Technical SHOCKING EXPERINCE !! HOTROD SHOCKS!!!!

How do you expect a "parts" store employee to know what part fits an almost 100yr old vehicle, that's been modified. That he/she probable has had 1 person EVER need a part for. (if they worked in the store for 10yrs). Parts stores sell parts for a specific application or you give them a part number, they can cross reference part numbers, but NO WAY they should be expected to pull a part out of their ARSE for custom cars they may have never even seen before.
Be realistic. Are you going to eat the cost of the part they "think" will work, if they give you something? OR as most people nowadays will you demand they find the right one and give you your money back? We are victims of our own demands and expectations when it comes to anything in the retail/service industry. JMHO

 

damn

well bye....

 

so If people will read the first post,.... never blamed the kid that doesn't know anything, I blamed the auto parts store for not having specs on the part,... where as some here all trolling every post to find fault, there was quite a few here that helped with getting the specs I needed... so I'd say that 90 % of the members here are willing, and step up to help in situations.... putting links to web sites that have the specs so that you can order a part was what was needed... I went to the bank to withdraw some cash to go gamble, the teller says.... I'm gonna send you a one time code on your phone.... I say I don't have a phone... she says then I can't do a withdrawal..... Ah, get the manager.... never got mad....teller did cause she had to get up....manager says to me, whats the problem??? I say, I either wanna withdraw $*****, or if not... I wanna close out all of my accounts,.. she says... ah no problem here's your money... anything else I can do...

 

That is a good reference but it doesn't show applications, like what makes, models and years a part number XYZ fits. If you find a shock with the proper dimensions and know what cars it will fit, that makes it a lot easier to buy them at the store.

 

I with ya !!
My old (M-word!) is so light... I don't want the old stiff-ass shocks for canyon-carving or brag'in rights shocks
(Koni's etc.).. I want something that stops wheel hop but soft enough I don't need a dental appointment every time I drive it.
I use the good-old-fashion Monroe OEM replacement shocks. They work good...they aren't expen$ive... they last a long time...they give a nice comfortable ride.
What's not to like ?!!
6sally6

 

first update.... got the rock auto shocks today...... they came gas charged.... but not near as stiff as the so-cal ones.... pretty good ride.... got more shocks coming... but might as well run these and see if they break in a little... finding no gas charged shocks is getting tough.... got monroes coming also..

also the rock auto shocks lowered the rear about 1"

 

I have an "in" with a chain parts house, I go in via the commercial entrance. Like night and day with a real parts guy to help me out.

Old places decades below, if the parts guys were friendly types, they let us behind the counter to scour the catalogs. Most of these guys could flip to a correct page while blindfolded.

 

If you have the room, lean the shocks over with a different shock mount to ease the ride. Straight up will be much stiffer than 45 degrees over to the side.

 

I’m curious how the shocks lowered the rear. Were the old ones too long?

 

With regards to shocks the weight of the vehicle is a major consideration
This is why the VW shocks work well on a model A, I`m running 57 Triumph shocks on my 29 roadster.
Try and find a car about the same weight as the car your building

 

the gas shocks from so-cal were so stiff that the weight wouldn't compress them..kinda worked like air shocks..

 

mine are at 45 degree now...

 

Wow, I would have thought eventually even a firmly dampened shock wouldn’t hold the weight of a car, eventually it would have to settle.

If they were infact holding the car up I would be complaining

 

Complaining to who??? gotta consider a model a RPU with a stock cowl fuel tank... there no weight in the rear... most all the weight is the rearend and wheels..

 

The manufacturer, shocks aren’t supposed to carry weight.

 

Take a look at rear shocks for a C3 Corvette.

 

looks like it's a 14'' shock that compresses to 9.5 all the one I found are gas charged...

 

shocks take a while to settle.... like 500 miles''' stiff gas shocks will lift a cars ride height... but will settle back down when the shocks break in.. with the other shocks you couldn't push down on the car at all... and it was higher than with no shocks...

 

Interesting.

 

Got any pics showing the new ride height?

 

they say it takes 500 miles for shocks to break in,...probley don't even notice on a heavy car....

 

I would be curious to know what is breaking in. It’s a disk moving through oil…

 

I used Monroes. Their website had every measurement. It took a little work but I found the right set-up for me. They haven't changed the look of the shock in forever so if you're looking for something with the right "look" you may be able to find it in your desired size.

 

I've ordered 7 sets so far.... the ones from rock auto seem to be working out....

 

If you’re driving around in an older car, or you’ve recently installed new shocks, you may have noticed that your car’s ride isn’t as smooth as it used to be. You might be wondering how long it takes for new shocks to settle in and for your car’s ride to become smooth again. Here we’ll look at the factors that affect how long it takes for new shocks to settle in and what you can do to speed up the process.

On an average, it’ll take about 500 miles for new shocks to settle. During this period, the shocks will naturally break-in and the ride quality and stability will improve.

When installing new shocks it’s important to keep an eye out for any leaks, noises, and general performance. If any of these occur, it’s best to take the vehicle to a mechanic to confirm the installation was done properly.

 

I am a licensed mechanic, I’m curious about what is breaking in, that’s all. I have never experienced a shock that will hold weight of any vehicle, that goes against what shock manufacturers say. We have removed shocks on brand new vehicles on a drive on hoist to prove this to students hence my curiosity.

Again I can’t help but wonder what is “breaking in” when the simplistic description of a shock is oil moving through holes.

 

gas shocks have pistons.. have you ever installed gas shocks that come with them tied compressed.. and you cut them loose when they are installed... thats because the are too hard to compress by hand... now take a 29 RPU, and lift up on the rear... doesn't take much to lift it... say 1 inch... so the shock will lift it also.... and every time you droop the suspension the shocks extend and not enough weight to compress them

 

here's a monroe shock

 

I'm with @2FORCEFULL on this one, working in an alignment, frame and suspension shop for over 40 yrs up until a couple months ago I have seen putting on gas charged shocks on light vehicles change ride height on numerous occasions.

When they first became popular back in the 80's gas charged shocks didn't have the pressures they do today. The old Monroe gas-matics could easily be compressed by hand, but thru the years they have gotten a lot harder to compress. There are heavier truck shocks out there today that are almost impossible to compress by hand anymore.

I don't know why manufacturers feel that raising pressures inside the shocks are necessary because as I stated earlier versions did a really nice job with a lot less pressure.

To be honest I figure it has to do with manufacturing cuts to the internals of the shocks, don't know if it allows less oil to be used (which is what I suspect) vs. Using pressure, much like how air shocks work..

...

 

let me try to explain because i'm very steeped in shocks and how they work....

first the reason for gas charged shocks.... as we know,... all cars ride like Cadillac's on smooth roads... there used to be a problem with the old hole in a piston oil shocks... get on a wash board road and the shocks would aeriate... that means the oil would mix with the air in the shock and cause them to heat up and fade... so engineers decided to add the gas pressure in the reserve section,,, what this did, with the oil pressurized was keep it from foaming and the shocks ran cooler, as the piston comes down the oil is forced into a gas pressurized chamber, then as the shock goes up. the gas helps push the oil back into the compression chamber and not allow it to mix with the air , when the socks are new and not broke in,.. all these new parts cause friction , which in turn causes heat, which also causes them to be stiffer... as they break in, the oil transfer is much more easy and they work to the specified shock amount...