Hydragas displacer units gradually lose their gas over time, which is perfectly normal. When new the charge of gas was expected to last a maximum of 15 years which was the estimated life span of the car. No provision was provided by the manufacturers to replace the gas and many of the units are now over 30 years old. Most are so low on gas that the ride quality they give is now severely compromised and low gas also heightens the chance of unit failure.
Comfort is poor with the car crashing over bumps. The ride height diminishes and pumping up the suspension to the correct height again makes the ride even harsher. Continuing to use the car with the suspension in this condition is not only unpleasant for the driver and passengers, it can shorten the life of the displacers and these have been out of production for many years. Replacing with second hand or new old stock nearly always gives disappointing results. This is because the units are still suffering loss of gas. This occurs over time, regardless of mileage or whether the unit(s) have been previously used.
The good news is that we can replace the lost gas in all Hydragas Displacer Units which will bring back the smooth and supple ride this unique suspension system is renowned for, all the customer needs to do is remove them from the car and send them to us or we offer a mobile fitment service at your home or place of work anywhere in the UK. In a few hours the ride quality and roadholding of your car will be transformed. Our rates are extremely competitive and this service is very popular.
Before we start work we thoroughly check the unit(s) for fluid leaks. A hole is drilled into the gas chamber to release the remnants of the old gas. This also provide the means of entry for the new gas. A special collar is then welded to the displacer, a high pressure Schrader valve is fitted and the unit charged with fresh nitrogen to the original specified pressures, the unit is again thoroughly tested for fluid and gas leaks. It’s not very often we encounter a defective unit, but if we do we’ll let you know straight away. You can either send us another unit, or purchase one from our stock. If we encounter a defective unit there is no charge for that particular unit.
On Austin and MG Metro models we fit the valve in an offset position so when the unit is re-fitted to the car it won’t foul on the front inner wing which partially covers the top of the unit. The same applies to MGF rears to avoid any fouling on adjacent components. On MGF and Rover Metro front units the inner wing strengthener is larger and completely covers the top of the displacer, therefore we fit the valve to the side of the units on these models so there are no concerns on re-fitting.
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