The GreenMachine got home safely, and some of the first things it needs are new coil springs & shocks in the rear. I've decided to order Eaton coils, but am left wondering which shocks to go with. I plan to tow with this car, so an adjustable shock appeals to me. Does anyone know if Bilstein has an application that would fit? I trust them based on experience. Wish I could say the same for some of the other well known brands. What about truck shocks, anyone tried something like that?
What I do is take the extended and collapsed diamensions, then go to the shock company and have a talk with them to match up what I want to do.
The first place I would check is with you local friendly Ford dealer. From what i can see, when the mid-sized Fords were redesigned for 72, they used the basic frame and platform from the late 60s full sized models. I know the Ford gas socks are available for the 70s mid-sizers because that is what Nora has under her. I had to wait overnight to get them, and they were under $40 a piece with a life time warranty. They are made by Monroe, but are calibrated differently than the aftermarket units. They work beautifully, including when hauling a trailer. I won't use anything but anymore. I learned the hard way that the Ford shocks do the job better with the factory springs. Less axle hop, smoother ride, and better weight carrying.
The only problem with load bearing shocks is that they destroy upper shock mounts. They are not designed for load, only the spring area of the frame is.
The guy at Eaton I ordered springs from surprised me by recommending against gas shocks. Says it is common for a harsh ride in older cars to be attributed to the stiff bite of gas shocks, and that a quality oil shock is what they recommend. Of course the QA1's he had are a little out of my price range, haha. Any thoughts on the Monroe Sensa-trac?
I bought Monroe's at the recommendation of Air Ride who's auxilary bags I put on for towing. I had air shocks on the wagon for 28 years. Never again will I put an air shock on anything I own. The difference in the ride is huge. I know others who also have gotten rid of their air shocks and are delighted. For the most part, Gabriel's and Monroe with the latter being the more common swap to.
The Sensa-Track is great on some cars, typically G.M. and surprisingly enough, Ma' Volvo 245. They are TERRIBLE on Fords. I had them on the 89 Grand Marquis, and they were too stiff on compression and too soft on extension. Wheel hop like you would not believe. Had them on for 10,000 kms (6,000 miles) and off they came. Back to Ford. My brother tried them on his 79 Thunderbird, The spring shop recommended them. The front ones failed in 2 months. Again, back with Ford parts. They were cheaper, too. If you can't get the Ford, try KYB. I've had them when I was told the Ford shocks were unavailable. They were almost as good as the Ford gas shocks, and only 25% more money.
Stopped at the local dealership today at lunch. The guy had to look up my application on microfiche, haha. He listed them as no longer available also, despite using 72 Ford as the reference. I didn't want to keep pestering him to check Lincoln, Mercury, T-Bird, Grand Torino, etc. Think I'll comb through Hemmings tonight, and see what turns up.
