Tube Shocks vs. Lever Arms? Gonna Fix 'em - Which Way to Go?

Last summer I replaced the rear suspension on my '73 roadster, with the exception of the shocks. The car currently has a decent tube shock conversion that was installed by a PO, the shocks themselves are still in decent shape, and the ride - as delivered from the back-end - is nothing to complain about.

Here's the deal: The front suspension is pretty much shot, and I'm getting ready to completely redo it. This will include new shocks. Since I'm replacing the front shocks, and since I really don't know how many miles are on the tubies, I plan on replacing those at the same time. (Might as well.... ;) .)

Now I find myself wondering which way to go: Just replace the tubes and leave well enough alone, or retrofit the rear end to use lever-arm shocks. I know there are different opinions on this :devil: , but have any of you with tube shocks ever gone back to lever arms? If so, which did you actually prefer and why?

rick,

my opinion

leave the rears alone. Assuming they pass the bounce test. if they don't, it would save you $ to pull the number off what you have and visit NAPA for replacements. replacements should be in the 25-30% cost range compared to "new" armstrongs. (i.e. $20-25 instead of 100--incl UPS tax)

replace the fronts. contact peter caldwell (worldwide imports) in Wisc for the quality rebuild. Peter C on the board.

I have tubes on the back of the roadster, special "bump-stopless" KYBs, but I do not believe I would go that way again. On the other hand I do like the composite leafs if only as a reduction in unsprung weight. I think Doug Jackson has passed the composite springs on to someone else...I can inquire if interested (they were not cheap! look on the mgcc site in the UK, i think they peddle the same pieces)

how's going? short timer? new house? boat?<G>

Stay with the lever arm. Just keep them filled and they'll work just fine.

Never felt the tubes were needed in a stock B. Lever arms work just fine when maintained.

Hey, Mac!

Yeah, I plan on getting the new shocks from the good folks in Wisconsin. I haven't sent him a check or placed an order yet, but I'm likely getting most of the rest of the front-end stuff from Wade Keene. I've got some time to play with - on Thursday I had surgery for a herniated disk, so ordering stuff is as close as I'll be getting to work on the car for a few weeks. :( I don't have any complaints about the back end right now, but this seems like the time to be asking the question.

The boat may have to go, BTW.... The Missus gave the thumbs-up to a GT V6 conversion, but I can't have too many active money sinks. And since the rust in the roadster isn't all that bad (yet), I have time to play with it and make sure it's totally road-worthy. The front suspension is the last of the necessary work. There'll be time to fix the body bits later on.

when I rebuilt my uprights, I bought the parts kit from (the late) Skip Kelsey and borrowed his reamer (which he made available to those who bought the parts from him).

He told me he had never seen a pre-set kit that was reamed and set up right. He had a PA sedan and a GT, wonderful cars. And a wife that loved them almost as much as she loved him.

pretty good fellow. retired from the Navy (most years in reserve, but flew PBYs in S&R), Oakland PD, and something else I can't remember. He "caught" Lou Gherig's Disease, and it was terrible to visit and see him so afflicted. The mind works fine but the accessories don't answer. He was really unhappy at it. I remember him very well, and I guess that is about as close as it gets to immortality.

anyway..

I found the bushes to be well undersize (good..so they can be sized right) and it took the rattle gun to get the reamer thru on pass one. Pass two was oiled up real messy and run thru with a 1/2" ratchet. stuff fit nice after that.

I did find that the thrust washers that came in the kit would not take me to spec, so I used those in the old setup. There's a float spec, so mixing pieces I could get to it.

I do wish I'd modded the distance tube on the bottom piece with the circumferential groove right at the lube fitting (helps draw grease into the joint). but juicing the joint every oil change should overcome this.

side 1 took a weekend. side 2 took part of a day.

call me if you want to. cell phone's on adcomgraphics.com

Stick with the Armstrong Levers - call Peter Caldwell.
WWW.Worldwideimports.com
Search the posts - this is a recurrant topic.

Jim K Wrote:

Rick,
Tubes to Levers:

Double check that the frame mount points haven't been damaged. Some of the cheaper kits attach to a single hole on the frame rather than using both holes with an adapter.

You might compare the axle mount point with a stock to car. Some of these kits require the shock mount plate to be swapped to the otherside and flipped over. You would have to swap them back.

World Wide Shocks are found at http://www.nosimport.com/shoxcatalog.htm FYI

Thanks, Bob. That's the link I had bookmarked - Jeff gave it to me a while back.

Clay, you may have nailed the main reason to leave well enough alone. This does seem like a decent installation. Maybe since it ain't broke I shouldn't try to fix it.

BTW, Rick, like your new avatar. LOL

No on the tube shocks. Been there done that. Finally got my ride back and no more dents on the roof from me hitting my head every time I hit a pebble.

I'll definitely grant the "bang the head" bit, Tito. It is stiff back there.

I guess what I'll do is put her up on stands and pull one side apart just to see exactly how the kit is installed. Let that be my guide....