Unseizing spax adjusters

[Clive]

Anybody had any success? I have chewed a few in the past, so anybody got any handy tips. Apart from soaking in penetrating oil for a week or two?

(once heard of a chap who welded a nut on the adjusters, not sure if I am brave enough :o )

[sparky_spit]

The Spaxs on the back of the Mini were seized after 5 years of not being looked at. I took them off, and laid them horizontally with the adjusters uppermost. I put ring of blu-tack around them to keep  a "puddle" of WD40 there. It took several days to get them free.  Number 2 son is now under strict orders to keep them copper-greased.

[Clive]

I think I will stand the 4 in a tub of penetrating oil. No rush at all, they can sit for a few weeks :)

[thescrapman]

put them in a bucket of diesel or heating oil

that is supposed to work.

[Clive]

That is my penetrating oil. Has a bit of petrol in there too (no, it wasn't me!)

[GT6 M]

Clive , theses are the little buggers that cause the probs,
If you can apply some ..localised heat.. to just the adjuster thunmb wheel, it may be enough to free it,with a little bit of wagglelating back and fro, to brek the rust seal

the bottom of the hole area has a serrated bottom, this is for the rping loaded adjuster  pintle to fit/ rub over.
the small screw is to hold the adjuser on to the shaft.

on this one the small allen screw would nae come out, so had to put a bigger on in.

they seize all over, adjutre on to shaft, this os ok, as it will still rotate, but when the spring loaded adjuster seizes,then it wont compress upwards,so you cant turn it
then the adjuster nobb sticks to the shocker body,really sticking it

its no the shaft in the middle that sticks ,so i have found, as this has got rubber seals init and also there is oil under them, so the middle is ok

dont no about Spax, but with AVO you can get new bits to put back on if you break em getting em off, worth a call to see,
on the bottom of the spax inside the adjuster there is a slotted screw, IF you going to unsrew this, make sure the shocker is full extended to stop the fluid flying out,

out of intrest, most of these are too stiff,even on lowest setting, but AVO will rebuild with much less stiffness for 30£ for two,and all new bits on the out side,  Maybe Spax will do the same,!!!!

Marcus

middle adjuster rod, with serrated bottom


this is the small spring loaded adjust pawl that also seizes up, so it wont slide up and doon in its hole, nor will it slide over the serrated bottom


this is the bigger screw i had to put in, as the original small allen just would nae come out , stuck solid, this holds the adjuter nut to the shaft

[Jonny-Jimbo]

Bin 'em and buy something else? maybe not a great solution,  but at work Spax just go in the bin.

[esxefi]

once they are free,rub some grease round them and then wrap some self amalgamating tape around the bottom of the damper body covering the adjuster nut.this should make a water resistant seal to make future adjustment easier.

on my avo's i put a small sleeve of silicon hose 1/2" bore IIRC from a model shop over the adjuster and so far all's well. :)

[Hugh]

Small drop of brake fluid worked for me