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Machine front shocks too short??

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limachine View Drop Down
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    Posted: Apr/18/2018 at 6:35pm
Has anyone else had this problem? I did a stock front end rebuild on my front suspension, and used monroe shocks as mentioned in the forum. Drove around the rest of the summer with no problem. Parked it for winter and dusted it off for a spring shakedown , and I pulled one of the shocks apart! I took it out and measured, the installed height of my front shocks are 13.75", which is what a stock shock measures fully extended. There's no room for rebound. I don't see anything out of place with my assembly. I reused the original springs, which were tagged with the right part number. Has anyone run into this? What was your solution? I don't want to go with custom shocks! According to an old chilton, 70-72 Machine and Ambassador used pn 4487579 front shocks, all others used 4487575.



Edited by limachine - Apr/18/2018 at 6:59pm
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Rebel Machine View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Rebel Machine Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Apr/18/2018 at 7:00pm
Originally posted by limachine limachine wrote:

Has anyone else had this problem? I did a stock front end rebuild on my front suspension, and used monroe shocks as mentioned in the forum. Drove around the rest of the summer with no problem. Parked it for winter and dusted it off for a spring shakedown , and I pulled one of the shocks apart! I took it out and measured, the installed height of my front shocks are 13.75", which is what a stock shock measures fully extended. There's no room for rebound. I don't see anything out of place with my assembly. I reused the original springs, which were tagged with the right part number. Has anyone run into this? What was your solution? I don't want to go with custom shocks!


Happen to have my Machine apart for restoration so I grabbed a front shock and extended it along side a yardstick for you along with the numbers on it. It's a Monroe. When installed in the car it allows the upper control arm to rest against the top of the subframe.

-Steve-






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304-dude View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote 304-dude Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Apr/18/2018 at 7:02pm
If you let the wheels hang, your installing them wrong.

You need to set the front tires on the ground, and place a 5 or 6 inch 2x4 on the frame rail just under the upper control arm. Once you lift the upper control arm will not allow full travel down, and be short enough distance to install the shock.
71 Javelin SST body
390 69 crank, 70 block & heads
NASCAR SB2 rods & pistons
78 Jeep TH400 w/ 2.76 Low
50/50 Ford-AMC Suspension
79 F150 rear & 8.8 axles
Ford Racing 3.25 gears & 9" /w Detroit locker
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limachine View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote limachine Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Apr/18/2018 at 7:47pm
Rebel Machine, your's is longer. It hurts, but I can admit it. 
Like an idiot, I cleaned up the garage during one of the snow storms, and threw out the old shocks. Never compared the lengths or the numbers. My parts guy says here, I don't question it. So now I'll get another set of 5809's and see if they're right, or short like these. Really burns my
Thanks for the info!
 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote jpnjim Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Apr/18/2018 at 7:52pm
They have no place on a sweet ride like that....

but as a temporary solution, they do make shock extenders that thread on the stud end and add a bit of length till you can order longer shocks


71 P-code 4spd Javelin/AMX
some Jeeps and some Fords
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