KR Wilson Shock Tester

Diastole

Diastole

Senior Member
Good-Day all,
I’m looking to test my original Houdaille Shocks
I understand that KR Wilson had a test apparatus
I have searched high and low and even talked to my friend Larry Shepard, who said he has looked for 25 years for this exact same item all in vain

Does anyone have a picture or know the whereabouts of one of these testing apparatus?

I feel if I could find a picture or someone that’s used one. I could reverse engineer it and create for my club. No one in my club has one.
Many people have asked to borrow whatever I can create.

Thanks in advance for all the help

Diastole in the Smokies
 
The KRWilson Catalog reprints show the device.

Red print on a tan background: KRW Service Station Equipment for Ford Dealers.

The reprint I have is published by Winfield Tool Works 437 West Broadway Port Jefferson NY. The bench and devices (2 actually) are shown beginning on page 80.

Snyder's seems to not carry the book. Google AI indicates the book is "widely available." It can be seen less conveniently at the Internet Archive at https://archive.org/details/kr-wilson-ford-service-station-equipment-1931-32

I see something similar on Ebay for $60.


Joe K
 
This topic has been discussed once or twice here before and the issue is no one seem to have one to measure the length of the arm, nor did anyone know the weight or the measured time it was to take to sweep the arc. Did you search the archives here for any of those discussions?
 
Gentleman, thank you for the quick reply and all the wonderful help
That information covered exactly what I needed and was looking for
Once again, Ford barn is the best and I really appreciate all the help I’ve received today and in the past


Thanks again
 
I have the base for mounting the test arm. Still searching for the test arm, and weight. Tooling i have includes the disassembly base, and disassembly tool.
Any leads would be appreciated.
 
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A test arm was donated to the Gilmore last fall. Came from a collection out of the western part of va.
 
Sent to me via PM.

KR Wilson Hoo-Dye [sic] Shock Testing Apparatus measurements from Tim Wilson:
1) Counterweight on the end of this 1931 K. R. Wilson tool is exactly three (3) pounds and 5.80 ounces, or 53.80 ounces, including the set screw.

2) Arm Weights: The bracket that attaches to the shock weighs 1 lb exactly, including the nut, bolt, and washer. The Z-bent lever arm weighs 1 lb 15.8 ounces.

3) The distance from the center of the square shock lug to the center of the weight is exactly 26-1/2", which determines the foot-pounds of torque provided with the weight on this K.R. Wilson tool.

4) The weight is supposed to travel 23 degrees downward in 15.5 seconds in summer temperatures & travel 23 degrees downward in 58 seconds in winter temperatures. The bench tester should measure about 1/2 of the total arc of the shock.

5) Arm geometry: The Z-bent arm was intended to be used while the instrument was still attached to the chassis. For bench testing, a straight arm is used. The measurements of the three sections of the Z-bent arm are:
a) Point A to Point B at 180 degrees horizontal = 8"; i.e., in the center of the tool's arm, (moving towards the left), from center of shock lug to tool center of the first joint.
b) Point B to Point C, (dropping down & again towards the left), at 120 degrees from the 180 degree horizontal = 11": i.e., measured in the center of the tool's arm, from Point B to the tool's center of the second joint's Point C.
c) Point C to Point D traveling 4 degrees downward & towards the left from the horizontal of 180 degrees, i.e., traveling downwards & left at 184 degrees, measuring from the center of the tool's turning point C to Point D located on the far "end" of the arm of the tool should be set up so that the center of the counter weight is 26 1/2" from the center of the square lug of the shock.
d) bench testing straight arm: the center of the counter weight is 26 1/2" from the center of the square shock lug.

Once again, thanks to all who helped here. It is apparent from all the PM's I received that asking this question anew is helpful. Sorry if my starting a new thread was irritating and off-putting to some.

Diastole
 
My interpretation— piece of broken rear shock arm — 2 pieces of squashed angle iron with spacers welded and hammered to fit shock arm piece for the socket.
The 2 pieces of 1\2” square brazed together was handy material and turned out to be too heavy so it was machined thinner in the center area.
 

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Working off that description gives a torque value of roughly 10 ft-lbs, +/- 0.5 ft-lbs. Can't be more precise without knowing the distance from the square lug to the center of gravity of the tool assembly rather than the distance to the counterweight.
 
Paul Shinn video taped my seminar at the MAFCA national meet in Pendleton, OR on how to create an accurate DIY shock tester. This was based on my many years of testing with the original KR Wilson bench tester.

I have worked out the precise torque-value math and correlated it to useable, soft-to-firm settings (from seconds-drop resistance data), compared with a KR Wilson tool. Please note that temperature at testing is very sensitive to the change in resistance.

My DIY shock tester provides an very accurate way to equalize shock absorber resistance settings. I am sure that Paul Shinn will make this video available in the near future.

And yes Bob, this is much better than a Crescent wrench!
 
Have spoken via telephone with John Holland in Ohio. He has retired from rebuilding shocks, but has offered to answer questions and help me.
SUPER GREAT GUY!
He says, "Hey, keep this alive. If ya'll do not keep talking about these shocks, they will be abandoned. Keep up the conversation. Houdialle Shocks are complicated. The Supply houses will soon stop rebuilding them. It will revert back to the owners. I will help you. Call anytime."
 
I bought a shock at Hershey that had no wear and all the clearances are between.001 and .002 and I made a copy of the test arm
the 85-140 has a lower viscosity than the “ check shock” oil ,actually I started with much thinner oil # 46 hydraulic oil and worked my way up.
Then I found the can of the check shock oil and that viscosity made the shock meet the time in the service bulletins with the needle valve opening at the settings suggested in the service bulletins.
Adding about 10% Shell omala 680 ( similar to 600w in viscosity) to the 85-140 made it the same viscosity as the check shock oil and made the shock function make the service bulletins specification.

Then I was studying silicon oil for a Mercedes fan clutch I was rebuilding and in researching it said that silicon oil is more viscosity stable at wider temperature ranges so I will experiment with that next .
 

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