I am in the process of installing a set of KYB front shocks in my 63 Valiant. I have removed one.

I am curious about the top bushing. The one on my car appears to be a one piece (top and bottom) and has a metal sleeve in it. The ones that came with the KYB shocks are two piece. One for the top of the fender and one for the underside in the wheel well. These are sandwiched between two large washers like the original ones.

Should I leave the old bushing with the metal sleeve in? Or does it matter? I am thinking that it would be best to cut the old ones out and use the ones that came with the shocks. But then, do I need that metal sleeve?

Any opinions would be appreciated. I will continue the swap tomorrow.

Thanks,

John

I just used the supplied rubber bushings with a washer under the bolt and double nutted it, as my vintage roadmaster did not have a steel bushing.

Of course after installing the rubber bushings, found the poly ones I bought and stashed away 10 years ago!

The factory bushings with the metal sleeve are probably a slightly better design, but they are probably pretty mushy and the later 2-piece ones are fine too. Unless those originals look very good, just cut them out and use the KYB bushings - no sleeve required. I have these on both my Darts and have had no troubles and excellent handling.

Lou

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Home of Slant6-powered fun machines since 1988

I installed them last night. I used the bushings supplied with the shocks. I must say it made a huge improvement in the handling. The shocks I replaced basically were shot.

John

That's great!

I found when I bought my '68 Dart from my parents in 1988 that the biggest handling improvements were good gas shocks and wide 14" tires, followed by a front sway bar.

Lou

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Home of Slant6-powered fun machines since 1988

Lou, your comments seem right on target. I'd love to know more about your experience with KYB shocks. Following is an excerpt of a letter posted to our EarlyValiant/EarlyCuda mailing list about a year ago, by a member who races Autocross. I'm VERY impressed that this guy can drive a car around a course once, and describe exactly how to dial in the suspension for "neutral" handling. (Sure, I can tune most of a drivetrain by listening, but when it comes to suspension, I'm not very experienced.) Anyway, here is his viewpoint:
At the same time I post this, I'm sending him a letter to confirm that perhaps these shocks would be effective if they were trying to control nothing "beyond the stock springs". All I'm looking for is a smooth ride on various kinds of road surfaces, and a predictable amount of control on cloverleaf entrance ramps (or a sudden swerve to dodge road hazards.) I have no idea if I want stiffer compression damping, stiffer rebound damping, or what. I'm not even sure how I would roadtest a shock, to find out. But I do know that the description of "buckboard stiff and boingy" is NOT what I'm looking for.

At the moment, the suspension is stock 6-cyl, no sway bars, (and the old dead shocks are nearly totally ineffective, so it's time to do something.) Ultimately, I'd like to add a front sway bar at the very least, and perhaps a rear to keep it balanced. I *might* increase to a slightly stiffer spring, maybe from a 6-cyl to V8 level, but I don't plan to go more than that because I enjoy the marshmallow-sprung cruising comfort I've got now.

Can you (or anyone) elaborate more on your experience with different types of shocks on different A-body applications, and your impressions of ride quality vs. handling for what you've tried?

Thanks!

- Erik

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Lots of early Valiants and Barracudas have crossed my path.
Also a handful of other toys for variety now and then.

My impression of the KYB's on a car with near-stock springs is that they don't really feel unduly harsh. My Dart's suspension has KYB Gas-A-Justs, 0.870" torsion bars, an Addco front sway bar, Energy Suspension bushings, and 5-leaf (stock HD) rear springs. It doesn't seem to ride any harsher than stock - if there is anything I don't like about this package, it's that the mounting tabs for the sway bar hang down too low.

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"Mad Scientist" Matt Cramer
'66 Dart - turbocharged 225
My blog - Mad Scientist Matt's Lair

Erik,

I admit I've only had experience with KYBs and various Monroe and Gabriel gas shocks, and the KYBs gave better handling and transient response with a little reduction in ride quality, but not much.

I may check out these Spax shocks, and I didn't know they made units for A-bodies.

Based on your comments, I would say you should get a 1" or 1 1/8" front sway bar and no rear sway bar. Make sure your rear springs are at least up to stock stiffness, and get KYBs all around. This will transform your car's handling, but shouldn't hurt ride quality much. Also, if you're still running 13s, get some wider 14s or 15s (215s maybe) and that will make a huge difference in handling.

Addco sway bars have really crappy mounts, but I've heard Quickor and PST bars have much better mounts. I have a Quickor on the way for my '66 V100 ("Project V"), so I'll know about that soon enough.

Lou
Lou

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Home of Slant6-powered fun machines since 1988

I converted to the Quickor brackets a year ago. I haven't thought about it since. I think the Brackets were cheap. I did have to "Tweak" them a bit in a vice to get them aligned just right. I haven't touched them since. They really helped. I used to prang them on anything. Driveways, Parking stops, curbs. The brackets tucked the bar up about as far a they can go.

With the Quickor Bracket
http://homepage.mac.com/mandreas/MyVehi ... bum30.html

My old ADDCO brackets and a picture of Dart270's welded mounts
http://homepage.mac.com/mandreas/Front%20Swaybar.html

Mike

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1965 Valiant 200 /6 2dr Sedan.
1965 Valiant 200 V8 4dr Wagon
1965 Barracuda /6
1965 Valiant Convertible V8