Slimline rear shock top mounting.

Orriginal units came with the correct size  rubber bushes.

Hi Niall, yes Robert is correct. Girling supplied different top and bottom bushes for different manufacturers requirements. Try the club stores, you might be lucky.

Correct, Paul.

The Hagon shocks I bought for my Slimline Model 50 are narrow at the top and I had to make spacers either side.

However, the NJB shocks on my other slimlines, are all of the correct size and need no spacers making.

As said previously, Norman of NJB is an ex Girling man.    

I recently bought a pair of Hagen rear shocks for my slimline 99 and they fit just fine - all the bushes are the correct size. Maybe the model 50 has different sizes top mounts to the more common Dommie ones (I don’t know if there’s a difference), or maybe Hagen simply made an error by making the shocks with Dommie tops rather than Model 50 ones? I’ve always found Hagen easy to deal with and they are more than willing to talk things through if you have problems or questions.

Tony

Tony, my Slimline Model 50 is in a 1960 99 frame.  Frame not the issue.

As you say, you recently bought your Hagon's, so maybe they got their act together. I bought my Hagon's 21 years ago and was not alone with the top bush issue.

To be fair, I use Hagon for all my new rims and stainless spokes. No issues there.

I tried NJB shocks but they were not the correct length so went for Hagons instead. I did contact NJB and he acknowledged that the length wasn't quite right but 'close enough'.

I went for heavier springs for mine - having gained about 53 stone over the 40 years since I last rode it (LOL!) but I found the steel bushes to be too loose a fit in the rubber bush.  It allowed the shock to slide sideways so I bought new bushes with the steel bonded to the rubber.  Don't ask where or when because I can't remember!

Mine are NJB shocks by the way.  I took my old (1959) original Girlings with me and showed that they are still sealed and working fine!  Norman was impressed!  No oil leakage and resistance was good - springs removed of course.

All oil-filled shocks should be stored upright if possible. If not you need to "bleed" them before use by holding them upright and operating them full stretch several times.  This is usually easier with car shocks as the springs are separate - not so with Girling types though, unless you remove the springs.