modern shock upgrade

[slatgrille]

I was wondering the opinions of forum members as to which vendor has the best 'tube shock kit' to upgrade my driver RPU's suspension. I have searched through many sources; some say drilling needed or no drilling needed. Pics show different styles among suppliers too.

Mike's A-fordable, Tams, S & J, Brattons, all list the kits. Are there others I'm missing? Snyder's didn't show a listing.

Just want to get opinions before I decide. I THOUGHT about original style, but don't have any originals for a core trade nor the $$$ to do that. I intend to drive this thing for fun. To quote my cousin who gave me the project...'it's a go car, not a show car'.

Thanks for any and all opinions!

Craig

[ndnchf]

I used the Ken Davis tube shock kit on the rear. Very happy with them. Not cutting or welding required.

http://www.kendavismodela.com/Shocks.html

[Dean Lemoine]

I bought a kit from Mike’s a couple of years ago for my ‘29 Tudor. They bolted right up, no drilling and I love the way the car rides.

[steve smith]

Originally Posted by ndnchf

I used the Ken Davis tube shock kit on the rear. Very happy with them. Not cutting or welding required.

http://www.kendavismodela.com/Shocks.html

I would also recommend Ken Davis Model A air conditioning kit. It changed the way of life in an A

[ndnchf]

I forgot to mention if you get the excellent Davis rear shock kit, order these backing plat bolts and nuts.

https://www.snydersantiqueauto.com/p...d=977585&cat=0

He provides hardware store bolts, but these fit much better.

[Oldgearz]

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I recently replaced my tube shocks because they were Monroe gas filled and way too stiff for a lightweight A Coupe. Most of the retailer kits sell gas charged shocks. The oil-filled shocks I put on ride a thousand times better. Search them out on the WEB. They are EMPI oil filled for VWs (commonly used for dune buggies) in the 60's. Sorry I don't have the product number. The oil filled shocks are far better for lightweight A's......I don't know why the suppliers don't offer them in their kits.

[Synchro909]

I have just been doing some research on shock absorbers and arrived at the EMPI ones from a VW as being the ones I need, only EMPI is unknown here. Does anybody have a suggestion/
BTW, the EMPI part number I am after is 9650

[Herb Concord Ca]

Go to the EMPI website you should find a dealer in Australia.

[Hotrodfil]

I'm running these. More expensive than tube, but they work, and no exchange necessary.

https://rotoshim.com/

Arizona Model A have them in stock.

[Brentwood Bob]

Sammy Guthrie, Arizona Model A, Chandler, Az. carrys Rotoshim shocks. I saw them at his booth at Turlock.

[updraught]

https://www.justkampers.com.au/empi.html
Might be able to order EMPI ones here in OZ. However, for the price you could probably get Koni Special D which should have little to no compression and adjustable rebound.

[81ls1camaro]

I have been considering Ken Davis shocks for our Sedan, but have not pulled the trigger yet. It would be really nice to get some rotoshim or stipe shocks though, but the price for those is considerably higher. Some people report a harsh ride form tube shocks, but I wonder if they have spring sag and the shocks are bottoming on some vehicles.

[denis4x4]

I put the Ken Davis shocks on my '29 CCPU. I did drill the axle as those clamp on kits tend to shift after awhile.

[Synchro909]

Originally Posted by Herb Concord Ca

Go to the EMPI website you should find a dealer in Australia.

Thanks for that, Herb. I found a dealer but he keeps no stock and I suspect they will cost an arm and a leg. Then there's the fact that he is about 740 miles from me.
Maybe a trip to the wrecker coming up to see what I can find but I'm trying to avoid having to redo the mounts.

[slatgrille]

So, I guess the debate between gas filled vs. oil filled needs to be entered into the equation. Who has experience with them both?

If drilling required, what is the easiest? Don't want to deal with backing plates, but frame seems okay...

Thanks again all.

Craig

[grudicil]

Three years ago, I installed Bratton's no drilling required shock set on our 29 Town Sedan. They installed fairly easily, and my set came with Napa Proformer powder coated shocks. Those shocks, along with a new set of Universal tires, gave the car an excellent ride.

[Synchro909]

I have the kit that attaches the rear shocks to a bracket bolted to the back of the backing plate on one of my cars. The bracket didn't last long before it broke - hundreds of miles from home, naturally. I'll do my own in future!

[updraught]

Would the 46-47 Ford ones work?

The Pure Hotrod ones are no longer made I gather
https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showp...80&postcount=4

[slatgrille]

So, it sounds like the oil filled shocks are preferred. Are Ken Davis's shocks oil filled? Other vendors with oil filled shocks?

[Will N]

You specifically asked for opinions, so here goes: I have an issue with the use of the word "upgrade". Upgrade implies an improvement. My opinion, which you asked for, is that making a change to tubular shocks is not an improvement, it's just a change. There you have it.

[mcgarrett]

I can't justify the expense of the the original shocks for my Roadster and I currently have no shocks at all and the ride is rather bouncy, so I'm going to spring for a tube shock kit in order to "upgrade" the ride quality. I've read from several here on the Barn that the tube shocks really make a difference in smoothing out the bumps.

[Pamodelaroadster]

Snyders shock kit uses regular shocks that are not gas charged, but that kit is more expensive than the other kit mentioned. I bought and installed one of the kits with the gas charged shocks. I actually put them on the front but it was so stiff. I knew I wouldn’t like the ride so I didn’t even take it for a drive. I just ordered the kit from SNYDER’s.. by the way, people keep saying oil field versus gas, the gas shocks are still oil filled. They just have low pressure, nitrogen gas added for increase performance, less fade. We don’t need to worry about more performance out of our shocks with A’s

[CarlG]

Originally Posted by ndnchf

I used the Ken Davis tube shock kit on the rear. Very happy with them. Not cutting or welding required.

http://www.kendavismodela.com/Shocks.html

I also have the Ken Davis tube shocks, both front and rear. I also bought the bolts recommended in post #5 above. These bolts just makes a much cleaner install on the rears.

[Afordman31]

SullivansGarage.com has them on sale for $319.

[slatgrille]

I stand corrected...'change over to modern tube shocks' should be the title. Although I'd like originals, it wouldn't be worth the cost for me...a restored vehicle, definitely yes!

[Gene F]

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Originally Posted by steve smith

I would also recommend Ken Davis Model A air conditioning kit. It changed the way of life in an A

6 volt? Expensive? Hard to install? Condensor goes where?

[Herb Concord Ca]

The Ken Davis A/C requires you to convert to 12Volts Neg ground. Installation is not that hard. The Condenser mounts behind the differential, it has a cooling fan as part of its assembly. Works great, no load on the motor. I installed mine in 2010.

[Synchro909]

Originally Posted by Herb Concord Ca

The Ken Davis A/C requires you to convert to 12Volts Neg ground. Installation is not that hard. The Condenser mounts behind the differential, it has a cooling fan as part of its assembly. Works great, no load on the motor. I installed mine in 2010.

So what drives it?

[updraught]

Originally Posted by slatgrille

So, it sounds like the oil filled shocks are preferred. Are Ken Davis's shocks oil filled? Other vendors with oil filled shocks?

"As mentioned, shock absorbers are basically oil pumps. A piston is attached to the end of a piston rod and works against hydraulic fluid in the pressure tube. As the suspension travels up and down, the hydraulic fluid is forced through orifices (tiny holes) inside the piston. Because the orifices only allow a small amount of fluid through the piston, the piston is slowed which in turn slows down spring and suspension movement.Shock absorbers automatically adjust to road conditions because the faster the suspension moves, the more resistance they provide."

https://monroe.com.au/what-are-shock...bers-explained

"Shock absorbers are pump-like devices which keep your vehicle’s tyres in contact with the road surface by controlling the rebound of its suspension springs. As long as your vehicle’s tyres remain in contact with the road, steering, road handling and braking response will be optimal, helping to keep you safe."

So how hard the shock is depends on the size of the hole the oil is being forced thru by movement of the piston in the shock absorber. The gas just stops thee oil foaming.

[Kurt in NJ]

The original tube shocks that Ford started using about 1948 were single action, the damping was on the rebound stroke .

[mcgarrett]

Synchro909
A/C compressor IS engine driven by single belt; has special mounting bracket situated near the alternator. Friend of mine has one - very tidy setup and works well. No problems with additional heat being sent thru the radiator (and into the engine compartment) since electric cooling fans pull air thru the condenser mounted behind the rear axle.

[Herb Concord Ca]

Synchro909, maybe what I should have said is no noticeable drag on the motor. Even waiting for a red traffic light.

[dansluck]

I use shocks from Ken Davis, both front and back. I drive 2 miles of dirt road to get to county road and they work great.

[alexiskai]

The shocks that Ken Davis uses are nothing special – when I ordered my kit, one of the shocks was DOA, so Ken directed me to a local O'Reilly's for a free warranty replacement. Ken's kits work better because he's figured out which shock specs work best with which body styles, so you get a set that's specifically designed for your car.

[updraught]

>>Ken's kits work better because he's figured out which shock specs work best


Yep, it's all down to the valving which is adjustable on the original shocks.

You can buy 30 shocks and try them, or pay someone who has done the hard work.

[slatgrille]

I'd like to order online. Does Ken Davis's website have a link to order, or is it by phone only?

[The Master Cylinder]

Originally Posted by slatgrille

I'd like to order online. Does Ken Davis's website have a link to order, or is it by phone only?

Check his website?

[Chris Haynes]

I am using Armstrong shocks on my '30 Tudor. Here is a link to an article about them. https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/Discus...49203_ds791939

[slatgrille]

Should have clarified Master Cylinder...I did check the site but didn't see anything so was wondering IF there was something I was missing. How did those of you with his kits order them?

[ndnchf]

If I remember correctly, I just called and talked to him. Then sent a check.

http://www.kendavismodela.com/contact.html

[slatgrille]

What about friction shocks? They could replace the original, but are they good enough? I see them for sale in several places, as well as pics of them on modified A's such as speedsters....

[alexiskai]

Originally Posted by slatgrille

What about friction shocks? They could replace the original, but are they good enough? I see them for sale in several places, as well as pics of them on modified A's such as speedsters....

Thread on friction shocks:
https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=95966

Consensus seems to be that they are better than no shocks and better than tube shocks that are the wrong resistance for the car's weight, but worse than proper tube shocks or hydraulic shocks. Many folks report needing to modify the mount point so that the shocks line up correctly.

[Terry, NJ]

I decided I could make my own shock brackets from 1/4" thickness angle iron. I could and I did. However, I did have to drill a 1/2 inch hole in the frame. My idea for the lower rear shock was very similar to the Ken Davis part. But Before i went forward with any of this, I had to establish what shock I was going to use. I crawled underneath with a tape measure and measured the distance where the shock had to fit. The shock I chose was a Monroe Gas-matic.#59017 I was glad to find out that the pair cost only a little more than $50. Now? I'm sure they are a little more. IIRC These were for a mid-fifties Buick sedan. They tended to ride a little hard. If you are still looking, you might want find a softer shock with similar dimensions. Good Luck!
Terry

[WHN]

If you want your car to drive and run correctly. Wait and go with as stock shocks.

Future buyer will be impressed. It’s a great selling point.

Enjoy

[slatgrille]

Hopefully the future owner will be my son who is currently 11 years old. To close this thread, I decided to go with the Ken Davis kit. Sent him the check and just waiting for it to arrive!

Thanks all for the input.

Craig

[ndnchf]

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Originally Posted by slatgrille

Hopefully the future owner will be my son who is currently 11 years old. To close this thread, I decided to go with the Ken Davis kit. Sent him the check and just waiting for it to arrive!

Thanks all for the input.

Craig

Good choice. I'm very happy with my Ken Davis shocks. Be sure to order these and the matching nuts for the rear backing plate mounts.

https://www.snydersantiqueauto.com/p...d=977585&cat=0

[CarlG]

Originally Posted by ndnchf

Good choice. I'm very happy with my Ken Davis shocks. Be sure to order these and the matching nuts for the rear backing plate mounts.

https://www.snydersantiqueauto.com/p...d=977585&cat=0

Times Two!