Model A Roadster Shocks

Karl Wolf

Karl Wolf

Well-known member
The way that the A Roadster rides is a bit harsh, to say the least...
I spent yesterday taking a close look at the whole front suspension.
I came to the conclusion that the front shocks are the principal problem.

They were the simplest, cheapest I could get. And they looked like I wanted them to.
The application and mounting features on the car are 1948 Ford. (tube shocks)
mounting on 1/2" studs, range of travel- 12" to 19", an improvement would be 10" to 16"-17"

I drove the car around some familiar roads, it rides great with no shocks at all. For appearance and convention, I would like to find some shocks
They were the simplest, cheapest I could get. And they looked like wanted.
The application and mounting features on the car are 1948 Ford. (tube shocks)

Conclusion- I'm looking for non gas shocks- very mild in terms of dampening... With the mounting features above.

Thanks, Karl
 
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Karl Wolf said:
Yes, that is what it's going on... I like the lever shocks, also, but I'm set up for tube shocks. I would like to stay with that.

Karl
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Karl, I used the rear shocks from a 1964 corvette, on the front of my roadster. They are just the standard replacement shock, an bolt to early ford mounts.
 
Hi Karl
I think the best approach is to check the total travel, then look thru (online) the various Mfgs to find the size suitable, ALONG with the appropriate weight of the front end of your car. Fairly light, I'm guessing.
If you ever decide to return to lever shocks, I recommend the Armstrong/Lovejoy type used on the rear of MGBs. I have them on the front of my 32 and like them a lot
 
You talk about a shock travel of 10 to 16 inches. While a shock with that much travel will work, that is way too long physically. Your suspension might have plus and minus 4 inches if you are lucky. Most have less due to old springs.
Getting the right shocks for a given car is not just picking something that "looks" good.
A good and fairly cheap place to get shocks is Ebay. Look for USED sprint car or midget shocks. The race teams usually discard them after so many races and they will run on the street at least 30K miles after that...The 7 inch size will work good on an A roadster. You will need to educate yourself on how they are rated but it is very simple. They come in many different compression and rebound rates. Stay in the lower ranges from one to three. (soft)
A 50/50 ratio is good for the street.
If you watch closely, these can be had for 10 to 30 bucks.
These types of shocks also come in adjustable but usually cost more .
Another thing, they all mount, BODY UP. The reason for this is it reduces unsprung weight which is good.
 
The common shock used on Models A and other Fords replacing the Houdaille, is the Gabriel @ 9.5" to 14.5". The part numbers vary depending whether they are plated or not but all seem to have the same long sequence,610834. The current production is now Canadian. Not as harsh as a gas shock. I usually buy them if cheap and not chrome. I have some others that are extinct USA brands just for the old time flavor. Good Luck: Fred A
 
Ed Pitts said:
Karl, I use a Monroe 31176 on the front of my 1928 Coupe. (77 Dodge Monaco)
http://www.amazon.com/Monroe-31176-Monro-Matic-Shock-Absorber/dp/B000JWOBGI?tag=atomicindus08-20

On the rear, I use a Monroe 5826 (74 Ford Pinto Wagon)

http://www.amazon.com/Monroe-5826-Sensa-Trac-Passenger-Absorber/dp/B000C59M3Y?tag=atomicindus08-20

These shocks work very well. Ed
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Got pix on how you mount these? They have threaded "studs" sticking out the ends- not the rings like most "hot rod" shocks have.
Thanks!
 
Pete, the threaded studs make it easy to mount both front and rear. Ed
 

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Ed: Thanks for the photos. I can probably figure out the lower front mount and the rears.
 
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