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Whats is a good alternative to KYB gas adjusts shocks?

  • Thread starter Thread starter BaLleRz68
  • Start date Start date Jun 2, 2009
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BaLleRz68

Founding Member
Oct 9, 2001
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Jun 2, 2009
#1
  • Jun 2, 2009
  • #1
I have KYB gas adjust shocks in the rear with 4.5 mid-eye leaf springs and the ride is stiff and bouncy. Im changing to 4.5 standard eye leaf springs and was wondering if there is a another alternative compared to KYB's. Does anyone have the KYB GR2's? I heard doetsch shocks are good. I also thought about monroe shocks for the back. Im on a budget so bilstein and Konis are out of the question. Any thoughts are appreciated. Thanks.
 
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rebel65

Member
Feb 1, 2004
363
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17
SF Bay Area
Jun 3, 2009
#2
  • Jun 3, 2009
  • #2
mid eye vs standard is only going to change your ride height not the stiffness of the spring
 

tx65coupe

Active Member
Nov 29, 1999
1,551
1
37
Jun 3, 2009
#3
  • Jun 3, 2009
  • #3
I have the KYB shocks on mine and it rides and handles good. It definitely doesn't ride or handle as well as our 97 Cobra, but thats comparing apples to oranges. The Mustang is also alot older technology so I don't expect it to do better. I am happy with how it drives.
 
2

2+2GT

10 Year Member
Apr 25, 2009
3,333
10
79
Southeastern Pennsylvania
Jun 3, 2009
#4
  • Jun 3, 2009
  • #4
BaLleRz68 said:
I have KYB gas adjust shocks in the rear with 4.5 mid-eye leaf springs and the ride is stiff and bouncy.
Click to expand...

It's the 4.5 leaf springs that are your problem. Get 4-leaf springs, and leave that 4.5 leaf stuff to pickup trucks. Sheesh, even the BOSS 429 had 4-leaf springs. My 66 has stock replacement GT 4-leafs with Kayaba Gas-A-Just shocks and Traction Master™ bars, and it rides very nice with no wheel hop.
 

tx65coupe

Active Member
Nov 29, 1999
1,551
1
37
Jun 3, 2009
#5
  • Jun 3, 2009
  • #5
My car has HD 4 leaf rear springs that I get a few years ago. I think they are basically like the GT springs. It is plenty stiff with them. I can't imagine making it any stiffer. It was stiff even when the car was still a 6 cylinder and had Gabriel shocks on the back.
 
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rebel65

Member
Feb 1, 2004
363
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17
SF Bay Area
Jun 3, 2009
#6
  • Jun 3, 2009
  • #6
i got the 4.5 leafs and i personally love them, but i like a stiff ride : ). but ya it's the 4.5 leafs that is making it a stiff ride. the KYBs aren't that crazy
 

zookeeper

Founding Member
Aug 25, 2001
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63
109
Rogue River, Oregon
Jun 3, 2009
#7
  • Jun 3, 2009
  • #7
double post
 

zookeeper

Founding Member
Aug 25, 2001
3,415
63
109
Rogue River, Oregon
Jun 3, 2009
#8
  • Jun 3, 2009
  • #8
2+2GT said:
It's the 4.5 leaf springs that are your problem. Get 4-leaf springs, and leave that 4.5 leaf stuff to pickup trucks. Sheesh, even the BOSS 429 had 4-leaf springs. My 66 has stock replacement GT 4-leafs with Kayaba Gas-A-Just shocks and Traction Master™ bars, and it rides very nice with no wheel hop.
Click to expand...

Very, very wrong. I have 5 leaf mid-eyes and GR-2 shocks and the ride is borderline on too soft with a full tank of gas and my wife and kid in the car. KYB's are (in my experience) too stiff, even for stock 4 leaf springs. My car is nowhere near as stiff as my wife's '69 Corvette, and even it's liveable compared to my buddy's '67 with stock springs and KYB's.
 
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Grabber70Mach

Member
Jul 6, 2003
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Indian Head, MD
Jun 3, 2009
#9
  • Jun 3, 2009
  • #9
I agree with zookeeper, I'm running 5 leaf mid-eyes on mine w/Edelbrock IAS shocks
the ride is fine to me. If I recall correctly John at Opentracker recomends Grab-a-tracks for the rear as a good choice for the street.
 
6

66Runt

Member
Jun 11, 2005
680
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18
Jun 3, 2009
#10
  • Jun 3, 2009
  • #10
Due to the differences in overall weight, weight bias, unsprung weight, springs, tires, road conditions, driver perspective, etc., I don't see a post here that is wrong.
Shocks should be chosen or adjusted to meet the specifics of the car, condition, and driver preferences. Even the same shocks on the same car can feel different to different drivers.

On the '66 in the signature below, it started off with Gas-a-just all the way around. But this car has much less unsprung weight than stock, and the suspension is pretty tight even with the stock springs. The result was a rear end that was so sketchy, the car would snap swap on rough corners. That's a very scary situation with no roll bar and 40 year old seatbelts. Opting to try something cheap, I tossed a set of GR2s on the rear, and it was a huge difference. However, after about a half hour of agressive driving through rough twisty corners, the shocks fade noticably. On smooth roads, at reasonable speeds, I doubt they would fade enough to be noticable.
I've got a nice set of 5 way adjustable Tokico Illuminas to go on this car later on after it's back on the road.
 

tx65coupe

Active Member
Nov 29, 1999
1,551
1
37
Jun 4, 2009
#11
  • Jun 4, 2009
  • #11
I don't know about everyone elses, but I can say that mine with the 4 leave HD springs is stiffer than our 97 Cobra is.
 
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