Technical Lever Arm Shocks VS Shock Absorbers

Hello everyone

I'm currently continuing with my 1932 Roadster project and am undecided about which type of shock absorbers to install!? The car will be getting a rolling-bones style front end with cowl steering and a Mercury V8 rear axle with a torque tube. Engine: Flathead V8 with supercharger. I have a set of 1941 Ford lever arm shocks that I need to rebuild. However, I'm unsure if these lever arm shocks will work as well at today's speeds or if I should install regular shock absorbers? What's your experience? I prefer the look of the lever arm shocks – but I don't want to compromise on car handling.

Best regards from Germany,
Matthias

 

A friend of mine races the car you can see in the pics on the website. I’ve raced the car too and these Rotoshim lever arm shocks are absolutely brilliant.
https://rotoshim.com/

 

I user lever shocks on a street rod 34 ford worked very well.

 

I use the lever style shock, both reproduction and rebuilt Houdaille shocks with great success. I like the ride they provide, yes they dampen and the originals, in both directions. I use the tube style shock link that can be shortened when the front end is dropped.
I have also used the Ridetec Hotrod tube shocks on lighter cars but they have more of a street rod look

 

I have used lever shocks from Goliath Speed Equipment in the UK now on 3 cars that are driven on the street but are also used quite heavily for beach and dirt-track racing and I am really happy witht the performance of the shocks. They fit the stock Ford mounting holes and and use stock Model A lever arms. Their response/hardness can be adjusted with a little screw on the back...

 

Thanks for the tip, I hadn't even thought of those. I just emailed them – I'm curious to see what price they'll charge!
The Rotoshim dampers are very, very expensive...
Best regards from Germany to Germany

 

I had the original lever action shocks for my Cad. powered '40 rebuilt a few years ago and used them for a couple of years. I was never happy with the dampening they provided and replaced the front ones with tube shocks last year. On this car it made a large difference in the ride so I'm in the process of swapping them out on the rear now...

 

I used rebuilt MG Midget/Sprite rear shocks on the front of my Zipper roadster.

 

Armstrong shocks. Have a lever arm like the Houdaille shocks, but that lever operates two pistons which move to provide the dampening. You can change the dampening by using thicker or thinner oil in the shock body. They are probably getting hard to find in the junkyards now.

 

Those Armstrongs are all over Ebay. I used them on my model A speedster and was pretty happy with them. I got MGB rear ones, used, but there are plenty of places that rebuild them.