The Ford Barn

bullrunmotor · 07-10-2020, 01:34 PM

Wanting to replace FRONT shocks on my 56 4 dr. All suppliers want to sell me shocks that have threaded shafts on BOTH ends. My old shocks clearly used a threaded shaft at top BUT have a round collar/barrel in which a sleeve slides through allowing 2 bolts to anchor down the bottom of the shock, Does anyone have a reference number for these shocks? I worked with a NAPA guy today who showed me all in their application and all have 2 threaded shaft ends. I think in 57 the arrangements used the round collar/barrel arrangement at the bottom. Thanks in advance.

Daves55Sedan · 07-10-2020, 03:58 PM

The original 55/56 Ford car front shocks DID have threaded shafts at top and bottom. Fomoco had a two-hole mount bracket for the bottom A-frame suspension arm, requiring another set of rubber bushings, washers and nut.
Several decades ago, some of the shock vendors started selling a replacement shock that had a short piece of pipe welded to the bottom of the shock rather than have the threaded stud. There was a rubber bushing and a thick round bar with flattened ends with holes at the ends for mounting to the A-frame.
I don't think anybody sells that type of shock anymore for the 55/56 applications, but if you can't get them from a chain auto parts store, you will need to buy the OEM type with the top and bottom studs and get the original Fomoco brackets that mount on the bottom of the A-frames someplace.

orangedog · 07-10-2020, 05:36 PM

I just replaced front and rear on my 54 customline, my fronts are as you described. I got mine from NAPA. I had the same issue the fronts showed studs on both ends. Then the parts guy looked at the mainline front, it was just what I needed. I had to buy the fronts for the mainline and rears for the customline to get the NAPA line shock. A big improvement in my ride, my fronts were completely gone, no recoil at all.

dmsfrr · 07-10-2020, 05:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Daves55Sedan

The original 55/56 Ford car front shocks DID have threaded shafts at top and bottom. Fomoco had a two-hole mount bracket for the bottom A-frame suspension arm, requiring another set of rubber bushings, washers and nut.
Several decades ago, some of the shock vendors started selling a replacement shock that had a short piece of pipe welded to the bottom of the shock rather than have the threaded stud. There was a rubber bushing and a thick round bar with flattened ends with holes at the ends for mounting to the A-frame.
I don't think anybody sells that type of shock anymore for the 55/56 applications, but if you can't get them from a chain auto parts store, you will need to buy the OEM type with the top and bottom studs and get the original Fomoco brackets that mount on the bottom of the A-frames someplace.

The shock lower bracket might look like this one???
You should be able to find them at a better price than this...

https://www.classictbird.com/Bracket...uctinfo/18072/
.

Daves55Sedan · 07-11-2020, 08:52 PM

dmsfrr, yes that is the correct original Fomoco bracket for the front shocks. Some of the resto parts suppliers used to offer it new, but I haven't seen it in their catalogs lately so I guess it has been discontinued for now.
If you go with the OEM style shocks with the threaded stud on the bottom, you will absolutely need those original style brackets for the shock bottom mount.

dmsfrr · 07-11-2020, 10:47 PM

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Daves55Sedan

dmsfrr, yes that is the correct original Fomoco bracket for the front shocks. Some of the resto parts suppliers used to offer it new, but I haven't seen it in their catalogs lately so I guess it has been discontinued for now.
...

The lower shock mount photo and classictbird(dot)com link to it in post 4 is a good current link. Just pricey.

07-10-2020, 01:34 PM	#1
bullrunmotor Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Virginia Posts: 210	Shock id help for my 56 ford fairlane Wanting to replace FRONT shocks on my 56 4 dr. All suppliers want to sell me shocks that have threaded shafts on BOTH ends. My old shocks clearly used a threaded shaft at top BUT have a round collar/barrel in which a sleeve slides through allowing 2 bolts to anchor down the bottom of the shock, Does anyone have a reference number for these shocks? I worked with a NAPA guy today who showed me all in their application and all have 2 threaded shaft ends. I think in 57 the arrangements used the round collar/barrel arrangement at the bottom. Thanks in advance.

07-10-2020, 03:58 PM	#2
Daves55Sedan Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Granite City, Illinois Posts: 3,008	Re: Shock id help for my 56 ford fairlane The original 55/56 Ford car front shocks DID have threaded shafts at top and bottom. Fomoco had a two-hole mount bracket for the bottom A-frame suspension arm, requiring another set of rubber bushings, washers and nut. Several decades ago, some of the shock vendors started selling a replacement shock that had a short piece of pipe welded to the bottom of the shock rather than have the threaded stud. There was a rubber bushing and a thick round bar with flattened ends with holes at the ends for mounting to the A-frame. I don't think anybody sells that type of shock anymore for the 55/56 applications, but if you can't get them from a chain auto parts store, you will need to buy the OEM type with the top and bottom studs and get the original Fomoco brackets that mount on the bottom of the A-frames someplace.

07-10-2020, 05:36 PM	#3
orangedog Junior Member Join Date: May 2020 Location: Tallahassee Fl Posts: 13	Re: Shock id help for my 56 ford fairlane I just replaced front and rear on my 54 customline, my fronts are as you described. I got mine from NAPA. I had the same issue the fronts showed studs on both ends. Then the parts guy looked at the mainline front, it was just what I needed. I had to buy the fronts for the mainline and rears for the customline to get the NAPA line shock. A big improvement in my ride, my fronts were completely gone, no recoil at all.

07-11-2020, 08:52 PM	#5
Daves55Sedan Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Granite City, Illinois Posts: 3,008	Re: Shock id help for my 56 ford fairlane dmsfrr, yes that is the correct original Fomoco bracket for the front shocks. Some of the resto parts suppliers used to offer it new, but I haven't seen it in their catalogs lately so I guess it has been discontinued for now. If you go with the OEM style shocks with the threaded stud on the bottom, you will absolutely need those original style brackets for the shock bottom mount.