Interested in people's thoughts regarding shocks. I noticed that the rear air shocks seem to be popular but I don't know why. Is that because these people are doing towing/hauling? I'm not. Here is what Rock Auto shows as options:
Original Ride
Front:
GABRIEL Part # 73571 Guardian Shock $9.29
KYB Part # 343156 GR2 $28.79
Rear:
KYB Part # 343149 GR2 $21.79
ACDELCO Part # 520154 GAS CHARGED ABSORBER $27.99
ACDELCO Part # 56094 {#22065224} $39.79
Economy
Front:
MONROE Part #32216 Monro-Matic Plus Shock Absorber $13.78
Rear:
MONROE Part # 33049 Monro-Matic Plus Shock Absorber $25.89
Increased Handling/Performance
Front:
KYB Part # KG4505 Gas-A-Just Front $38.79
Rear:
KYB Part # KG5522 Gas-A-Just Rear $36.79
Heavy Duty/Load Assist
Rear:
MONROE Part # MA700 Max-Air Shock Absorber (x2) $58.99
MONROE Part # 58510 Sensa-Trac Load Adjusting Shock (x2) $64.89
I think the rear air shocks are popular is because they are used to help tired springs. Probably not the best way to make up for saggy springs -- replacing the springs are the best method.
Air shocks on the rear, I wouldn't recommend them. You transfer all of the weight to one point of the car, the weakest part. I had a friend who put them on his and weeks later they were through the rear floor, heavy duty would be as far as I would go. Your choice.
I was kind of hoping some poeple would have some experience/opinions between brands (Monroe vs KYB vs ?) or even within a brand (KYB - GR2 vs Gas-Adjust).
Installed KYB (no gas adjust) a couple of years ago, and despite really weak rear springs, never had any trouble. I would recommend them ad IMHO they're value for money.
MAX-AIR FOR LIFE! (insert gang sign)
When my 83 wagon need shocks I went with hvy duty in the front, was going to do the same in the rear when I found some Gabrial air shocks for $64.99 for the set. Almost half the price of a set of hvy duty. Saved some cash and corrected the rearend sag. I agree new springs is the best way to fix the sag, they are on my to do list. I also put a set of these air shocks on my 76 Chevy p.u. and they are holding up great. p.s. found them at J.C. Wity.
HI when i got my EAGLE it needed shocks and .I got Gabriel and that's what i have on the EAGLE right now and it rides good i hope this helps you ........Don
Monroe shocks are junk.
KYB is the lowest-quality I'd go with on any car, let alone a car beat up like AMC's are.
KYB, Koni, Bilstein, Bilstein HD, etc.
Or, considering our suspension setup is... less than admirable, we could always go custom spring/damper setup :P
Seriously, tho, don't get Monroes.
I should add that Bilsteins are gonna be the highest quality.
Quote from: v0rt3x86 on February 03, 2011, 07:20:15 PM
Monroe shocks are junk.
KYB is the lowest-quality I'd go with on any car, let alone a car beat up like AMC's are.
KYB, Koni, Bilstein, Bilstein HD, etc.
Or, considering our suspension setup is... less than admirable, we could always go custom spring/damper setup :P
Seriously, tho, don't get Monroes.
I absolutely love Monroe's on my car. They have never given me any problems, and having drove Eagle's since 1992 I have had several with different makes of shocks on them, and have found the 'roe's to ride the best, last the longest, and be the best for the money. But this my opinion, by the way what's the part #'s on the Bilsteins.
HI This is what I do when I nead shocks ..I check the papers for sales and pick the best sale...Most of the time sears beats them all....sears has different brands ...that's what goes on the outher cars Gabriel goes
on the Eagles It work's for me .........Don
I installed a set of air shocks on my "81 kammback in 1988 to help with tire clearance , and also keep my headlights from blinding everyone when carrying heavier loads. Those shocks are still working well today. I expected to have to change them by now, so a couple of years ago I purchased a replacement set. The replacement set is still waiting for the first set to wear out. [ note: car was not used every day, but was used frequently for hunting and fishing, on and off road, for many years while living in Colorado.]
I pulled the rear airshocks out of my wagon when I did the axle and added a leaf. (they were leaking down overnight) I haven't put my new ones in yet as I need to weld on the shock mounts.
For any kind of towing or performance interests, I would recommend checking for rust around your rear leaf spring shackles. It is possible, and relatively common in areas that salt the roads, for these areas to rust and push the springs through the rear floor.
Since you're not doing any towing, you'd be best advised not to get coilover shocks like the ones Monroe sells. These will give a very rough ride in the rear without towing weight. On the other hand, they will help level out worn leaf springs.
The shocks meant for handling and performance, such as KYB Gas-a-just, will give a stiffer ride and better cornering. It will be a bumpier ride on rough roads.
Economy shocks will be cheaper of course, but they may not control bounce as well and potentially wear out faster.
Your best bet on shocks for ride quality and handling balance will be something in the OEM replacement category, such as KYB GR-2/Excel-G.
Anything further than this and you'll want to look into other suspension issues and upgrades to improve ride quality to your tastes.
I only use Monroe Sensatrac coil over rear shocks. They work great. There is also a version available for the front but they are tricky to install.
http://www.generalspringkc.com/product_p/67-567.htm?gclid=COGGpoi75MACFVJo7Aod7B0ALw Best deal i've found for the Leaf"s!
What is the model number on those coil overs?
I think this is them.
Quote from: KammEagle on January 18, 2011, 03:38:28 PM
MONROE Part # 58510 Sensa-Trac Load Adjusting Shock
For the rear they are Monroe 58510. I paid $60 for the pair last time at Rockauto. They work extremely well to compensate for worn rear leaf springs and work well with new leaf springs and a rear sway bar to be perfectly stiff the way I like it, which is a little less stiff than a Jeep Cherokee but still great for towing and utility.
For the front it is Monroe 58270. They are intended for the rear of a Chevy car so you just need to put that part number into the search bar at Rockauto and it will come right up. I paid $50 for a pair of those. The coil over spring is pretty light and it is will not compensate for bad coil springs. I put long bolts on the bottom with nuts as spacers and it works well to attach to the lower perch. They don't quite fit through the hole and I had to run a drill bit against the hole and enlarge it by just a little bit to make them fit through.
On our SX/4 we installed KYB Gas Adjust in the front and they work very well and are well made. Our SX/4 has a tendency to not want to keep the tires on the road when you hit wavy pavement and the KYBs are the first shocks that do a good job. Went through 3 sets of Monroes in no time. So I second that Monroe is not a great shock. Made the same bad experience with Monroe on our Dodge Pick-up.
It would be nice if Bilsteins were available for the Eagle!
On the rear we put in Sachs shocks, which I bought from RockAuto as well. Nice, well made shocks.
If you go with the commercial Monroes (like Napa's Regal Ride) they are fine, but the Sensatracs don't seem to last more than a year anymore (made in China most of the time) when used offroad.
So which would be the best bang for the buck shocks for someone looking for a stiffer yet soft ride that doesn't bounce?
Stock height or lifted?
Maybe an inch above stock height...or that could just be refreshed since it's sagging a tad.
Stock shocks would work then. I got three years daily driving out of my Napa commercial shocks. I have a pair of new front ones I bought and I think they were only $20 each. I have new Sensatrac rears that I planned to change out because I lifted. Still need to put the shock mounts on my wagon's 8.25 rear though. The original Air rides are long gone, but they replaced them with Napa air shocks (they have a slow leak someplace)
My Sensatracks have lasted the past two years and are still quite stiff. They did a nice job lifting up the rear end and would have been excellent for towing.
However, they give a very stiff ride and tend to make the rear clunk when going over bumps. I just took them off and put on KYB Excel-G shocks and it no longer rides like a truck. I'll save the Sensatracks for when I can tow, but the KYBs didn't seem to sacrifice handling and it has a much smoother ride. The only complaint I have is that the rear sits slightly lower now.
For better handling, I'd go with the KYB Gas-A-Just. Keep in mind, your ride quality will only be as good as your rubber suspension bushings.
After I do my overhaul of the drivetrain I plan on doing the whole suspension.
Old bird rides like a soup sandwich right now. Drifty and flighty. I am sliding in the main leaf from the XJ (eyes cut off) when I do the swap. That ought to bring it up a bit and stiffen the rear a snort.
The rear shocks are gas adjust, look pretty old. My 10 year old can push the rear down quite easily so I know they're shot. The front doesn't seem too bad right now...but in for a penny in for a pound ;D
Were those Sensatracks coilovers?
Yes, they were coilovers. I intended to use them for towing, but two years later and I still haven't installed my hitch. They did help a lot before I got new leaf springs though.
I just installed 4 Monroe shocks the same number as the OP listed from Rockauto. They ride great of course anything is better than no dampening what so ever. I would never put anything made Gabriel on a automobile again EVER! Since I started running FOA remote reservoir shocks on my Bronco I really wish I had the time and budget to go coilovers all around or at least up front.