Adjusting Snyder's repo shocks?

qstott

qstott

Senior Member
Anyone installed Snyder's repo shocks? If so, Have you adjusted them? Mine didn't really seem to make as much difference in the ride as I had suspected. I had none on the car before. The weather here is hot. I'm thinking I should make some adjustment to allow for fluid thickness.
 
I went from no shocks on a Cabriolet to a set from Bill Stipe and it was like I was driving a new car ! It was a truly amazing difference ! You should expect the same. Wayne.
 
If your springs are dry and stiff you won't notice much difference---is red dust leaking out of your springs?
 
Springs are ok. Not too dusty. Speaking of springs, I did some work on my Dad's '31 Tudor Friday and while crawling around under it, I discovered all four nuts on the rear spring u-bolts were just about to fall off. There were no cotter keys in them and they had worked loose. It's amazing what you can find, even when you are not looking.
 
When I brought my 29ccpu home it had a very stiff ride, without functioning shocks.

I lubed and replaced the front spring pack and removed and cleaned/lubed the rear pack, and removed a couple leaves.

It then had a soft and very springy ride..

I added a shock set from Snyder's and that dampened the ride as expected and also stiffened it some with the shocks set as delivered.

Since then I have loosened the adjusting pin just 1/4 turn on each shock and am satisfied with the ride.

If your springs are stiff, the shocks will only make the suspension stiffer....
 
Hi gstott,

FWIW, from past actual experiences:

In addition to #4 above ...... with a Model A driven, even occasionally .... after 80 years,

1. On the driver's side and passenger's of what was thought to be well lubricated Model A spring leaves, these leaves, (with either original spring leaves, or later installed repro leaves), all of the upper spring leaves will wear a depression down below, and a very precisely located dam at the outer end of this depression into the lower spring leaf directly below.

2. After some time, with wear, when these springs "try" to flex in shear, they move slightly until the 90 degree outer edge of the upper leaf contacts lower steel dam on the spring leaf directly below.

3. Not much different from the old adage of moving forward and immediately stopping after: "Running into a brick wall."

4. When the upper leaf contacts this abrupt lower leaf steel dam, the front and rear spring leaves no longer flex, and this Model A has absolutely "NO" springing action; similar to totally removing the front and rear springs.

5. At this point ........... just "think"! ....... How can a Model A with "NO" up and down spring movement cause a Model A shock arm to move up and down?

6. Several articles are written on how to employ a side grinder to remove the dams in the tops of the lower spring leaves and how to ease the bottom ends of upper spring leaves to "completely" fix this situation for either old springs or new Model A springs.

7. Several articles could be found under "Search" written on adjusting shocks per KR Wilson tool method described in Ford Bulletins, indicating amount of weight required, distance from weight center to shock center, and time for weight to fall at different temperatures.

8. All of the other methods thus far written for adjusting shocks by backing off the adjusting bolt 1/8, or 1/2, or 3/4, I found were about as accurate as dipping one's finger in ice water, and holding it behind a Model A engine fan in order to estimate Model A engine horse power at different RPM's.

Just hopes this can help anyone searching for information in the future.
 
Thanks for the help! So, my next project is to inspect the springs closely. I did a search and have been reading for the past 1/2 hour or so.

I am especially excited to check my horsepower. I have my A running at about 500 rpm right now, as I am preparing my ice water. :)
 
Their shocks are supposed to be filled and adjustable. I'm surprised there are no instructions. But, adjustment is easy and may well be necessary.
 
Hi gstott,

Appears important to obtain accurate resistance on shocks between the one on the Left Side & the opposite one on the right Right Side .... not all shocks perform alike with the 1/8 to 3/4 turn of adjusting bolt.

Also forgot to mention:

Accurately checking Model A engine "Torque" vs. engine fan wind speed velocity at various rpm's is performed a little differently from that of H.P.

Need to dip two (2) fingers in a glass filled with water at 117 degrees. !!!!!!!
 
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Hi gstott,

After contacting a person with an original K. R. Wilson tool indicated in the original Ford Service Bulletins, he confirmed that the K. R. Wilson Shock Absorber Tool weight indicated at the end of the arm in Ford's Bulletins:

1. Weighs exactly (3) pounds, (5.8) ounces; and,

2. The distance from the center of the KR Wilson weight indicated to the center of the shock absorber is 24-7/16".

Ford' Bulletins indicated that after raising each of the (4) shock arms, that the travel time downwards should be (15-1/2) seconds during Summer Temperatures; and (58) seconds during Winter Temperatures.

Variables may be:

A. "Where" are the Summer and Winter temperatures occurring; i.e., Detroit, MI, Mobile, AL or San Diego, CA; and/or, inside a shop or outside; and,

B. How does timing of the shock arm movement falling in seconds compare with the original glycerin fluid when compared to modern shock oil recommended today, at different temperatures, and maybe with or without recommended added STP?

At least with the KR Wilson method, all four (4) shocks can be adjusted with close to the same resistance on all (4) corners.

Amazing to witness how a tiny 1/16 turn of the shock adjustment bolt can affect the time for the weight to drop.

Amazing to witness how someone dreamed up a KR Wilson tool such as this to test uniform shock resisatnce.
 
H.L.,

That reminds me of a tool we found years ago at the Ford dealership where I work. I will have to post a picture if I can remember to take one. It was a lifter tester. It had a rod about 12" long. At the end of it was attached a heavy cylindrical chrome weight, probably about 4 or 5 pounds. The rod pivoted from a stand, and at the pivot point there was a scale with minutes on it. Near the center or the rod was a plunger that sat on top of the lifter. When you sat a primed lifter under the plunger you timed the amount of time it took for the plunger to depress the lifter. IKf it agreed with the scale the lifter was ok.
 
Hi gstott,

Even though they had so little technology to work with, many of us today never appreciate the outstanding ingenuity and accomplishments of our early 20th Century U. S. inventors.

I knew a guy who used to say, "Just imagine locking up about (30) well educated graduate engineers, in about (30) different barns, each with a separate bunch of bicycle parts and a Model T engine. The deal is, each can gain their freedom "after" they design and build a plane that can fly. How many today would be set free? "

I met quite a few engineers who could never get a kite to fly without instructions and diagrams.

In my opinion, these dependable "new" Model A's in the 1930's were almost a miracle for U. S. families.
 
Well Snyders does say, " Fully adjustable like the originals. " So break out your Model A instruction manual and follow the instructions.
 
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