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Re: Important Shock Absorber Follow Up Info (longish)

To: John McEwen <mmcewen@gpu.srv.ualberta.ca>
Subject: Re: Important Shock Absorber Follow Up Info (longish)
From: Andy Ramm <aramm@concentric.net>
Date: Thu, 08 Jan 1998 11:42:15 -0800
John McEwen wrote:
> There have been some cars which used the shock aborber as the axle travel
> limiter.  Specifically, the Chev Corvair did this.  

...snip...

> This would imply that one shouldn't be too afraid of the shock being
> exposed to the stress of occasional over-extension.  

John, I respectfully disagree that it is OK to use a shock absorber as
the rise limiter.  That may have been the case on the Corvair, NSU and
Fiat that you mentioned.  I would personally endeavor to avoid this
scenario if at all possible.  You may want to check with the individual
manufacturers to determine the validity, but I'm sticking with axle
straps.  That way I don't risk damage to the shock or the mounting
bolts, regardless of the shock's capabilities.

I suggest that
> considering weight and load factors, the Corvair shock would be a good
> choice if it is still readily available.

I also respectfully disagree with this for the following reasons.  The
weight and load of the Corvair at the rear - being a rear engined car -
is substantially greater than that of the MGB/MGBGT.  It is likely that
the valving for compression and rebound on such a shock would be
entirely inappropriate for this application.  Moreover, without knowing
the shock dimensions, it is not safe to say that a Corvair shock is a
viable candidate for fitment on the rear of an MGB.

> Secondly, any auto good parts outlet should be able to look up your
> requirements, - upper and lower mount types, extended maximum length,
> collapsed length, maximum diameter if required - and give you a variety of
> shocks and manufacturers which will fit your requirements.  This info is
> readily available and very valuable to modifiers.

This is true and like Dave Tietz, I did spend some time looking for
appropriate substitutes other than the Colt option.  From what I could
tell, the Colt shocks are the easiest out-of-the-box application.  I
would however encourage listers to look for other alternatives as well
and post these to the list.

Andy

-- 




Andy Ramm
A silver face in a tweed world.
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"What we play is the blues, straight from the delta, and I believe we'll
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