Replacing front dampers of the Rover SD1 is not for the timid or mechanically challenged members of the Rover SD1 Community.

The work outlined here is generally undertaken only by experienced owners or those so strapped for cash they value their well being less than the need to pay good money to a third party.

What you are about to read is not a substitute workshop manual so please digest it with a degree of caution because it simply describes my own distilled sequence of events, some easy, some hard, some risky, but because I live to tell the tale it seems appropriate to share my findings.

If your SD1 is in torment every time it rides a bump, the steering feels light, the front of the car wanders all over the place or the front suspension bounces like Zebedee from the Magic Roundabout, then it is time to consider replacing front dampers.

In my early days of ownership I heard (and read) Ian Ralston, a former SD1 Club members' scary account of his experiences and it put me off the job for over ten years.

During that time, on at least two occasions, I watched the job being done for me but in 2006 it came up again so I decided to bite the bullet with a little help for the scary bits.

However I disliked the resultant ride height and subsequently decided to correct that problem, so, for the record, in 2007 your scribe became an expert on the described, simplified, one person process, to remove and refit the front suspension legs on a Rover SD1 TP Vitesse using a six foot scaffold pole as my friendly persuader. If you decide to follow suit please please take care and may your god be with you!

Read or download this article about the process and how it can be made a lot easier (with the help of a friendly persuader) in PDF format from here: (101kb).