In a quest to make my truck ( 1946 GMC 1/2 ton) ride and handle better I am going to install tube type shocks. Great improvements have been made so far with radial tires and a front anti-sway bar. I also replaced the shackles and spring bolts on the rear and this week the front end is getting the same treatment. I pulled some leafs out of the springs on the back and will remove one out of the front to soften the ride. The removal of the rear leafs didn't change the stance of the truck much at all but it made the ride much less harsh.
I couldn't find a single thread on the forum about doing this swap of tube shocks in place of knee action shocks. I took some measurements of the suspension bottomed out and then with the axle hanging and decided a 5 inch travel shock has plenty of travel. I chose a Monroe 5751 shock with Compressed Length 8.500 In. Extended Length 13.440 In and Travel Length 4.940 In. I'll weld up some mounts and report how it goes.
Does any have any thoughts on this endeavor? I know the knee action shocks supposedly work "just fine" but I have to give this experiment a try! I am open to any advice as I haven't ordered the shocks yet. One specific question I have concerns oil versus gas filled shocks. The fine folks at Detroit Eaton Springs say in one of their videos that older vehicles don't respond well to gas shocks and oil filled shocks are the way to go. Problem is , I can't find "oil filled" shocks anywhere. Actually I think all shocks have some oil in them but I don't know what Detroit Eaton is talking about and they didn't answer my email. Anyone know anything about "oil versus gas shocks?
Thanks for any input!
David
