Hydraulic vs Gas shocks opinions requested
 

I am getting a new set of rear coil springs for my 71 LeMans Convertible and at the same time change all the shocks on the car. I am hearing that hydraulic are more forgiving but will also change the rate the springs work, gas shocks react more stiffly. The car is a pleasure car now, going to shows and on vacations. At times we do take another couple with us.

Your opinions, comments are much appreciated,

Mark

I am going with the KYB Excel on my stock suspension. 67 LeMans.
I’ve had their Gas-Adjust and they work well with some mods like bigger sway bars and upgrade steering box. They are stiffer and you loose the float but again, it’s a different application for a different driving style.
https://www.kyb.com/how-to-choose/

Thanks, I am stopping at the parts store to check on the KYB's this morning.
Anyone else have an opinion? What are you using on your car?

Thanks everyone

For stock applications & driving, I have had good luck with Gabriels that are similar to monroe, they ride great, have lasted 15 years on one of my cars and they have a lifetime warranty, usually priced better than monroe but havent compared to KYB excelG shocks.

I have the KYB excel shocks on a 4th gen 4runner, the fronts are a coil over shock design but the rears are normal shocks... KYB states they are valved 10% stiffer than OEm but it doesnt really effect the ride quality and is a good thing on a bigger SUV, also lifetime warranty and better quality/ride than the monroe version.

Just put a used set of KYBs on the rear of the bird...seems way better than what was on there before

I priced the KYB's this morning at the local parts store and found out that they are very well priced. The manager said he has not sold any hydraulic shocks in very long time because the gas shocks tend to mimic the originals so closely without building foaming inside the shock itself.

Comments Guys?

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!!

Mark

Most modern OEM type shocks for these older cars are gas charged that I have seen and they will be similar ride & price range, for a better shock you can try something like koni or billstein or other performance designed brands.. at closer to $100/shock. Check rock auto for prices too, many times they are cheaper even with shipping and have a better selection than some local parts stores.

I am happy with the gabriels on street driven cars they even handle pretty good on corners or nice twisty roads, when I replace them I might try KYB excel that are closer to the same design.

I’m going to try the Rekudo shocks
I haven’t installed them yet, snowing here, but i suspect they are made by koni because the were made in the Netherlands and the are adjustable.

As cheap as they were I figured I could take the chance.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Never heard of Rekudo, looks like they offer lots of parts for these older cars... but I wouldnt call them cheap, I see the 2nd gen fbody adjustable front shocks for $165ea! A lot more than the OEM type shocks I was suggesting or I thought you were looking for on a street cruiser... the adjustable feature wont really be needed for that type of car but Im sure they are a good shock.

Another option I was going to mention but didnt think it fit the street cruiser type category is pretty much the same type of shock as the adjustable rekudo's but at a fraction of the price, summits adjustable shocks are the same monotube design and 3 way adjustable off the car... they have a firm, medium & soft setting. They are advertised as a "drag shock" but work great on the street or for auto cross depending on the setting... and they were the shock provided in the entry level performance suspension kits from a popular suspension company until they changed shock brands. I have them on my street/strip/entry auto-x 72 firebird and they work very good set to soft at the drag strip but I drive on the street 90% of the time set to middle setting, they ride & handle much better than the OEM type Gabriel/monroe/kyb on my more stock suspension cars, been in use for 10 years with no problems. They are $45 each front or rear and adjustable by turning the shaft by hand when off the car. If anyone else is looking for a good priced entry level adjustable shock these are a great option.

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/s...bird/year/1978

Thanks for all the great comments Guys, I am going to order the coils the second week of December and they should be here by Christmas. I have learned much about modern shocks this week from you all. Hopefully I will have the suspension work done by sometime in January and barring winter weather I will have an update for you all then.
I am looking forward to having a great handling car for spring

Mark

I put KYBs on my '63 Bonneville convert. My last shocks were Sears fluid ones from back in the late 70's, and pretty well worn (as in no resistance left - at all - LOL).

My initial impression was that the KYBs were way too stiff. Yes, the car handled well (compared to how I remembered it; there were quite a few years between rides), but the ride was harsh, with too much road vibration for what is ostensibly a luxury car.

They did "break in" after a few hundred miles, but lacked the "float" of hydraulics. So, what to do when originality matters? I found a full set of Delco Pleasurizers, and just swapped them in. I won't know for a couple weeks yet how they feel, as the car is laid up with some other work going on, but I'm looking forward to the return of "the float."

Now, would I do that to my '82 Firebird? Likely not. It's all in the ride and handling you want.

Well I’m 99% sure that the rekudo shocks are Koni red shocks just painted gray. Reason I say that is they are adjustable (same as koni) they are made in the Netherlands, the tops have the exact same little cap that covers the stud, and the instructions have the numbers 1027 05 00 01 109 on the bottom. When you google that up, the 1027 thing is a koni identifier

I haven’t got my car running so I can’t comment on the ride, but I thought I would share since they are $29 each on Amazon and if I’m right that’s a heck of a deal. Thought I would offer that info up in case it helps someone. There is almost no information out there on the inter web. No reviews etc.

I’m not affiliated with koni, Amazon, Holley, etc so buy them at your own risk. Just wanted to pass on what I found.
Attachment 643823


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

UPDATE.
What I bought for the car were 4 of the adjustable shocks from Summit Racing and rear springs from Coil Spring Specialties.
The shocks have a real nice ride with the setting from the factory set on firm. The front shocks replaced the, get this, original spiral shocks from 1971. I got my worth out of them. One was totally seized and the other was leaking.
The rear springs replaced the originals that measured 13 1/4" length, the new springs were specked at standard height and 20% stiffer, they measure 11 3/4" in height which makes the difference in height 1 1/2". More about that in a few seconds. The rear shocks were also set at the firm setting from the factory and the ride is very nice at that setting. Compared to the MonroeMatics that were removed they seem long, about 3 " longer. They did go in the car fine but it still seems strange. Back to the rear springs, they new ones are shorter but once the car was on the ground the ride height has not changed measured on the frame front and rear, 7.5". The ride feel is very good, firm but not harsh.
The only drawback on these springs is that with the car on a lift the springs do not stay on their perches, requiring a scoot under the rear as the car is being set down to align them .
Does anyone have a fix for this problem?
We are thinking about a 1" spacer under the springs to kick the rear up a bit which should help with this problem a bit but if 1" is to much, we are back at the same problem.

Suggestions any one?

Thanks again for all your earlier suggestions, Mark

No suggestions on the rear spring issues... but glad to hear you went with & like the summit adjustable shocks, hard to beat the multi use ability for that price.

Aren't there any lower spring retainers available for those? I know that such things are fairly common on AWD vehicles for off-road use (can't have the car with an axle leaving the ground and the springs hanging loose). I'd be concerned about something like that, even on the road (I had an accident in 2020, where I hit a patch of black ice on I95 in Maryland and slid across the road, over the shoulder, and into the grassy median - the car left the ground twice on the uneven ground before I could get it to stop; no it's wasn't my '63, thankfully).

I never thought to look for those, project for later this morning

Wish I was here sooner
 

Hi all. I was scouting the forums and noticed you guys are doing exactly what I'm researching! I just inherited my father's 66 Catalina, it was actually his father's car also, and it's all original, literally, down to the bias ply tires. Needless to say the car is hard to drive. Lacks the "float", slippery like ice over 30mph, and you FEEL the road.

I purchased the Gabriele Classic shocks after a bit of research but hadn't found this post yet. Should I return them for the summit racing ones? This isn't a racer, it's a cruiser, and I want that big old car that glides flawlessly over the roads feeling. I'm just not a car guy to know what type of parts mean what when it comes to technical details.

Also, what kind of tires do you all recommend?
. appreciate the help!

It sounds like you got a set of shocks that will do what you need them to do. I wanted a set that gave that true road feel to the car, so they are a bit harsher,

I fixed my short spring problem with a set of cups for the rear springs from Summitt. They extended the length of the springs just enough so that they do not slip out of the upper mounts anymore and lifted the car about 1". The car has a real nice stance now.

Gabriels are ok for a pure stock car, I use them on one of my stock Firebirds and they feel pretty much like, well, stock shocks.... they have a nice smooth ride but also handle decent with the WS6 suspension. They are priced comparable to monroes and have a lifetime warranty.

The adjustable shocks are nice if you plan to do any entry level drag or road racing or just want a firmer shock that can be adjusted for your needs.

For tires, any current radial tire will provide a far better ride than bias ply, especially old ones like that... for safety reasons those should probably be changed ASAP. if you like white letter tires, the best priced/performance are Cooper cobra or Mickey Thompson S/T, many other brands and lower prices if you just want a black wall all season type tire.

Count me in the group that says spend a little more and get a Bilstein.

If your shocks are hashed, anything is going to be better. But ill say this, on my Firebird I replaced wasted stockers with cheap KYBs all around. Just to have something new. Big difference, then I replaced the fronts with Bilsteins. That was just as big of a jump from the new cheap shock to the Bilstein as the cheap shock was from wasted 50 year old units. Truly night and day in my case, and the rear of the car now feels way rougher than the front by comparison.


To contradict myself slightly, I put 67-69 rear Fbody KYB shocks in the back of my 62 wagon with some custom backyard mounting, (real 62 shocks are unobtanium) and they ride great. Maybe the wagon has a way heavier dump truck and makes the stiff shock seem soft by comparison.