About to order shocks, suggestions?

qstott

qstott

Senior Member
I'm ready to order some original equipment type shocks for my '30 Tudor. I'm leaning towards Snyder's kit. Since it's a fairly large expenditure, I'm trying to make the best decision. I only have two cores, and I don't think they are rebuildable. I also have two or three links which are pretty much shot. I've read all the post I can find, and it appears that at this time, Snyder's is the way to go.

Suggestions please.

Thanks
 
I bought Snyder's version. They have plain covers. When I called Snyder's I was told that they were fully rebuildable, and I liked that.
 

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qstott said:
How did the installation go CJ?
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Everything fit fine...I bought the full set including arms even though I had the old arms and dog-bone links...I just figured if I got it all together there was a much better chance of everything fitting...

I put them on in March, only about 400 miles so far.

Getting the tubular shock links to slip over the ball can be a bit of a challenge..the brass cup/inserts kept popping out of place...but I finally used a large vice-grip style sheet metal clamp to force the tube onto the ball while holding the brass cup in place with a long small shaft screwdriver...the first one was tough and the last one was pretty easy..


Randy
 
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Last time I heard about Bill Stipe, he was relocating his shop and semi-retiring, and was probably going to stop making the Model A shocks.

Now, this was a couple of years ago... is he still making Model A shocks ?

Frank
 
Brattons and Snyders each have shocks that do not come from the same place. They are redesigned and not exactly the same as original.

Stipes are built as the originals were built and when he first started to built them he told me that if you wanted to, original cover would fit his base (assuming that it was in excellent shape). As of a couple of months ago they were still not yet available.


All are waranteed and rebuildable (from what I understand) you just have to know where they were purchased as I'm sure not all the parts needed for a rebuild are interchangeable. Best to ask when ordering.

This is the story on how the Bratton's ones were created,

http://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1159072&postcount=12
 
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Special Coupe Frank said:
Last time I heard about Bill Stipe, he was relocating his shop and semi-retiring, and was probably going to stop making the Model A shocks.

Now, this was a couple of years ago... is he still making Model A shocks ?

Frank
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Frank, I received my shocks in Jan 2015. I heard he was going to make another run but don't know if he has.
 
forever4 said:
I would only recommend Bill Stipe shocks, which can contain the full amount of oil like original, necessary for cooling and not blowing seals. I would not buy a sealed Model A shock.

From Brattons catalog:


Their re-design is a defect, not a feature, in my OEM engineering experience from 30 years ago in automotive shock development.

Good luck.
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I,m with forever4
 
I recommend Robert Paul's (of Yoder, Colorado) rebuilt original shocks. They are affordable and work very well. My recently restored Victoria has a set of Robert Paul's shocks and the ride is fantastic. I tested them on some speed bumps in my community, and wow, the car did not go airborne.
 
I was on Bill Stipe's contact list in the event he were to make another shock production run. I was added to the list in December and I contacted them in March before ordering from Snyder's. At that time Stipe still hadn't scheduled a run...

Things change though..I found that email worked for contacting them.

stipemci@excel.net
 
Stipe shocks are out of the equation because they are not readily available.. When one has an issue with a stipe shock down the road are rebuildable parts going to be readily available or will it be a wall ornament?
 
Are Stipe's shocks re-fillable ?

I seem to remember that Ford originally filled these shocks with some sort of glycerin concoction, which wouldn't exactly be anti-corrosive...

Filled with a modern petroleum-based shock-oil, I would think that Stipe's or rebuilt OEM stand a better chance of lasting ?
 
Special Coupe Frank said:
Are Stipe's shocks re-fillable ?

I seem to remember that Ford originally filled these shocks with some sort of glycerin concoction, which wouldn't exactly be anti-corrosive...

Filled with a modern petroleum-based shock-oil, I would think that Stipe's or rebuilt OEM stand a better chance of lasting ?
Click to expand...





There seems to be some confusion about glycerin. Glycerin was stopped being used fairly early in the Model A run, I forget exactly when. Hydraulic fluid has been used for decades, Stipe uses 30 wgt if I remember the instructions correctly. I guess I should have bought 2 or 3 more sets of them.

I thought I had read that Brattons and Synders new units were built in S America somewhere and were fillable. Apparently things have changed. I have a set of the non-fillable pieces of junk from a dozen or so years ago. They are only good as wall ornaments.
 
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