Which shockers would you recommend?

[MrNorm]

I once paid £670 for an Ohlins damper for my R1.

Mick, maybe you have tasted caviar so no longer like the taste of fish paste

I would say that most (though not all by any means) of the criticism of KYB's I've heard has come from people who have tasted better.
But anyway, I like 'em OK as I said.
Actually I think the benefit you really can get from excellent dampers is retaining a decent ride as well as good handling. If you spend lots you can get both. If not, you have to pick!!
That is not based on experience, just my opinion based on others.....so damper experts chime in.

[Dave-R]

Some of my US friends like the Edelbrock IAS shocks better. For me it is not worth the hassle of changing from the KYBs as they are doing the job very well and I might be spending money for only little improvement.

One thing I have found with the KYBs was that the rear shocks were not really long enough. I have recently sorted that out with a pair of shock extensions. Again. A lot cheaper than a new set of shocks.

BTW. Forget the "Gas-A-Just" lable on the KYBs. That does not mean they are adjustable and indeed they are not.

[AllKiller]

Not worked out shock extentions, and wether i need em, and how they fit and what the benefits are at the strip ??
theres a question

[Dave-R]

I only had a couple of inches of extension. So the shock needed to be longer.
You can have traction problems if the shock fully extends at launch. They can limit the amount or rise at the rear. I think the extensions added about 4-inches to the length of the shock and put the shock about half compressed with the car at rest.

I'll take a photo when I get home if I remember.

[AllKiller]

Cheers Dave

[Dave-R]

Here you go. Plenty of travel up and down now. Instead of mostly up and hardly any down.

The extensions actually add 3-inches and not 4 as I said before. Blue brought these to my attention. I had never even heard of them before.

You have to remove the rubber bush from the end of the shock and re-fit it in the bottom of the extension.

[AllKiller]

Fantastic Dave, might have to give em a whirl...where do they come from ??

[Dave-R]

Summit. Where else?

[Dave-R]

Here they are when they arrived. Mr gasket make them.

[AllKiller]

Muchas grathias

[Anonymous]

Thanks for all the opinons - including the negative ones!
Just got a price on a set of four KYB's of £60 plus £40 shipping. Seems a good price - is it worth pricing up the UK parts dealers do you think?

I'm sure KYB's aren't the ducks nuts of shocks, but I have a lot of things to sort out with the car, and no money, so it looks like the way to go. Also - I'm not averse to firm suspension - At the moment she rides like a bean bag in an industrial sized vat of trifle, so any increase in road feel is good!
Cheers

[AllKiller]

I think you will find them fine.....there are better but some are very expensive like the QA1's mentioned, and not having a car the same as yours with the shock you want fitted can be a costly mistake if you dont like em.

Go stock if your really worried about adverse feel.....but remember its not gonna feel like a 25 year newer car....even you basic ford will handle better in comparison

[Dave999]

they are called gas adjust because

they are an oil and gas combination shock

the gas is used as a spring to resist upward motion of wheel in relation to the car body in conjunction with a (howdya put it) softly??? valved oil cartridge

the oil is used to resist rebound action back down and damp any extra bounce at the harmonic resonant frequency what ever it be for you brake and wheel combo and is valved more agressivley in this direction

any gas in a sealed system that is repreatedly compressed and stretched heats up

the hotter it gets the higher the pressure and that harder the shock becomes

hence gas-adjust.

a gas adjust shock can not be left in a relaxed state
they allways expand to their longest length if not connected to anything.

(you could if so desired (and are looking for that Charles Atlas physique) measure how long it takes before fitting and note it down... many years later if its much quicker buy a new one the anti foaming agents dead or the valves are cactus)

they will raise the car a fraction when fitted but how much depnds on the shock and the weight of the body

when they arrive they will be tied with plastic webbing

leave it on until fitted then snip it off

saves a lot of beggering about

if the Gas adjust shock is wrong for your car you end up with quite a bucking ride due to them getting too hard once hot.

they do not work well if your car is on the bumpstops because there is not enough action to allow them to Gas-Adjust.

they were designed for light trucks i.e solid axle n cart springs

the density or quantity of the gas charge dictates the spring constant of the shock.

i.e this shock combined with your standard spring or torsion bar alters the spring constant of the system like a coil over shock would. certain combos combine to make an excellent ride others do not.

in general a different and better affect on ride than from a harder oil shock which will jar the teeth and blow ya headlight bulbs all the time


when you throw them away i think you are now duty bound to dispose of them properly i.e pierce under a heavy blanket to release the gas so they don't blow up someones incinerator



Dave

[Anonymous]

don't forget there's 2 flavours of KYB

the really cheap

and the Gas A Just

[Anonymous]

The price I'm quoting is for the Gas-a-just.
WHat would be your price Wil, for a set of 4 delivered UK mainland?

Thanks,
Nick