1961 American Front Shocks

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   1961 Rambler American, Custom, 6 cylinder, Automatic, 4 Door Sedan 
Original Front shocks that came off my car: MAECO 3159829
                 Monroe Front Replacements: Monroe 32267

  I spent quite a few hours comparing the old shocks measurements to the Monroe Mounting & Specifications Chart.
The #32267 Monroe shocks were the best fit. ( In my opinion )
They cost me $15.97 per shock at O'Reilly Auto Parts....... 
PLUS, Military Discount. The discount equaled the sales tax. 
    Heck of a lot better price than Rare Parts wants for their Front Shocks for this application!  
Rare Parts want $214.99 per shock through O'Reilly Auto Parts !!!!!!!  
Sorry Rare Parts, but that is just not right.
Thanks to the:  South Carson City, Nevada .. O'Reilly Auto Parts.

            Hope this helps someone in the future.

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Nevada Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Supporter of TheAMCForum Joined: Feb/25/2014 Location: Nevada Status: Offline Points: 89	Post Options Post Reply Quote Nevada Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Topic: 1961 American Front Shocks Posted: Apr/26/2014 at 8:35pm
	1961 Rambler American, Custom, 6 cylinder, Automatic, 4 Door Sedan Original Front shocks that came off my car: MAECO 3159829 Monroe Front Replacements: Monroe 32267 I spent quite a few hours comparing the old shocks measurements to the Monroe Mounting & Specifications Chart. The #32267 Monroe shocks were the best fit. ( In my opinion ) They cost me $15.97 per shock at O'Reilly Auto Parts....... PLUS, Military Discount. The discount equaled the sales tax. Heck of a lot better price than Rare Parts wants for their Front Shocks for this application! Rare Parts want $214.99 per shock through O'Reilly Auto Parts !!!!!!! Sorry Rare Parts, but that is just not right. Thanks to the: South Carson City, Nevada .. O'Reilly Auto Parts. Hope this helps someone in the future.
	Reality is always controlled by those who are the most insane

ramblinrev Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Moderator Group Joined: Dec/28/2008 Location: Wisconsin Status: Offline Points: 11538	Post Options Post Reply Quote ramblinrev Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: Apr/26/2014 at 8:45pm
	Be careful with those! The unique thing about the correct American shock is the wide "eyelet" bottom mount, through which you must fit in the metal spacers and hefty bolt that makes this an integral part of that lower control arm assembly. If you try to use the bolt and the thick rubber bushing on the new shock, it may not hold that lower control arm assembly tight, and if it's not tight, you will have problems!
	74 Hornet Hatchback X twins (since 1977) 62 American Convertible (still worth the $50 I spent in 1973!) AMCRC #513, AMO #384 70 AMX 360 4-speed (since 1981)

Nevada Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Supporter of TheAMCForum Joined: Feb/25/2014 Location: Nevada Status: Offline Points: 89	Post Options Post Reply Quote Nevada Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: May/20/2014 at 4:27pm
	Hello, Thanks for the advice. The NEW Monroe shocks I used; the lower bolt hole is the same Inside Diameter as the old shock. So I used the original bolt & nut. The width of the NEW Monroe lower shock mount is also the same size in width as the original shock that came with the car. Thanks Again, Ron
	Reality is always controlled by those who are the most insane

Rambling Bob Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List AMC Fan Joined: Jun/16/2018 Location: cHICAGO Status: Offline Points: 1	Post Options Post Reply Quote Rambling Bob Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: Jun/16/2018 at 7:10pm
	Thank you from Chicago Bob 1961 Rambler American Deluxe front shock's or any suspension part's rip off $$$'s 32267 front shock mounted behind lower trunion assy mounts to bracket mounted to upper bushing rod. Is that correct? any ?'s (630) 330-3414 thank you Bob we need keep Rambling

farna Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Supporter of TheAMCForum Moderator Lost Dealership Project Joined: Jul/08/2007 Location: South Carolina Status: Offline Points: 19676	Post Options Post Reply Quote farna Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: Jun/20/2018 at 6:18am
	That's correct Bob. The lower mount needs that oversize aluminum bushing/spacer that is with the original shocks though. If the new shocks have a steel sleeve that fits between the control arms with the original bolt it's not enough support for the control arms. That big bushing provides a lot of support! If this is a rarely driven show/collector car you can get by without it, but if driven much you will eventually break a control arm from the additional movement. Doesn't look like it would be much help but it is! To compensate you can take a couple pieces of 1" angle iron and clamp the control arms between them with 5/16" bolts just behind the shock. Use four bolts -- one just inside the arm and one just outside on each side. You want the "L" facing out toward the shock so the top doesn't interfere with suspension movement, as close to the shock as you can with the suspension drooping (body jacked up). Won't hurt if angle is touching shock in that position, it shouldn't be there when driving unless you're jumping with it!
	Frank Swygert

WARBED Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Supporter of TheAMCForum Joined: Feb/12/2011 Location: Edinburg TX Status: Offline Points: 1683	Post Options Post Reply Quote WARBED Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: May/23/2020 at 9:28pm
	Hmmm need shocks for the front of my 59 American. There the originals or at least really really old in car years that is not human. will measure the originals and go from there but seams like the MONROW 32267 are a good bet. Thanks for the post. I keep forgetting that when I built the car the front shocks were just temporary just like all the welds that I drove to Florida and N.C. on.
	59 American 2dr S/W. 70 390 AMX. 70 232 javelin. Kelvinator fridge ice cold beer storage.

tomj Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List AMC Addicted Joined: Jan/27/2010 Location: earth Status: Offline Points: 7544	Post Options Post Reply Quote tomj Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: May/24/2020 at 11:59pm
	ABSOLUTELY DO NOT remove that spacer from the lower arm. I promise, swear, gaurentee, you will ruin hard parts. Read the TSM, carefully. That is a grade 8 bolt, torqued to 80 ft/lbs. It is a critical component of the suspension, that dumb passive-looking corroded spacer. either buy the correct shock, or make a bolt-in mount to accept a stud type lower mount using the two extra holes in the lower arm. Here: https://www.sr-ix.com/AMC/Suspension-1950-1963-small/index.html#SHOCKS
	1960 Rambler Super two-door wagon, OHV auto 1961 Roadster American, 195.6 OHV, T5 http://www.ramblerLore.com

tomj Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List AMC Addicted Joined: Jan/27/2010 Location: earth Status: Offline Points: 7544	Post Options Post Reply Quote tomj Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: May/25/2020 at 10:23pm
	No one wants to hear this about the front shocks, and the rest of the front suspension on these cars. There's been a little wave of these early cars appearing here in SoCal. I had a friend's '63 American hardtop in here, to complete what was supposed to have been a front suspension rebuild. It had (some) new parts in it, springs and arms were painted, etc. The alignment was wacko (freshly assembled, toe was toe-out like an inch, etc). When I got into it it was a disaster. Lower bushings pressed into upper arms, the ridges prevent pressing to the required depth, assembled anyways. Since the upper spacer (analogous to the lower one we're talking about here), the one with the spring stop, wouldn't fit, it was left out. The two upper arm halfs were forced into a bad angle, bending their outer (upper trunnion) ends. Luckily I had these in my iron pile. The lower arms had the wrong shocks, typical Monroe types as discussed here. Some thinwall tubing spacer but cut to the wrong length, not that it matters because it's too thin to be of any use at all. The owner bought the correct spacer parts ($70) but the space for the spacer part was more than 1/4" too small -- the arms are bent by the installer tightening a bolt onto the shock eye. The correct spacing between the two welded arms is about 1.45". (I have the measurement from the Galvin's part, below, in my shop not handy right now). My friend's car was missing the 'shock' spacers. Couldn't find any in my iron pile. My friend Bruce has a large privater Rambler yard. A dozen of these suspensions... not one pair of spacers. My '63 didn't have them, nor did my '61. In my roadster I fabbed the system in the page above. So this problem is not new. This month I took my pile of suspension parts for hot-tanking and media blasting. When I got them home I started measuring. EVERY SINGLE ARM HALF WAS BENT. No two the same. I have no idea what the correct offsets are. Out of the dozen arm halfs I have not one is correct. Not only bent, the weird big hole the trunnion nuts (lower) thread into, only a couple had any threads at all, and only one threaded in readily. They were all gouged by the nuts. No wonder I had a hard time assembling my '61's front end! I couldn't get the trunnion spacing right. I didn't think to measure and compare the arm halfs against each other, at least. On top of all this, it's simply not a very rugged suspension. It's prone to problems. It needs extra care to be done right, but from what I've seen in cars I've worked on personally it's like no one reads the manual, or does dry-run assemblies before putting together unfamiliar systems. Doesn't help that the TSM is really short of information. I'm still not sure what the best way or order to assemble the lower arm is. The lower arm bushing can be successfully replaced with a generic type shock IF you make it attach to the lower arm in some other way that allows that spacer to be there. If your car is assembled and on the road, with the wrong shock installed and missing the spacer, even if you buy the correct spacer, it is extremely unlikely you can install it without entirely disassembling the lower arm. The whole thing is a s**tshow. Parts list to restore the original lower arm spacer and shock. YOu need all of these parts. It ain't cheap. Another reason they don't get fixed right. SPACER, two each: http://www.ramblerparts.com/product_info.php?products_id=2006 SHOCK EYE BUSHING: http://www.ramblerparts.com/product_info.php?products_id=2190 SHOCK ABSORBER, two each: http://www.ramblerparts.com/product_info.php?products_id=2180
	1960 Rambler Super two-door wagon, OHV auto 1961 Roadster American, 195.6 OHV, T5 http://www.ramblerLore.com

farna Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Supporter of TheAMCForum Moderator Lost Dealership Project Joined: Jul/08/2007 Location: South Carolina Status: Offline Points: 19676	Post Options Post Reply Quote farna Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: May/26/2020 at 7:40am
	Remember, the TSMs were created for professional dealer shops, so some experience with Nash/Rambler/AMC was expected... at least general auto knowledge. So the TSM gives details, but also assumes familiarity. Not a good combination for the novice!! Yeah, hard to find parts can be easily ruined by someone who is NOT familiar with them. You'd think a decent suspension mechanic/technician would realize that big spacer is there for a reason other than just to mount the shock! I realized that when I took my first one apart in the late 70s, and I was just 17 or 18 years old!! Raised on a farm assisting in machinery repairs, which helped (combines can be a nightmare, especially when you're the only one small enough to crawl in and try to remove that bearing that went out and was run a while before being discovered!). Arms can be straightened -- they are symmetrical (front and rear are identical), so you can get them close enough to work. The bushings can be welded all around if the holes for them are too bad (the trunnion acorn nuts are technically called bushings -- I'm not talking about the rubber inner bushings!). I've done that, and welded thin jam nuts for the upper arm ends so a pin could go through. Not the ideal repairs, as you'd have to cut things apart to do any further repairs, but you''re just ruining a pair of already ruined arms. Well, there's the trunnion nuts, and lower trunnions are getting hard to find and expensive, but if you don't have another set of better arms... You have to get it assemble and moving right before welding. Might have to lightly tack the bushings in place to make sure they line up right if the holes in the end are really bad. Just what has to be done sometimes! With bushings welded in place the arms STILL need that spacer, or an equivalent replacement. I've said before, I made a box section piece from 1/4" steel to go between the arms to mount a newer type shock and sway bar. Has to be something there to brace those arms though!!
	Frank Swygert

tomj Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List AMC Addicted Joined: Jan/27/2010 Location: earth Status: Offline Points: 7544	Post Options Post Reply Quote tomj Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: May/26/2020 at 2:20pm
	Frank's correct, it can all be repaired. Well, assuming the trunnion socket isn't stripped out! ANd the metal is not gouged out... I just did a decent update to my suspension page, here: https://www.sr-ix.com/AMC/Suspension-1950-1963-small/index.html I took photos and measurements of the bent lower arms. They're all over the place, I don't have a good set. This explains the difficulty I had assembling mine! I didn't think to measure them then. It's an unfortunate state of affairs, overall. It is an inherently weak design, far too easy to bend, too easy to assemble wrong (though AMC has only limited responsibility for that). The most damage is done by (1) people removing that lower spacer to use a conventional shock and (2) the inherent disaster that is the upper trunnion bolt.
	1960 Rambler Super two-door wagon, OHV auto 1961 Roadster American, 195.6 OHV, T5 http://www.ramblerLore.com