Technical figuring out front shocks 1929 model a tudor

im trying to find shocks with enough travel for my front end. i have the engine trans and body on the frame. its pretty much ride height. from the upper shock mount to the lower its 12". from what ive read the more travel the better but mostly what i can find is 2" of travel up and 2" down... is that enough? the shocks i was lookin at what pro shock sm500. anybody have any suggestions?thanks

 

Way back in the beginning, some hot rodders got a well deserved reputation for driving ****py unsafe cars. It got so bad that respectable hot rodders had to step up and say 'No more!" Campaigns began, clubs were organized, a lot of time and effort went into building better cars and driving habits.
After many years of this we now have much better quality builds and we shed the image of idiots driving junk.

Rat rodders are destroying this.
We are in danger of Government suppression of our life style.
Its time once again for decent hot rodders to stand up against ****py poorly ***embled unsafe ratrods

 

thanks for the input, but that had nothing to do with the question i asked.

 

aanywaaay, 2 inch compression, and maybe an inch of rebound should do. look at pete and jakes, there made by gabriel. so-cal speed shop's are a direct rip off of the pete and jakes stuff, straight outta china.

 

Try the short shocks that SoCal and Speedway sell. 2" of travel is enough, unless you're 4WDing it. My "straight out of China" has worked fine for 4 years.

And I have NO idea why manyolcars wrote that, but it's true. Well, except for the government paranoia part.

 

i was lookin at pete and jakes.. after what you guys both said i figure the proshock sm500 will work its the same specs as the ones i looked at by pete and jakes but about half the price mounts 12" extended 14.5" and compressed 9.5". so that should be enough. i figure manyolcars said that cause he prolly see's pics of my car and my chop and thinks its a rat rod.. i dont care tons of people call my car a rat rod but its not it just had a radical chop. its just a home built hot rod and i've had quite a few old school guys come by and check it out and have nothin but complements.... but you know the internet it full of ***holes : )

 

Damn that's good.
So good I think it ought to put on tee shirts.


Now what about the guys shocks?
What front end set up are you running?
If its a traditional ford set up or slight variation the Pete and jakes shocks do work well.

 

@31vicky with a hemi im using an i beam, cross spring and split bones uner a model a frame. this was what i as lookin @ http://www.summitracing.com/parts/pfi-sm500/overview/

 

He has a pretty good suggestion in that checking through the Pete & Jake, SoCal, Speedway and other similar suspension sections may give you some answers or options.

I'm thinking your 4 inches of total travel is close to the norm for tube shocks on Model A hot rods though Here is the front shock offerings from SoCal and they run with 5 inches of travel for the "long" shocks or 4-3/8 for the shorties.

http://www.est1946.com/speedshocks.aspx or Pete & Jake on Ebay 331065376937 at 5 inches of travel.

 

Everyone had helpful input i thank you for it thats the reason i come to the hamb....

 

I picked up a set of Chrome Pete & Jakes this week. Made in Mexico. Go figure.

 

Dude go to Napa. They have a bunch they can look up and tell you the closed and open dimensions of. They also have that old school bell end on them. Mine were $35 for a pair.

 

Right. Check out the early Corvette REAR shocks (for use on model A rod front). That's what I use.

 

2 1/2" down and 1 1/2" up should be plenty for a straight axle set-up...

 

Thanks everyone i got what i need

 

I tried a few different brands of shocks on my 32 Ford.QA1 and Bilstein Shocks are more expensive, but I like them better than P&J.



Ago

 

Do you have the number of the NAPA shock? will you share?

I thought there was to be no political statements or religious brought to the HAMB..
disappointing...

 

I had a pair of the sm500 chrome shocks in my hands yesterday at the Albany, OR swap meet. They do have a very short stroke and if looks make a difference to you, the part numbers/writing on them was huge, went all the way up the body of the shock. The Pete and Jakes and the ones I saw wrapped in TCI bags had more stroke and looked better. Prices were high, retail, so I left them all there.

 

I don't think there will be one set number for everyone. There are a lot of variables. Where your shock mount is placed on the frame, how long your mount is (mine were shortened 2") arch of your front spring (mine is a custom made piece that's really flat) and where your spring mount on your axle is. You need to put your stuff together and measure what you need open and closed.

 

Well i was at a hot rod show yeaterday and my buddy he's like 70 or so he's Built many cars over the years he said 2"up and 2"down is enough because i beam axles dont move all that much and after knowing him for about 4 years and seeing what he's done with the three hot rods he has now and the ones in the past that have even been in magazines i trust his opinion him and a couple other guys build cars that are worth up to 50,000 to 100,000 grand and when someone building cars like that gives me advice and likes what im doin to my tudor sedan that makes me feel like im doin something right. Even though @ manyolcars doesnt think so =) i dont give a **** lol when my car is finished it wont look like a rat rod just because its primered red oxide doesnt mean its stayin that way... Yes i know my car is chopped heavy but thats how i got it i had to fix the chop cause whoever did it didnt pie cut or grind the welds etc. i also arent using road signs fora fire wall,floor pans or door panels my car may not be "period correct" but its gonna be bad *** and ill like it.

 

Sorry for any typo's i posted with my iphone...

 

Right with ya on the whole rat rod label. Been workin on my '29 Tudor for a while n when I show pix of the car some say nice lookin rat rod. I hate that, so then I proceed to explain the difference between traditional build and rat rod. BTW found this post as I'm looking at the correct shocks for my Tudor.


Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

Figuring out shocks from available every day stock. Acquire a shock catalog or check with your auto parts source for the extended and compressed length dimension of shocks as well as the variety of end choices and shaft covers or not info.
Oh for the days of real paper parts catalogs from major makers with real information in them besides the mundane application charts. exhaust, shocks, springs, and lots of other things could be found readily available with a little or a lot of catalog research.

 

Before all the parts were available in magazines we used 46-50 Plymouth front shocks. They are 12.75 extended, and 8.625 collapsed and there are 5/8 eyelets on each end. The Monroe part number is 5752. I get them through a local auto parts store for about $40.00.

 

Most coil over street shocks only dampen on rebound.