Suspension question

brtnstrns said:

A month or two ago I put new KYB Gas shocks on my car expecing them to take the shock of the bumps that i go over in my car. Yet when driving my car its as if there are no shocks at all, every little bump makes the loudest bang noise go through my car. Now the loud noise may just be the fact that I have no interior whatsoever but still...I can feel every little bump in the road and its really annoying. Now I have stock suspension and I'm wondering if i were to replace at least the leafs and coil springs would the impact of the road be less? I'm wondering if all my springs are shot and thats why its such a rough ride. But then arent new springs going to stiffen the suspension....making it an even bumpier ride? Maybe i'm just confused. So what should i do to lessen the murderous jolts that go through my car driving down the road.

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KYBs are supposed to be firmer than stock. The jolts you feel and the ensuing noises sound like they are from springs that are too highly rated or not settled down yet (it takes a little time to get them to relax). Are you sure that the springs are truly stock? If you put V8 springs, or worse, heavy V8 springs on your car, you'll experience the jolt. KYBs are gas shocks and designed to be stiffer than stock hydraulic units. Remember that springs maintain the ride height and up/down motion and shocks dampen bounce. Also, if your car is basically stripped (you say that your interior is not in yet), the springs might not be loaded as they were designed for because the car is lighter than stock. Finish the interior, make sure you have a spare tire and a tool box and that might be enough weight to settle it down.

brtnstrns said:

hmm alright...well yeah they're the stock springs...probably the originals because we havent modified them at all

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It's the stiffness of the gas shocks. If you want a Cadillac ride, go back to the old oil filled ones and stay with the old springs.

the coil saddle bushing and ball joint bushings on the control arms are most likely gone.

65fastback2+2 said:

the coil saddle bushing and ball joint bushings on the control arms are most likely gone.

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The spring perch bushings are under so much tension, that I dought they would make noise. Do upper ball joints have bushings?

brtnstrns said:

hmm alright...well yeah they're the stock springs...probably the originals because we havent modified them at all

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If you do the V8 swap you'll have to change springs and a bunch of other stuff (I did this on my bought dead '65 convert.) so it might just be better to get the interior in. Put some sound deadener under the floors and spray on deadener in the doors and it should quiet down. The KYBs in a V8 car feel very nice. I also put in Stambar adjustable spring steel antisway bars to nearly eliminate body roll and balance front/back roll but that is not what you are asking about. If you want a soft ride, the standard tube shocks should do that for you. But no matter what you do, it's gonna make a lot of noise with a bare interior.....

Ozsum2 said:

The spring perch bushings are under so much tension, that I dought they would make noise. Do upper ball joints have bushings?

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i meant the upper and lower control arm bushings and ball joints. and yes, just because they are under tension they will still make a load of noise. mine were wore down to where they had no rubber left in em. its just like hitting a pot hole, tire goes down, upper CA goes down and spring slams the spring perch down. no rubber means noise.

65fastback2+2 said:

i meant the upper and lower control arm bushings and ball joints. and yes, just because they are under tension they will still make a load of noise. mine were wore down to where they had no rubber left in em. its just like hitting a pot hole, tire goes down, upper CA goes down and spring slams the spring perch down. no rubber means noise.

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Why jump to all the might make noise conclusions when the noise only started when he stripped down the interior and changed shocks?

Ozsum2 said:

Why jump to all the might make noise conclusions when the noise only started when he stripped down the interior and changed shocks?

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eh, guess my eyes skipped the part of it just started

is everything installed correctly The gas adjust kybs are pretty stiff but they will ease up with tsome driving time.

Sorry about the hijak but i needed to know also if the best way to do a V8 swap including suspension is to just buy a kit that includes complete shocks, front and rear sway bars, powder coated springs, and sway bar end link bushings in one kit for like $400? Is that like everything needed for the V8 suspension not including the five lugs? edit- and new leafs, can't forget those

.................and spindles and maybe center link steering stuff.

65straightsick said:

Sorry about the hijak but i needed to know also if the best way to do a V8 swap including suspension is to just buy a kit that includes complete shocks, front and rear sway bars, powder coated springs, and sway bar end link bushings in one kit for like $400? Is that like everything needed for the V8 suspension not including the five lugs? edit- and new leafs, can't forget those

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Gonna be hard on $400.00. You will need an engine, trans, drive shaft, rear end, V8 springs on all four corners (recomend GT rates), V8 brakes, V8 A-arms (or those modified with V8 ball joints), V8 spindles and steering linkage and, dums, wheels and tires and misc. stuff. Also, the stock V8 came with a 2 row radiator but I would go with a three together with a repop shroud and V8 hoses. So, the good news is that it will all bolt in, the bad is that it will cost more. I did mine cheaply because I had a bunch of Falcon parts laying around. Since the early Mustang is a rebodied Falcon it all fits -- same platform. You can pick up a Hemmings Motor News and shop. That might be the cheapest. There is no kit that I am aware of, but you might be able to pick up a dead Falcon V8 for a donor. It's a lot of work but worth it if you like doing that. The other way is to sell your car and buy a V8 car. Or getting a Clifford catalog and hopping up your six which is different and cool.

No no no.......big..huge misunderstanding there victor...i mean a suspension kit..i realize the rear end and spindles and steering stuff comes along with it but i mean the suspension. leafs...springs, shock...sway bars, bushings...so on and so forth

65straightsick said:

No no no.......big..huge misunderstanding there victor...i mean a suspension kit..i realize the rear end and spindles and steering stuff comes along with it but i mean the suspension. leafs...springs, shock...sway bars, bushings...so on and so forth

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$970 shipped from american pony, complete kit, just bought one and installed it myself, very happy. comes with complete suspension except for rear shock plates and the arms that the spindle mounts to that connects the tie rods and control arms, and it also doesnt include the rods that connect the lower arm forward to the frame.

65straightsick said:

No no no.......big..huge misunderstanding there victor...i mean a suspension kit..i realize the rear end and spindles and steering stuff comes along with it but i mean the suspension. leafs...springs, shock...sway bars, bushings...so on and so forth

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Sorry I am misunderstanding -- what is it that you want to do here? If you are going to do a V8 swap a little at a time, you are going to to have the jolting that you mentioned earlier because the springs are heavier. But doing a little at a time is doable if you can put up with it. And you could do the springs last, too. I still think the interior should go in first. It will quiet the car inside and weigh it down a little bit.

To get back on topic a bit more, I think you have to seperate a few terms here. The term "firm" is completely different than "harsh", and when you are talking about KYB's, they are a soft shock (read: not firm), and they are harsh. That is what you're feeling. Go get some cheap monroe's and see what a difference it makes.

monroes=garbage

why waiste money?