Struts can be tested with the bounce test too. A strut is a shock that also
serves as a suspension member but it's still a shock absorber.
One of the problems with newer cars is that their springs are usually much
stiffer and they're harder to bounce and don't bounce so much.
Mike
----- Original Message -----
From: "roadster katman" <roadster@rcn.com>
To: <datsun-roadsters@autox.team.net>
Sent: Monday, April 22, 2002 11:32 PM
Subject: Re: shock absorbers
> I got some pretty good replies about shock absorbers, and here's the best
> one from one of our list experts:
>
> "GR2s are low pressure gas shocks and the Gas-adjusts are high pressure
gas
> shocks. That's why you gained some ride height. The extra gas pressure is
> like
> adding some additional spring rate and raises the ride height a bit. Also
> sounds
> like your old shocks were worn out and were not doing a proper job damping
> suspension movements. With shocks (as opposed to struts) you can do a
bounce
> test. No matter how hard you bounce the car, or how many times you bounce
> it, if
> the shocks are good, as soon as you stop bouncing it the car will smoothly
> stop
> oscillating. If you get the car bouncing up and down and stop after a push
> down,
> the car will at most go up and down one more time and then rise slowly and
> stop
> at the normal ride height. It may not even go down, it may just go up and
> slowly
> settle to normal ride height. But any other reaction means the shocks
aren't
> adequate, or aren't working properly anymore."
>
> So there you have it - GR2's are weak and Gas-adjusts are strong. I bought
> the Gas-adjusts more than a few years ago but hadn't used them until now,
so
> I don't know if they're still available. I did a lookup on the internet
and
> found this:
> http://www.kyb.com/shocks/gr2.html GR2's are for a comfortable ride.
> http://www.kyb.com/shocks/gasajust.html Gas-adjusts are for high
performance
> handling and response.
>
> Fred Katz - So.SF
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: <roadster@rcn.com>
> To: <datsun-roadsters@autox.team.net>
> Sent: Monday, April 22, 2002 3:11 PM
> Subject: shock absorbers
>
>
> > Hi,
> >
> > Fixing up things prior to leaving for Solvang. Had lots of wheel hop
after
> installing new tires due to a couple flats - 195/60 HR14's - and figured
the
> shop screwed up on the wheel balancing. I redid some of the weights and
> moved the wheels around.
> >
> > While I was at it, figured I would swap out the shock absorbers. I
> installed some KYB Gas-adjust shocks, and was surprised that they seemed
to
> add 1 or 2 inches of height to the roadster. The old shocks were KYB GR2's
> and didn't seem to have much resistance. I had to precompress the
Gas-adjust
> shocks with a floor jack and duct-tape them at the right length in order
to
> mount them in the rear.
> >
> > I no longer have the wheel hop problem, and have a better ride.
> >
> > What's the consensus on shocks, and how do you tell if they're bad? As
in,
> if you can compress them by hand then they're bad?
> >
> > Fred Katz - So.SF
> > http://www.badroc.com
> > http://users.rcn.com/roadster
>
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