Thread: Coil over replacement

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I have pulled out the coil over shocks from my coupe and have begun to search for replacements. It's become dizzying at the amount of information needed and thrown at you when searching.

For those that have gone through this before. Any suggestions on who you liked or disliked when you were looking? I thought I might save myself some frustrations and ask for some experienced opinions. TIA.

Also, it looks like my old ones could be disassembled and rebuilt. Do you know of anyone offering that service?

Many of the shocks can be rebuilt. Real good man at Speedway Motors we have do our racing shocks, now that it's the off season he would probably have time to do yours, too. I like AFCO's, so many good choices on shock valving with theirs. Bilstien shocks are good, too. With them you pick out the shock you want, then buy the coilover kit to fit the shocks. Getting them right makes a huge difference in ride quality and handling...

Yeah and I was just thinking that my old units don't have any adjustment(s) built in.. so there's a vote for going new! Thanks for the input Dave!

I like my QA1's. Get the double adjustable. They also have many springs to choose from for optimal suspension tuning.

Keith

Originally Posted by blwn31

I like my QA1's. Get the double adjustable. They also have many springs to choose from for optimal suspension tuning.

Keith

Hey, thanks for the response! I have decided to get new shocks with adjustments as part of the package. The old ones didn't have that.

I want to keep my current springs as the ride is good and they are all the same size! Since I realized I wanted to replace the shocks I've been looking at some friends cars and I see small differences in their adjustments to keep the car level. It seems that a lot of the new springs don't match up to each other or the quality isn't there or maybe something I'm not thinking of!

I was looking through Summit and the choices from QA1 are staggering! I want to check out a couple more places before making a decision tho'..

Mike - Dave S' info on Speedway is right on. Summit, while I buy lots from them, IMHO, caters more to the later models and 1/4 mile straight line crowd.

There are a several on-line formulas, but way beyond what you need for a hobby car.

The AFCO charts are right on, either their web site or Speedway. As far as length, coil free height and wire diameter, total diameter, etc., those for your car are pretty cut and dried. You most likely have a 10" x2.625id and somewhere in the 200 in lb rears at 10/15 degree inclination, which puts them at about 180 in lb effective. The fronts - same size, but probably 325 in lb, with a final rating at that 10-15 degrees of ~300.




This was a project I did last winter, both front and rear

You might check out the new shocks from Ridetech. I spoke to one of their guys at GoodGuys Des Moines in July, and I like their shocks features. They are also U.S. made in Indiana. I run Aldan Eagles on my '32, and I have no serious issues with them, but these new shocks are supposed to smooth-out the typical choppy ride associated with small coupes. I would seriously consider them as replacements down the line.

StreetRod Suspension :: Universal Coilovers - RideTech.com - Air Suspension Specialist

Thanks Dave! Wow, those look like jewelry! If I remember right you had a thread regarding your coil over search also... I'll have to go see if I can find it.

Rumrumm, thanks for the link, I'll be checking it out too! 8-)

I thought I'd share with you all some more of this topic. I contacted 5 vendors / manufacturers tech centers and asked for help & guidance and shared with them all the following information. I found it curious that only one (speedway) asked for an angle and an installed height and the application. All the others only wanted the extended & collapsed measurements! So the following is what was sent to the companys e-mail.

That's great cause I do need some help! The shocks came out of my 34 ford, glass bodied coupe

I don't have an angle as I already have the shocks out but I could probably come up with a number if we must. The same with the "mounted" position... but here's what info I do have...

I'll start with the fronts.
Extended = 13" mount bolt center to mount bolt center, Collapsed = 10" same Center to center
Stroke appears to be 3.750" hard to be accurate as it has a rubber snubber bushing in the con rod.
!/2" bearing mounts top and bottom, spring I.D. = 2.5" , and the spring is 10.5" long.

The rears
Extended = 14.75" center of mount bolt to center of mount bolt., Collapsed = 9 7/8" the same center : center.
4.5" stroke, 5/8" poly bushing mounts top & bottom.
Spring ID = 2.5" ID and 10.75" long.

It's an old total performance frame from CT. Kugal IFS front and Currie 9" rear.

Thanks for the help and I look forward to hearing from you!

Well, I thought I'd share the experience as someone may find it beneficial and I know it's a learning experience for me!

I bought Bilstein coilovers and front shocks for My '32 Coupe and I feel that they are an awesome product.
The Guy I spoke to at RCD asked Me about angle and spring rate so I felt really confident in His opinions.
Good luck with Your new shocks and let Us know what You ended up buying.

I / We ended our selections with a QA-1 product, I just got home from working in Long Island so I haven't even opened the box! I felt they gave the most adjustment(s) and selections for the price. I originally was leaning towards Bilstiens or Afco's based on other use and opinions. Maybe I can get them in this weekend unless the wife has something else for my schedule.... 8-)

Thanks for the reply too!

I know how it goes with the "Wife schedules"!!!!

Originally Posted by 34_40

Since I realized I wanted to replace the shocks I've been looking at some friends cars and I see small differences in their adjustments to keep the car level. It seems that a lot of the new springs don't match up to each other or the quality isn't there or maybe something I'm not thinking of!

Have you thought about the possibility of the car weighing differently at each corner, requiring a different adjustment.

Mike

Mike,
When you say "..small differences in adjustments..." you mean the spanner nut on the bottom of the shock tube that pre-loads the spring, right? It's not unusual for springs to "wear in" a little differently based on both static & dynamic loads over time, and that's the beauty of the spanner nut adjustment to account for those small differences over time. I would hope that new springs would be pretty close to the same though.

Back in my Navy days we had a sand crab (civilian working on base) fuel truck driver that must have weighed 400#. Saw him driving in an old '56 Chevy beater one day, and it must have been 2" to 3" lower on the drivers side running down the road, but then he pulled into a parking lot, got out and it still sat 2" to 3" lower!!

Mike - hopefully not casting sand on your fresh paint job.

I had to send a pair of QA1 springs back to Speedway. The chrome was peeling, neither were correctly flat ground for fit at either end nor were they even same height - missed by over a half inch. Possibly I had a crappy unmatched pair, but do take a good look before you install them.