Herald Suspension Overhaul

Thorough investigation turns into a major overhaul and a future-proofed Triumph

I’m getting a little behind with some of my fleet updates, thanks to print schedules and not having a regular Our Triumphs slot last issue, so I will try and bring you up to date here, even if it means omitting the finer details!

Let’s start with the Acclaim. You may recall that I took this down to Italy in September, as reported last issue. Going in the Acclaim was a last-minute decision and I’d also prepared the Herald (more on that later), but my brother and I had taken the Herald in 2017 and I fancied a change.

The Acclaim didn’t need much in the way of preparation, although a pre-adventure inspection showed up a couple of exhaust hangers that needed renewing. I also replaced the radiator cap because for some time now the Acclaim had been losing a little coolant – not enough to be a major problem, but if I parked up after a long run I would see a small puddle collecting under the expansion bottle’s overflow pipe. It was easy to dismiss this as ‘they all do that,’ but clearly it was not in the design and needed addressing. The solution was pretty simple, as examining the radiator cap showed that its seal was in an advanced state of decay. This was no doubt allowing the pressurised coolant to escape and flow into the expansion bottle in quantities far greater than intended, until that too overflowed. One new radiator cap later and the Acclaim drove up and down the Dolomites with gay abandon, never losing a drop of water.