69mopar man
Member
Hey folks, does anyone know what’s the best OE or better shocks to go with, I’m thinking kyb , getting that done and exhaust this week then finally take her for a ride.
KYBHey folks, does anyone know what’s the best OE or better shocks to go with, I’m thinking kyb , getting that done and exhaust this week then finally take her for a ride.
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I definitely agree with KYB. However, the Amazon seller in your link is wrong on one count. For 1971 through 1973, Plymouth full-size and Chrysler full size, the correct shock is significantly longer. It's out of production and KYB buyer needs to go with a D150 shock for the same period. 1988 KYB paper catalog below. Rear shocks are listed in the 2nd shaded column from the left.KYB Gas-a-Just Front & Rear Shock Absorbers Kit For Chrysler 300 1965-1969 Dodge Monaco 1965-1973 Plymouth Fury I Fury II Fury III https://a.co/d/dAAaS8N
Good to know!I definitely agree with KYB. However, the Amazon seller in your link is wrong on one count. For 1971 through 1973, Plymouth full-size and Chrysler full size, the correct shock is significantly longer. It's out of production and KYB buyer needs to go with a D150 shock for the same period. 1988 KYB paper catalog below. Rear shocks are listed in the 2nd shaded column from the left.
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No. I have them on my 1970. Great shocks.Good to know!
No issues with applying it in a 69 or 70?
I vote for KYB's every time!Hey folks, does anyone know what’s the best OE or better shocks to go with, I’m thinking kyb , getting that done and exhaust this week then finally take her for a ride.
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Hey man you have a great looking fury , can you show more pics , I’d love to see the front and motor area, you have the same side molding as mine, I can’t find anybody who knows anything about the black vinyl or plastic that goes in the mounding , thanks, mike
I have heard good things about the Bilsteins and heard they are a bit stiffer than the KYB's if I remember correctly. So it is is just a matter of taste I would think. I am very happy with my KYB gas adjust shocks but would like to ride in a C body with the Bilsteins and see what they are like.I had KYB shocks on my 70 GT. They were decent. Rode on and did their job. I put Bilsteins on and they are a major improvement, IMHO.
Thank you for the information!With all due respect, MUCH of how we might feel about shock absorbers can really get down to "personal taste" an such. What some might describe as "too stiff" might not be stiff to others. OR . . . as I found out, the tires on the cars can make a difference in how a shock absorber acts, too. On Chrysler products especially, tire impact harshness can be determined to be "rough riding" when compared to a similar Ford or GM vehicle, no matter what tire or shock is on the car.
That "rough riding" complaint was thrown around toward Chrysler UniBody cars a lot, it seemed, in the middle 1960s. Due to the tire impact noise transmission into the passenger compartment, compared to the body/frame contruction of full-size Ford and GM cars. Back then, when we had our '66 Newport Town Sedan and it was "a used car", I covered my ears and felt "road items" without hearing anything. Surprisingly, our Chrysler rode pretty dang smooth, not hearing things. Then I uncovered my ears and it still rode smooth, but was a bit noisy.
Back then, we had lots of real choices in shock absorbers, with the main ones being Monroe, Gabriel, Goerlich (which did a lot of private-brand shocks). Knowing that Monroe Super 500s were the premium HD shock back then, when the stock shocks on the Newport started getting weak (to me, but were getting a bit too much "GM float" to be a Chrysler), I advocated for the Chrysler parts book HD shocks, which were most probably Monroe Super 500s anyway. They rode nicely and were also firm, like a Chrysler should be. But when the front ones started to get a bit bouncy, I put some Gabriel Striders (adjustable) on the front. One click stiffer from soft and they were perfect. Matched the rear factory HD shocks nicely, too.
Back then, I'd read that the owner of KONI drove mid-60s C-body Chryslers, so that particular application was a bit more dialed-in than for other brands. I though that was neat.
When I needed shocks for my then-newer '77 Camaro LT F41, I put some Delco Big D shocks on it, but they were just too stiff. Shook the front fenders on freeway trar strips at 65mph, BUT the one time I thought I'd bottom-out the front end, it didn't. But traded them to a friend who had a '78 Z/28 for the KONIs he had on that car, the night before he took it to trade it in. I had been in Glen's Z/28 a alot and liked the way it rode with the KONIs and BFG Radial TAs on factory aluminum wheels. So that got me into KONIs.
Another friend who had a '77 Z/28 with KONIs decided to put some Bilsteins on his car. He took me for a ride in it to show me how much softer they were than the KONIs. PLUS how much easier it was to slide the rear end around on roundabouts! He was not prepared for the softer ride and the different handling, nor would I have expected such, either. So Bilsteins came off of my "possible choices" list.
From what I've seen as things have evolved into the current time, I'm not really sure if we do have any really good choices in shock absorbers, other than KONIs (which are not really available for our applications without some rigging of non-C-body applications). KYB has always been a quality product, but not a brand we normally considered, until the oast 10-15 years or so.
About 20 years or so ago, when I couldn't afford some new KONIs for the front of the Camaro, I shopped aorund and got some Gabriel HD shocks for the front of it. By their literature, they sould have been good HD shocks, but they floated big-time. Which surprised me, especially considering that they also fit '55 Chevy fronts, too. So I drove carefully until I could scrounge together some money to get new KONIs. Mark Gabriel from any future purchse considerations, too.
About 20 years ago, in another Chryser forum, the subject of shocks came up. Many claimed that the Monroes were really valved for B-bodies, so they were too weak for the heavier C-bodies. Some mentioned KYBs as they were stiffer and handled the weight of the havier C-bodies well. And that got me to thinking about KYBs and what made them as good as they apparently were.
If you read the marketing information on the three main replacement brands (Monroe, Gabriel, ACDelco), they all have some fancy name for "speed-sensitive damping". Which ALL shocks have had since at least the 1940s, by observation. Nothing magical there. Where they might have some differences is in the resistance in the valving, as all claim to have a smoooth ride with "control" for comfort.
So, for me, it ends up being Monroe (due to the Chrysler tie-in from ages ago), KONI (only if I can find some NOS vintage C-body shocks), NOS Chrysler HD shocks, and KYBs. I know that many do not like air shocks, but the Monroe and Gabriel air shocks still have the 1 3/8 pistons as the HD shocks of old, which I consider to be good, whether or not the air function is working. BTAIM.
Now, one reason I like Chrysler products is for their firmer ride and better handling characteristics. Certainly, they do ride smooth, but once things start to get a bit bouncy, I also like to feel the shocks "catch and limit" that float, too. So, keeping it all "in character" is very important, to me.
Personally, I've been a bit surprised at the cost and complexity of QA-1 and Viking shocks. Which makes me wonder if they are coving lots of applicaitons due to their adjustability or if their basic valving is really tailored to the weight of the vehicle (as the OEM items were)? Unanswered questions, I suspect.
A good while back, I came across a '68 Buick LeSabre convertible. A deal I couldn't pass up. I did not want to make it ride too stiff, but it also needed new shocks. So after much deliberation, I put some basic ACDelco gas shocks on it. It still rode nice, but it also handled dips and such with much composure, too. I was impressed. Even made it as much fun to drive as my Chryslers were, which was even more surprising.
Back in the later 1960s, our Gulf service station guy always put Monroe Super 500s on everything his customers needed shocks for. When I questioned a '66 Olds 98 with them, he stated that it firmed-up the suspension very nicely and it handled much better. At that time, I questioned that a big Olds could ride and handle as good as a Chrysler, fwiw. But after those ACDelco gas shocks on the Buick, I understood what he meant.
So, after all of my comments and experiences, I tend to be of the orientation that one could do worse than KYBs, after process of elimination. In one respect, if you might feel that they ride rough, put on some heavy earmuffs and see if you were hearing the road more than you were feeling it. Duplicating my earlier experiment in that area, years ago. Not to forget that the shorter the sidewall height, the more impact harshness might be felt/heard, anyway.
In more modern times, we've become more accustomed to a more Euro ride and such, which is generally firmer and stiff than days of old. But not quite as soft and smooth, by comparison. Part of this is due to the shorter wheelbases of the cars, but then too the 4-dr pickup trucks are pretty good at cornering, too. Obviously, if the current state of tire tech was not what it has become, there would be LOTs more body shop business!
Perhaps I've rambled a bit through all of this, but these have been my experiences over the past 40+ years. Perhaps, it might help some to see through the fog related to shock absorber choices in our modern times?
Enjoy!
CBODY67