 with free delivery from a parts supplier in France. The last two don’t include the air hose kit.

NAPA won’t allow me to add the item to the cart so probably no stock.

Amazon.co.uk wont delivery to France and on Amazon Fr they’re €173.39 plus €85.87 for shipping or €294.15 from another supplier with free delivery.

I’ll probably buy them using my Amazon.co.uk account and a UK delivery address but I have no idea when I’ll be able to collect them, I don’t want to go to the UK anytime soon.

EDIT: I’ve just noticed they’re made in China – I wonder if Aliexpress have them for £20.

 

@Datsolow apologies for hijacking your thread.

I’ve ordered the Monroe shock absorbers and air hose kit from Amazon.co.uk with delivery expected by the end of January.

 

No worries do you have a link For Amazon ?


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I ordered the shock adsorbers https://www.amazon.co.uk/Monroe-MA824-Max-Air-Adjust-Absorber/dp/B000C59SM4 and the air hose kit https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B000CD386S/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_fabc_Xeh.FbDXNW3KT

The shock absorbers are shipped from Amazon US but have not been dispatched yet and I’m a bit suspicious that they’re too cheap - there might only be one, although the image is clearly two. I’ll see what turns up in a couple of weeks. Free delivery from Amazon US seems strange to me, another supplier I tried wanted $160 just for shipping, plus tax. The hose kit is shipped from the UK and should be delivered next week.

 

Were these for the rear ? I assume so...

How did you got on, @77 Westy? I have an old pair of 48758's time for replacement, me thinks.

 

Yes, they were for the rear but when I tried to fit them I discovered they were too short and I couldn't get the wheel on with the damper connected. That was no good for me but fortunately someone on here wanted short dampers for a lowered bus so I sold the MA824.

I use standard dampers and MA758 have virtually the same range of travel so I just needed to place an order. Except I couldn't get them delivered to France and due to Covid I couldn't get to the UK. It wasn't until June '22 that I bought the new dampers and they ended up on a shelf in my garage until last week when I eventually got around fitting them.

Longer mounting bolts were required because the damper eyes are wider but otherwise installation was as simple as fitting standard dampers. Routing the air hoses between the dampers wasn't difficult and I fitted the connection by the rear jacking point. The compressor is tucked up above the chassis rails between two of the top hats and the wiring and air hose follow the route of the existing wiring harness. I mounted the pressure gauge, switch and relief valve in front of the gear-lever under the parcel shelf.

 

Thanks I'll have a peruse of the Monroe site and see about lengths etc, I can't find a direct replacement for the one I have, it probably exists, I just need to look harder.

 

Andrew, this is what I have uncovered from various sources.

Standard damper dimensions:
'68-'71
Compressed: 13.6”/347mm
Extended: 22”/561mm
Travel length: 8.4”/213mm

'72-'79
Same suspension but slightly different damper spec.
Compressed: 14”/358mm
Travel length: 8.9”/226mm
Extended: 22.9”/581mm

Monroe 48758, no longer listed and possibly superseded by MA758. Close to standard dimensions.
Compressed: 14.17” 360mm
Travel length: 8.66” 220mm
Extended: 22.83” 580mm

Monroe MA758, close to standard dimensions and should be suitable for standard height and lowered 2” or 3”.
Compressed: 14.13” 359mm
Travel length: 8.88” 225mm
Extended: 23.0” 584mm
Upper and lower sleeve and bushing (Code LS26): 12MM x 1.6875”/42.86mm
With compressed bump stops.

Monroe MA824, considerably shorter than standard, possibly suitable for a lowered bus but likely to limit suspension travel and make fitting of wheels difficult or impossible without disconnecting the damper.
Compressed Length: 12.75”/324mm
Travel Length: 7.375”/187mm
Extended Length: 20.125”/511mm
Upper and lower sleeve and bushing (Code LS26): 12MM x 1.6875”/42.86mm
With compressed and extended bump stops.

 

Mine comes under the slightly lowered category, I think. I was looking at the Monroe spec sheets for the MA758 and decided that the best course of action was to remove the existing shocks and take some measurements. Guess what I'll be doing in the morning.

 

Did you successfully source the second set of dampers from Amazon too, Geoff?

 

I fitted ma758 on the rear of my bus from eBay

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MONROE-M...p4429486.m46890.l6249&mkrid=710-127635-2958-0

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Yep, from Amazon and a lot cheaper than eBay, £100 v £160 https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000C53XAM/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

You should get about 14” compressed and just under 23” extended - I found the dimensions from someone that had measured his.

My bus is lowered a couple of inches or more and I've removed one lump off of the bump stops. The standard dampers have plenty of travel, they don't bottom out and of course they extend fully so the wheel can be removed without disconnecting the damper. The Monroe MA758 have very similar compressed and extended dimensions and although they have only been on for a few days and a few hundred kms they work very well.

Incidentally, it's just dawned on me what the MA stands for, obvious of course but I hadn't given it any thought. Max-Air Shock Absorber

 

Did you get stung with import tax?

 

No, I bought from Amazon UK with delivery to the UK. I couldn't get delivery to France and Amazon FR didn't have the dampers I wanted. If I'd bought direct from Amazon US or any other supplier in the US or from the UK with delivery to France then I would have been stung with tax and handling fees.

I paid £105.35 June '22, today the price is £99.32 as the $ has weakened and the dampers are from the US.

 

Mine measured as per spec, so a pair of MA758 are on order, thank-you for the help, Geoff.

 

Thanks all, shock absorbers arrived 5 days early, fitted this evening and now under pressure test