L455 Hopping

[NHL455]

ok so i had to clean the yard with the skid today, all went well except the machine still hops a bit - even though i have adjusted out the creep. So for example i went up and down the road and then stopped gradually and then the machine started to buck and hop violently to the point i thought it might flip over so i had to turn the revs down and move forward to stop it.....tyre pressure is good and the ground was wet - would this be weak springs in the dampers or something else? does anybody have a cheap part to replace springs ?

 

[NHL455]

note this is happening when in a straight line and happens when you stop or try to move at a controlled speed slowly forwards or backwards

 

[[email protected]]

Neutralizers are probably bad. Mine did this, too (L555) and the bucking improved when I adjusted them, but they're worn out.

 

[Stef]

Replaced the neutralizers on my L454 (gasoline version of L455) and took care of the problem completely. Posted this to another thread a while ago: "Not sure if you have already found your answer, but I'm pretty sure you have the same ones I just replaced on my L454. The damper is the steering damper off a 1971-74 Super Beetle. The Gabriel PN is 14005. I just bought 2 off Amazon. The trick with them is the retainer ring grooves on the narrow part of the housing, one near the top and one near the bottom. The VW damper generally does not have them and you may have to have machined. The two I rec'd did not have them, but did have a couple larger groves at one end and I was able to use a couple of pieces of 1" copper tubing spacers and a larger retaining clip on the end to successful re-assemble." -Stef

 

[[email protected]]

Replaced the neutralizers on my L454 (gasoline version of L455) and took care of the problem completely. Posted this to another thread a while ago: "Not sure if you have already found your answer, but I'm pretty sure you have the same ones I just replaced on my L454. The damper is the steering damper off a 1971-74 Super Beetle. The Gabriel PN is 14005. I just bought 2 off Amazon. The trick with them is the retainer ring grooves on the narrow part of the housing, one near the top and one near the bottom. The VW damper generally does not have them and you may have to have machined. The two I rec'd did not have them, but did have a couple larger groves at one end and I was able to use a couple of pieces of 1" copper tubing spacers and a larger retaining clip on the end to successful re-assemble." -Stef

OK, so I swapped in the Beetle stabilizers, but, because the neutralizers are a unit, i can't see how to adapt the old ends to the stablizers. Do you have a photo or a write up on what you did? TIA

 

[Stef]

Unfortunately I did not take photos, or document at the time. The Beetle stabilizers (shock absorbers) only had one ring groove at one end, whereas the original NH shocks had two, which were capturing the spring wrapping the shock. I was able identify where the original retaining rings needed to be on the new shocks by laying next to the original shocks. Using appropriately cut lengths of the copper tubing, the assembly sequence from memory was: copper tube 1, original retaining ring 1, spring, retaining ring 2, copper tube 2, and, lastly, a new larger retaining ring in the retention grove that is appropriately size for the shock. Note that the two original spring retaining rings are not actually residing in groves as there are none. They are placed back on to provide a little more diameter to engage the ends of the spring that the copper tubes do not provide. With the correct lengths of copper tubing, the retention rings and thus the spring is properly located. Although I do not recall the details, I do remember having to get creative on the reassembly to get everything compressed to get the third/last ring in place. -Stef