I believe that Monroes are classed as a "low pressure" gas shock, whereas KYBs are a mid-pressure gas shock, and Bilsteins are a high-pressure gas shock. Obviously, the amount of gas pressure related to their unrestrained extension performance. The last pair of Konis I got for the front of my '77 Camaro were low-pressure gas shocks. Performed the same as the earlier non-gas shocks did.
I put a pair of normal Gabriels on the front of my '77 Camaro, in the late '90s as I couldn't afford a pair of Konis (like I'd put on it) at the time. It did the '55 Buick "float", although the same shocks also had '57 Chevy cars in their application list. They were good enough, but came off as soon as I could afford the Konis, again.
If you read the literature on modern shock absorbers, they ALL say the same thing as to features (each with their own name for them). ALL have some sort of "velocity-sensitive valving". BUT so have shocks since they have evolved from the earliest versions! Three-stage damping, it used to be termed. On the first two model years of Olds Intrigues, the front struts had 4-stage damping with "all-weather" fluid. As the mainstream, old-line brands have surprisingly similar features, it leads me to believe they all come from the same contracted manufacturer? Do I know that for sure? No, just my studied suspicion. KYB, Koni, and Bilstein are not in that mix, as each never was a mainstream USA brand, to me.
Enjoy!
CBODY67
