Hey everyone Just yesterday I was under my 53 chev fixing some leaky brake lines and I noticed something. I'd recently put in two new front shock absorbers, which were the same dimensions as the old ones. What had happened is the brackets that hold these shock absorbers in on the lower control arm had both snapped. Damn! One of them was brand new. I can't help but imagine I've done something wrong but the Chevy work shop manual doesn't really mention anything about these brackets. So I ask you: * the front springs are quite saggy. Has this caused the shock absorbers to put too much pressure on the brackets? * I installed the brackets directly TO THE UNDERSIDE of the control arm. Are they supposed to lock in somehow other than by that one bolt? *the suspension rides about an inch from the bump stops, could this have caused the shocks to run out of travel and force themselves through the lower control arm? I'm quite puzzled, do any of you know how to remedy this? I have two new brackets on the way and don't want to make a habbit of turning them into s**** metal.
If I remember right, the lower shock mount has 1-bolt holding it to the underside of the lower control arm. The other side of the shock bracket has little "fingers" that slips up through the hole in the control arm and rests on the top side of the lower control arm. If you just bolted the bracket in and didn't slip the other side of it up on top of the lower control arm, then it was only relying on that 1 bolt, flexed a couple times, and bent it over & snapped it.
Hey, I wasn't sure if those flanged edged were supposed to go up through the hole or stay on the underside. I must say it didn't seem right at all to have all that pressure on one solitary bolt.
AHA!! but i have to say that mine did in fact have the "ears" set within the control arm correctly and i have cut two coils from my springs...and the thing came through! the bracket completely busted off and I found myself on the side of the road with a shock forcing itself down to the road. I randomly typed in shock issues and what the first guy mentioned/ bracket folding under/ was exactly what I saw...actually just removed the p***enger shock entirely and then noticed my driver side still had the "ears' clutching to the inside of the control arm (proving they were set in correctly) but bent back severely. ONly the nut holding the bracket is keeping the driverside shock from coming through... How does that make sense? Could my shock being too long (cut springs) be acting like a hammer, forcing th bracket down?? Pleaes IM me too. I dont check this too much but its a crisis! WHAT SHOCKS TO USE FOR FRONT LOWERED 2 inches.?
Stock Chev or correct aftermarket shocks will not bottom when the front is lowered, no matter how far you drop it. If the shocks bottom out, you've got the wrong shocks.
I agree you need to use lowered shocks for the lowered ride height that way the shock is not bottoming out, if this happens it will self clearance to make the need to room. I know that they sell that shorter shocks for my 69 C-20. But I did not need them for the front, sense I only using dropped spindles. Shawn
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