Softer shock absorbers (?)

['41 Fat Bottom Girl]

Now that I have the front suspension rebuilt and things are smooooth and tight up front, I am wondering about the rear. The ride has always seemed a bit stiff with the rear suspension. Too solid.

If such a thing is available, I'd like to try softer shocks in the rear. She could use a little bounce. Am I looking at air shocks?

Thoughts?

Thanx!

[DJ194950]

Are you sure it is the shocks making the ride harsh? 

 

Remove one end of both rears  push aside and take a short ride on a rough road.

 

Could you have the springs themselves bound up, rusted tight, or other issues?

 

Could be a reasonably quick way to check this old ( also cheap) dude thinks!  ?

 

DJ

[JBNeal]

stock car drivers consider the tires as part of the suspension system, and have engineers who help with race car setup by adjusting tire pressures, dependent on track conditions, weather conditions, etc.  They usually adjust tire pressure by less than 1psi to dial in the suspension...maybe start there before ya put that buggy up on the rack.

[Dan Hiebert]

Yes, look at how many PSI you have in the tires, that may be all you need to adjust to get a better ride.  I have radials on our D24, there is a big difference between how 32, 30, and 28 PSI rides.  I keep 28 in mine for the best ride.  Depends on the weight of the car, and our cars are not as heavy as people think.  Too much PSI and they ride like an ox cart.

[Plymouthy Adams]

This guide line may help....

 

Tire Pressure Charts by Tire Size - TirePressure.com

[Sniper]

Springs are what makes a suspension stiff, not shocks.  Shocks are supposed to be capable of damping the spring.  It rides like a tank because it has a stiff rear spring. 

[DonaldSmith]

Squeaking springs

 

Years ago my springs squeaked as the flexed.  The friction may have made them stiffer. 

Apparently, original springs had a lead sheath and were greased. 

I bought liners from a speed shop and installed them.  No more squeak. 

(I also put in lowering blocks.)

 

[kencombs]

1 hour ago, Sniper said:

Springs are what makes a suspension stiff, not shocks.  Shocks are supposed to be capable of damping the spring.  It rides like a tank because it has a stiff rear spring. 

I haven't heard the term in years, but '50-50' shocks were once a thing.  If you've ever installed shocks you know that they are fairly easy to extend, much harder to compress.

 

50-50 shocks had equal resistance in both directions, so slowed the upward movement of the wheel.  And, could contribute to handling and rough ride.  Used mostly on the track.   OTOH, drag racers often used a near zero extension resistance and maximum compression.  Get the nose up and keep it up to move as much weight as possible to the rear tires.

 

I think most shocks are around 10/90.  But if some offshore vendor messes with the valving in such a way that the compression is difficult ride quality could be changed.

 

The numbers are not a measure of how much total resistance to movement they provide, but just the way that resistance is allocated to each direction.  

Worth considering when looking for shocks.

[soth122003]

I been kinda pondering the opposite. My 48 rides like a canoe on a flat lake....until I go over the falls. When the wheels drop (front or back) kachunga. Sounds and feels like the a-arms and axles are hitting metal stops. Normal road conditions are fine but rough roads and dropping of a curb (parked on the side of the house) is rough. 

 

Could this be the shocks when they extend topping out? If so I might look into the 50 50 shocks.

 

Joe Lee

[Los_Control]

19 hours ago, '41 Fat Bottom Girl said:

She could use a little bounce. Am I looking at air shocks?

That is exactly what you do not want. The purpose of air shocks is to stiffen the ride or raise the vehicle ..... Like a truck with a heavy load, the air shocks will raise the rear back up, but you will not have suspension.

 

The purpose of the shock is to dampen the bounce. ..... Remove the shocks & go for a ride .... it's fine.

When you go over bumps your springs will bounce & bounce several times before stopping ..... Just like a car with worn out shocks.

Going around corners the car will lean, quality of the shocks will determine how far it will lean & how many times it bounces after a bump.

 

So what I'm saying, take off your shocks and go for a 1 mile drive.

See if it is possible to get the ride you want. .... I'm guessing the ride will be smoother ...... A used car salesman would say "she rides like a boat"

It wont handle well on corners you will want shocks ..... A quick simple test will tell you if the shocks really are the problem.

 

Then go on RockAuto, buy the cheapest set of Hydraulic shocks they have .... You will get the ride you want with a compromise on corners when road racing.

 

I think gas shocks are geared towards performance, really stiff for cornering. 

I also think we sometimes get carried away with lets buy the best we can!  .... The more $$ you spend, the stiffer the shock you get.

 

The Hydraulic shocks are cheaper, is what these old cars came with. Again the more $$ spent, the stiffer the ride .... Hydraulic shocks have a limit though.

Gas shocks are a lot like air shocks... replace gas with air .... air shocks are adjustable.

 

 

[Sniper]

1 hour ago, kencombs said:

I haven't heard the term in years, but '50-50' shocks were once a thing.  If you've ever installed shocks you know that they are fairly easy to extend, much harder to compress.

 

50-50 shocks had equal resistance in both directions, so slowed the upward movement of the wheel.  And, could contribute to handling and rough ride.  Used mostly on the track.   OTOH, drag racers often used a near zero extension resistance and maximum compression.  Get the nose up and keep it up to move as much weight as possible to the rear tires.

 

I think most shocks are around 10/90.  But if some offshore vendor messes with the valving in such a way that the compression is difficult ride quality could be changed.

 

The numbers are not a measure of how much total resistance to movement they provide, but just the way that resistance is allocated to each direction.  

Worth considering when looking for shocks.

 

 

50/50 shocks are typically what a production car uses, equal dampening in both directions.

 

90/10 shocks are what drag racers use to keep the front end up longer, keeping weight on the rear for traction. 

 

The shock's only function is to dampen spring oscillation, nothing more.  But that dampening rate has to match the spring rate for best function.  If the shock negatively changes how the ride is felt it's the wrong choice. 

 

I put a set of much stiffer, in both directions, gas charged shock on the front of my 51 because the stock shocks were way too soft and didn't dampen as well as I wanted.  Since I chose not to do a upper shock mount relocation that was my solution to the floaty ride.

[D35 Torpedo]

12 hours ago, Sniper said:

 

I put a set of much stiffer, in both directions, gas charged shock on the front of my 51 because the stock shocks were way too soft and didn't dampen as well as I wanted.  Since I chose not to do a upper shock mount relocation that was my solution to the floaty ride.

I was thinking about doing the same. It probably works great?

[JBNeal]

On 5/14/2023 at 4:30 PM, '41 Fat Bottom Girl said:

Now that I have the front suspension rebuilt and things are smooooth and tight up front, I am wondering about the rear. The ride has always seemed a bit stiff with the rear suspension. Too solid.

If such a thing is available, I'd like to try softer shocks in the rear. She could use a little bounce. Am I looking at air shocks?

Thoughts?

Thanx!

If your rear springs are sticking together, maybe they just need some exercise.  Every year, I load the back of the old trucks with about 700# then go for a Sunday drive on the lumpiest road I can find...that extra weight and uneven paved surface really gives them rear springs a workout.  Afterwards, the trucks ride nice and smooth unladen, cuz them spring leaves are moving as designed instead of stuck together not doing much but giving me a backache

[Sniper]

16 hours ago, D35 Torpedo said:

I was thinking about doing the same. It probably works great?

 

It works better, but it's no canyon carver.

 

I have been binge watching The Rockford Files lately, those cars handle like my 51 did, lol.  Not Jim's Firebird, but the various bad guy cars.

 

 

['41 Fat Bottom Girl]

Yup, and a lot of the late 60's and 70's boats used to "float" pretty good! I remember my dad observing (I think it was some GM cars that had coils in the back?) how some would bounce around and sway.

Thanx for the input on the leaf springs, all. Going to relax them, drown them in penetrating oil and disconnect the shocks before doing some serious rear end bouncing. Make the old girl do some serious hip-hop before dousing the leaves again and hooking the shocks back up.

Sure, can't hurt. Been running 32 psi all four feet and will try reducing tire pressure a bit too.

Not a huge issue, just looking for a bit of improvement.

Trust in Rust!

[kencombs]

I used to have a tool, probably from a local parts store's specialty rack that allowed one to grease between springs.   Picture a chisel with a long taper.  It was drilled end to end, maybe a 1/16" hole.  The the striking end was plugged, looked like a quick weld bead, hammered flat.  The a hole was drilled an inch or so from the big end that went about 1/2 way through and intersected the little hole.  That hole was tapped to accept a grease zerk.  

 

In use one raised the car by the bumper (old days) or frame so the springs were unloaded.  Then drive the tool in between the leaves 2 -  4 inches from the ends and apply grease through the zerk.  I think I used it a very few times.  The only one I remember was a 57 Pontiac that rode like a wagon because of the added leaves (to make it handle better and resist spring wrap), and lowering blocks (for looks),  ll my doing.   It seemed to help.  But at the age I was then, it may have been wishful thinking.