Omega Owners Forum

Chat Area => General Car Chat => Topic started by: Varche on 06 May 2015, 09:29:41

Title: Can you take car shock absorbers in hold luggage on a plane?
Post by: Varche on 06 May 2015, 09:29:41
It just occurred to me that shocks might not fare too well in the hold of a plane. Hold not pressurised.

Can't see anything on airline website. I can't imagine for a minute you could have them as cabin luggage due to "potential to be a weapon".

Anyone know please?
Title: Re: Can you take car shock absorbers in hold luggage on a plane?
Post by: zirk on 06 May 2015, 10:01:38
I thought 'Holds' were pressurised these days.  :-\
Title: Re: Can you take car shock absorbers in hold luggage on a plane?
Post by: MV6Gaz on 06 May 2015, 10:11:50
Surely anything sent from abroad will travel in the hold, courier companies use planes, don't know if they are pressurised though, guess you could ask for them to be put in where pets travel?
Title: Re: Can you take car shock absorbers in hold luggage on a plane?
Post by: Varche on 06 May 2015, 10:17:04
From Ryanairs website

Electronic cigarettes, dynamite, gunpowder, explosives, including detonators, fuses, ammunition, grenades, mines blasting caps and plastic explosives. Guns, firearms, harpoons, replica or toy guns of all types. Gases: propane, butane. Flammable liquids, including gasoline, methanol, flammable solids and reactive substances, including magnesium, firelighters, fireworks, flares and other pyrotechnics. Oxidizers and organic peroxides, including bleach, car body repair kits. Toxic or infectious substances, including rat poison, infected blood, radioactive material, including medicinal or commercial isotopes. Corrosives, including mercury, vehicle batteries, vehicle fuel system components which have contained fuel, Edible Oil (e.g Olive oil) exceeding1 litre in volume.

If you buy shocks off the Internet I presume they go by plane given how quickly they arrive.

I had forgotten that planes had moved on and holds are now pressurised! I remember that dogs travel in containers in the hold.
Title: Re: Can you take car shock absorbers in hold luggage on a plane?
Post by: zirk on 06 May 2015, 10:19:21
Double check Varche, but fairly sure its all pressurized now, as said about Livestock Areas, I believe only difference is that part of the Hold is heated, so worst case your shocks get to travel at ambient temperature of the Hold, which shouldn't be a problem.
Title: Re: Can you take car shock absorbers in hold luggage on a plane?
Post by: LC0112G on 06 May 2015, 10:48:41
The holds in all modern commercial aircraft are pressurised and heated the same as the passenger cabin. If you go on youtube and look at the construction techniques you'll see that they are basically a tube with pressure caps at the front (just in-front of the pilot's feet) and rear(underneath the tail fin). The whole tube is pressurised. The passenger floor is basically just a mezzanine strong enough to support the weight of the passengers and seats. It's not strong enough to withstand a significant pressure difference, and condensation would cause havoc if there was a significant temperature difference between hold and passenger compartments.

Outside air temp at cruising flight levels (FL300-FL400) is typically -40 to -50 deg C. If the hold weren't pressurised and heated everything in there would freeze solid. However, aircraft in flight aren't pressurised to 'sea level' - usually more like 8000 feet, so the air pressure in the cabin is about three-quaters that at sea level. Therefore, if you put something pressurised into an aircraft (like a football say) then it will expand during flight and may burst if the skin isn't up to it. The lower pressure can also cause some liquids to 'boil', which is not a good thing.
Title: Re: Can you take car shock absorbers in hold luggage on a plane?
Post by: Kevin Wood on 06 May 2015, 11:03:32
Yep, the shocks will fare no worse than they would if you drove your car up a mountain.

Whether you would be permitted to carry them, I'm not sure. You could argue that they are canisters of pressurised gas / liquid, which wouldn't be allowed.
Title: Re: Can you take car shock absorbers in hold luggage on a plane?
Post by: Varche on 06 May 2015, 11:10:46
Yep, the shocks will fare no worse than they would if you drove your car up a mountain.

Whether you would be permitted to carry them, I'm not sure. You could argue that they are canisters of pressurised gas / liquid, which wouldn't be allowed.

In which case I won't raise the subject and just pack them in my hold suitcase ;D
Title: Re: Can you take car shock absorbers in hold luggage on a plane?
Post by: LC0112G on 06 May 2015, 11:15:11
Yep, the shocks will fare no worse than they would if you drove your car up a mountain.

Whether you would be permitted to carry them, I'm not sure. You could argue that they are canisters of pressurised gas / liquid, which wouldn't be allowed.

In which case I won't raise the subject and just pack them in my hold suitcase ;D

If they're the self levelling type with the rubber bellows at the bottom - take the cap off the air pipe connector. Otherwise you risk the bellows inflating during flight and the shock extending from 2 feet long to 4 feet long - and punching holes in the side of your suit case  ;D
Title: Re: Can you take car shock absorbers in hold luggage on a plane?
Post by: Kevin Wood on 06 May 2015, 11:17:59
Yep, the shocks will fare no worse than they would if you drove your car up a mountain.

Whether you would be permitted to carry them, I'm not sure. You could argue that they are canisters of pressurised gas / liquid, which wouldn't be allowed.

In which case I won't raise the subject and just pack them in my hold suitcase ;D

If you're comfortable constructing an argument during a rubber-glove session then I'm sure you'll be fine. ;)
Title: Re: Can you take car shock absorbers in hold luggage on a plane?
Post by: Sir Tigger KC on 06 May 2015, 11:41:10
I once took two Mercedes truck rear shocks to Nairobi on a BA flight and they went OK in the hold.  :y  I also had a starter motor for the truck in my hand baggage!  :o  ;D

That was pre 9/11 days though when they didn't scan everything.  ;)
Title: Re: Can you take car shock absorbers in hold luggage on a plane?
Post by: henryd on 06 May 2015, 11:51:48
Yep, the shocks will fare no worse than they would if you drove your car up a mountain.

Whether you would be permitted to carry them, I'm not sure. You could argue that they are canisters of pressurised gas / liquid, which wouldn't be allowed.

In which case I won't raise the subject and just pack them in my hold suitcase ;D

If you're comfortable constructing an argument during a rubber-glove session then I'm sure you'll be fine. ;)

Pmsl ;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: Can you take car shock absorbers in hold luggage on a plane?
Post by: 05omegav6 on 06 May 2015, 12:08:29
If you insist on flying Pirate Ryan Air, then who knows ::)

You are however allowed to put deoderant etc in your hold luggage but not your cabin luggage...

Check with the airline concerned or otherwise post them... UPS/DPD should see the arrive in a reasonable fashion :y
Title: Re: Can you take car shock absorbers in hold luggage on a plane?
Post by: terry paget on 06 May 2015, 15:52:43
I thought simple shock absorbers damped motion by forcing oil through small orifices and valves, nothing pressurised there. Front struts contain a spring and a shock absorber, again the shocker is simple. Air damped shock absorbers push air through valves and orifices, again no problem. Omega bonnet and boot props do contain compressed gas, could be a problem there, but we are not talking about them.
 Inflated tyres do contain compressed gas, lots of it, and planes have inflated tyres, so I guess they have thought of that. What will vary is the increase in pressure difference at altitude, similar thing happens when car tyres get hot; as long as the tyres can contain the pressure all is well.
Title: Re: Can you take car shock absorbers in hold luggage on a plane?
Post by: The Sheriff on 06 May 2015, 16:01:00
I thought simple shock absorbers damped motion by forcing oil through small orifices and valves, nothing pressurised there. Front struts contain a spring and a shock absorber, again the shocker is simple. Air damped shock absorbers push air through valves and orifices, again no problem. Omega bonnet and boot props do contain compressed gas, could be a problem there, but we are not talking about them.
 Inflated tyres do contain compressed gas, lots of it, and planes have inflated tyres, so I guess they have thought of that. What will vary is the increase in pressure difference at altitude, similar thing happens when car tyres get hot; as long as the tyres can contain the pressure all is well.
No, no, no Terry! That's far too simple and practical. Not at all convoluted, so no good on this forum.
Title: Re: Can you take car shock absorbers in hold luggage on a plane?
Post by: 05omegav6 on 06 May 2015, 18:23:48
Aircraft tyres are inflated with nitrogen, which is inert.

Gas shocks are pressurised... which Varches are depends on price... cheapy cheap ones are oil only, better ones have a gas element :y
Title: Re: Can you take car shock absorbers in hold luggage on a plane?
Post by: Varche on 06 May 2015, 19:37:41
Aircraft tyres are inflated with nitrogen, which is inert.

Gas shocks are pressurised... which Varches are depends on price... cheapy cheap ones are oil only, better ones have a gas element :y

They are KYB Gas -A- Just variant
Title: Re: Can you take car shock absorbers in hold luggage on a plane?
Post by: The Sheriff on 06 May 2015, 19:40:04
http://www.nsra.org.uk/newforum/archive/index.php/t-58473.html
Title: Re: Can you take car shock absorbers in hold luggage on a plane?
Post by: Varche on 06 May 2015, 19:52:27
Interesting. Not worth the risk of them being turfed out and being lost.

I am thinking I might as well have them shipped. It will be about £20. It is just a pain at this end as the courier companies will not deliver to rural properties- you have to down tools and go and meet them somewhere. The joys of living in Paradise.