Series I-II shock conversion kit

[cuppy65]

I bought tube shocks for the later cars but I believe they will be to long. When I measure the distance from the top of the arch on the frame ,the part that roll around the wheel house , to the bottom of the floor pan I get 5 and a half inches. This is on you SII car with the Armstrong shocks .
Now when I measure the same area on the 67 IV parts car , the one a robbed the rear housing from, it measures 7 and a half .
So I could drill a hole in my floor pan and mount these tube shocks but they will be compressed two inches and I'm concerned about the possibility of them bottoming out . I like the set up in the picture . If the shock in the picture hang down approximately the same distance as they would when attached to the housing I'm using then all I need to do is fab the upper mount and get the part # of these shocks.
This also keeps me from altering the original floor pan.
So ,Toyanvil, could measure the distance from the bottom of the axial housing to the center of the bottom shock bolt. And tell me the part# of the shock you used ?Also, are you fabricating these upper mounts for sale?
Thanks all

 

[Barry]

I bought tube shocks for the later cars but I believe they will be to long. When I measure the distance from the top of the arch on the frame ,the part that roll around the wheel house , to the bottom of the floor pan I get 5 and a half inches. This is on you SII car with the Armstrong shocks .
Now when I measure the same area on the 67 IV parts car , the one a robbed the rear housing from, it measures 7 and a half .
So I could drill a hole in my floor pan and mount these tube shocks but they will be compressed two inches and I'm concerned about the possibility of them bottoming out . I like the set up in the picture . If the shock in the picture hang down approximately the same distance as they would when attached to the housing I'm using then all I need to do is fab the upper mount and get the part # of these shocks.
This also keeps me from altering the original floor pan.
So ,Toyanvil, could measure the distance from the bottom of the axial housing to the center of the bottom shock bolt. And tell me the part# of the shock you used ?Also, are you fabricating these upper mounts for sale?
Thanks all

​

cuppy65,

On my 1966 S-V rear axle housing, the bottom shock mount stud is about 4" below the rear axle centerline. You previously said you were using "a 67 housing", so that dimension should be the same. I would spend a couple of minutes with a ruler to make sure.

Your design and fabrication process should go something like this:

1. Select a "suitable" rear shock (right stroke length, right lower & upper mounts, right damping, etc.).

The right stroke length (extended length - compressed length) for a Series Alpine is about 6-1/2". There is nothing technically wrong with using a longer stroke length shock, but the compressed / extended / installed lengths will be greater and the mounting situation will probably get more difficult.​

Series IV / V Alpines (and Tigers) use the same rear shocks as 1st Gen ('67 - '69) Camaros with multi-leaf springs which means there are lots of suitable "stud top mount" shocks. If you are not going to use a stud top mount, you will need to select a suitable shock with an "eye top mount".
​

2. Determine the correct installed rear shock length.

Compressed length + about 60% of the stroke length (probably about 16+" for typical shocks)
​

3. With your rear suspension at ride height, figure out how to put the upper shock mounts in the right location to provide the correct installed shock length.

Hint: Using a "distance piece" to represent the installed shock makes things a lot easier.
​

4. Make sure your selected shocks as installed do not "bottom out" before the rear axle housing hits the compression bump stops.​

As noted above, it is a process; if you do the steps correctly and in the right sequence, you should get good results.

 

[cuppy65]

That made my head hurt.
I was hoping that toyanvil could simply tell me how far his shocks hang below the axial housing . It looks like it could be close to what I already have . If that's the case then what ever shocks he is using will work for me . All I need to do is fabricate the upper mount.

 

[cuppy65]

No offence Barry . That explains it all very well.
I guess I'm just looking for a short cut.

 

[260Alpine]

I don't know what Toyanvil uses, but the 63-82 Corvette rear shock has 5" travel and eye mounts on both ends. 9.5 to 14.5 range. Road height 12.5.

 

[Toyanvil]

My mounts are 6 inches from center of axle to center of the bolt, not sure the diameter of your axle. I will have to look for the shock #.

 

[cuppy65]

Great , thanks

 

[260Alpine]

This conversion uses a similar conversion to the MGB. The MGB uses 80's Dodge Colt shocks. 10.5 compressed, 15.5 extended, 13.5 at road height.

http://forum.sunbeamalpine.org/inde...i-ii-shock-conversion-kits.17410/#post-116287

 

[Glenn]

My mounts are 6 inches from center of axle to center of the bolt, not sure the diameter of your axle. I will have to look for the shock #.

Toyavil, did you fabricate your shock set up? If so how? I met you at the Murrieta Fathers Day car show last year, are you attending this year?

Thanks, Glenn

 

[molly2010]

My name is James looking to purchase a pair my email 1961sunbesm@gmail.com and thank you

 

[molly2010]

Still have a couple of kits left for the conversion to tube shocks on Series I-II cars; hurry, rust happens.
$125.00 and shipping, $13.65.

Are still selling them

 

[DanR]

Are still selling them

Molly, I spoke with Bulldurham (Doug M) today and he is trying to get some made.

 

[bulldurham]

H i James, have not made them in a couple of years but am in process of setting up to do another 10 sets.
Can't quote you a price right now but be thinking around $200.00 plus about 14.00 shipping.
Stay in touch, not sure how long this will take as assembly of sets are last thing to be done.
Thanks for your interest.
Doug

 

[molly2010]

H i James, have not made them in a couple of years but am in process of setting up to do another 10 sets.
Can't quote you a price right now but be thinking around $200.00 plus about 14.00 shipping.
Stay in touch, not sure how long this will take as assembly of sets are last thing to be done.
Thanks for your interest.
Doug

That's a big increase

 

[Barry]

Good luck with researching, designing, sourcing the materials and building them for less.

 

[RootesRacer]

That's a big increase

I am pretty handy but I would not flinch at paying $200 versus making my own ( I own a set from a previous batch).
Considering the effort to make a set and considering the demand, unless the seller is making them out of the kindness of his heart,
one would have to strike a compromise between compensation and effort.
Such are business decisions which get made all the time.

 

[DanR]

It is very easy to invest several thousand $$$ in a small project that seems never to provide a return on the your money (not counting the times and other resources involved.

My interest in the V6 Conversion was pricked by the effort Johnson and Jose started. If I recall correctly at one time jose had prospective buyers "pay-in-advance" to "off-set" his initial expenses.

Doug, is not making a killing profit wise on these brackets I'm sure.

Several projects I have undertaken have cost me considerably. I do it because I first of all enjoy the challenges and next to "Keep'em-on-the-Road".

When I first started designing and prefab'n the straightback headers I went to three of the big name header fabricators. All wanted more than $25 thousand dollars to make 5 to 10 sets. Not very encouraging. They are in the business of producing thousands of sets, I could only possibly see selling 5 to 20 sets at most.

Return on the money for my Straightback Headers is less than $100 per pair. Profit is still zero.... until I sell another 19 sets.

Sorry for rambling, But RootesRacer is spot on....

 

[molly2010]

It is very easy to invest several thousand $$$ in a small project that seems never to provide a return on the your money (not counting the times and other resources involved.

My interest in the V6 Conversion was pricked by the effort Johnson and Jose started. If I recall correctly at one time jose had prospective buyers "pay-in-advance" to "off-set" his initial expenses.

Doug, is not making a killing profit wise on these brackets I'm sure.

Several projects I have undertaken have cost me considerably. I do it because I first of all enjoy the challenges and next to "Keep'em-on-the-Road".

When I first started designing and prefab'n the straightback headers I went to three of the big name header fabricators. All wanted more than $25 thousand dollars to make 5 to 10 sets. Not very encouraging. They are in the business of producing thousands of sets, I could only possibly see selling 5 to 20 sets at most.

Return on the money for my Straightback Headers is less than $100 per pair. Profit is still zero.... until I sell another 19 sets.

Sorry for rambling, But RootesRacer is spot on....

 

[molly2010]

H i James, have not made them in a couple of years but am in process of setting up to do another 10 sets.
Can't quote you a price right now but be thinking around $200.00 plus about 14.00 shipping.
Stay in touch, not sure how long this will take as assembly of sets are last thing to be done.
Thanks for your interest.
Doug

Please Accept my apologies if I had said anything negative and it's been over 5 Years since that quote please accept my apologies and thank you

 

[DanR]

No need for an apology.

Hang in there Doug will come thru again with the mounts, I'm sure!