Larry:
I was talking to Lawrie yesterday about this subject.
These are my 2 pennies worth.
1. The original shocks work pretty durn good for most street use.
2. Tube shocks are easy to fit on the rear, and locate the axle just a wee
bit better than the shock links. I don't recomend front conversions, as in
most cases there are too many drawbacks (such as bolts loosening, old shock
clunking etc)
3. If you are going to take off the original shocks, install adjustable
tube shocks so you can play with them till they are right.
4. Most people that install tube shocks do so because they are cheaper than
replacing the originals. They install non-adjustable shocks which are too
stiff and end up with a car that rides like a buckboard. But it was
cheaper, and race cars are stiff too, right...
(now I'm starting to talk like Ed)
5. Don't over dampen your suspension. When you hit a bump, the suspension
is SUPPOSED to move!
6. On the rear conversion I'm not comfy with the single bolt upper mount
design which many are using and is documented on the web. Lawrie and I
disagree on this. The mounts I made used commercially available shock mount
studs (available at any US parts stores). These are made in the right
material and with the correct hardware and mounting shoulder for shock use.
They will bolt into the reversed lower spring plate, and weld into a
fabricated upper mounting plate held in place by both original shock mount
bolts.
7. From experience, the Spax kits are the best fully fabricated kits on the
market. I have not used the new front kit, but it was re-designed to fit
under the front shock rather than on top. The top mount kits tended to have
problems with the overlong bolts coming loose.
You can tell I like the Spax, as I pushed to have Moss carry the full line,
something about being able to adjust them with a screwdriver. I've been
using them for years and have been very satisfied. Don't ask me about
trying to adjust the Konis I had on the rear of my race car.
I'm also pursuing bringing in the Ron Hopkinson Front and rear shock kits,
but supply on those is problematic and the front does require modification
of the cross member.
hope this helps
Kelvin.
>
>
> What experience do folks have with tube shock conversions? Are there
> any kits that work especially well? Will these kits work with higher
> end shocks like konis?
>
> Larry
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