BUSY BOLTERS Are you one?  The Shop Area
continues to pull in the most views on the Stovebolt. In August alone there were over 22,000 views in those 13 forums.
| | Click on image for the lowdown. 
====
| | | Forums66 Topics126,776 Posts1,039,274 Members48,100 | | Most Online2,175
Jul 21st, 2025 | | | | Joined: Oct 2012 Posts: 307 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Oct 2012 Posts: 307 | I have a 58 Chevy step van that is a food truck. It has a fair amount of weight in back and was looking for some heavy duty/commercial shocks that would fit a 3400. I found some Gabriel's that will work ok, but wondering if there are any other options. I welcome all opinions.
1958 Chevy Grumman Olson step van
| | | | | Joined: Apr 2005 Posts: 7,442 Bolter | | Bolter Joined: Apr 2005 Posts: 7,442 | Just a note........ shocks don’t carry weight. They control rebound. Exception is shocks with springs or air shocks.ðŸ›
Martin
'62 Chevy C-10 Stepside Shortbed (Restomod in progress)
'47 Chevy 3100 5 Window (long term project)
‘65 Chevy Biscayne (Emily)
‘39 Dodge Business Coupe (Clarence)
“I fought the law and the law won" now I are a retired one!
Support those brave men/women who stand the "Thin Blue Line"! Hug a cop!
USAF 1965-1969 Weather Observation Tech (I got paid to look at the clouds)
| | | | | Joined: Oct 2012 Posts: 307 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Oct 2012 Posts: 307 | Yes, I'm just thinking of something that will be a little more rigid for corners and such.
1958 Chevy Grumman Olson step van
| | | | | Joined: May 2015 Posts: 9,830 Housekeeping (Moderator) Making a Stovebolt Bed & Paint and Body Shop Forums | | Housekeeping (Moderator) Making a Stovebolt Bed & Paint and Body Shop Forums Joined: May 2015 Posts: 9,830 | Yes, I'm just thinking of something that will be a little more rigid for corners and such. Sway bars would help restrict body lean in corners. Or you could put air bags on it to level it up. As Martin said, shocks don't carry any load.
Kevin 1951 Chevy 3100 work truckFollow this saga in Project JournalPhotos 1929 Ford pickup restored from the ground up. | 1929 Ford Special Coupe (First car) Busting rust since the mid-60's If you're smart enough to take it apart, you darn well better be smart enough to put it back together. | | | | | Joined: Feb 2004 Posts: 28,674 Kettle Custodian (pot stirrer) | | Kettle Custodian (pot stirrer) Joined: Feb 2004 Posts: 28,674 | All a set of stiffer shocks will do is make the ride harsh and beat up whatever cargo you're hauling. If you want more stability in turns, install a rear anti-roll (not sway) bar. It's a U-shaped bar that attaches to both frame rails and to the rear end at the spring plates. It allows unrestricted up and down motion of the rear end when hitting bumps, but it restricts body roll in a turn. Heavy duty bars front and rear will add stability without making the ride rougher.
Jerry
"It is better to be silent and be thought a fool than to speak and eliminate all doubt!" - Abraham Lincoln
Cringe and wail in fear, Eloi- - - - -we Morlocks are on the hunt!
There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self. - Ernest Hemingway
Love your enemies and drive 'em nuts!
| | | | | Joined: May 2015 Posts: 9,830 Housekeeping (Moderator) Making a Stovebolt Bed & Paint and Body Shop Forums | | Housekeeping (Moderator) Making a Stovebolt Bed & Paint and Body Shop Forums Joined: May 2015 Posts: 9,830 | It's a U-shaped bar that attaches to both frame rails and to the rear end at the spring plates. It allows unrestricted up and down motion of the rear end when hitting bumps, but it restricts body roll in a turn. That's what I meant. If that isn't a sway bar, then what is? I have a feeling it's just semantics.
Kevin 1951 Chevy 3100 work truckFollow this saga in Project JournalPhotos 1929 Ford pickup restored from the ground up. | 1929 Ford Special Coupe (First car) Busting rust since the mid-60's If you're smart enough to take it apart, you darn well better be smart enough to put it back together. | | | | | Joined: Feb 2004 Posts: 28,674 Kettle Custodian (pot stirrer) | | Kettle Custodian (pot stirrer) Joined: Feb 2004 Posts: 28,674 | A "sway bar" is actually a Panhard rod, a straight bar which attaches to the frame on one side, and to the rear end housing on the other. It prevents side to side movement of the body and frame, relative to the rear end. Both types of bars have their uses, but a Panhard rod won't reduce body lean in a turn. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panhard_rodhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-roll_barJerry
"It is better to be silent and be thought a fool than to speak and eliminate all doubt!" - Abraham Lincoln
Cringe and wail in fear, Eloi- - - - -we Morlocks are on the hunt!
There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self. - Ernest Hemingway
Love your enemies and drive 'em nuts!
| | | | | Joined: Sep 2001 Posts: 29,262 Bubba - Curmudgeon | | Bubba - Curmudgeon Joined: Sep 2001 Posts: 29,262 | On our Advance-Design Trucks/Stovebolts, GM called it a "Ride Stabilizer", or, "Front Stabilizer".
That terminology was used by GM through 1957, at least. | | | | | Joined: May 2015 Posts: 9,830 Housekeeping (Moderator) Making a Stovebolt Bed & Paint and Body Shop Forums | | Housekeeping (Moderator) Making a Stovebolt Bed & Paint and Body Shop Forums Joined: May 2015 Posts: 9,830 | Yep, Semantics  From the wikipedia link: An anti-roll bar (roll bar, anti-sway bar, sway bar, stabilizer bar) Panhard bar: AKA Track Bar isn't what I would call a sway bar either.
Kevin 1951 Chevy 3100 work truckFollow this saga in Project JournalPhotos 1929 Ford pickup restored from the ground up. | 1929 Ford Special Coupe (First car) Busting rust since the mid-60's If you're smart enough to take it apart, you darn well better be smart enough to put it back together. | | | | | Joined: Sep 2001 Posts: 29,262 Bubba - Curmudgeon | | Bubba - Curmudgeon Joined: Sep 2001 Posts: 29,262 | Oops, I was referring to a front-end stabilizer.  My bad - sorry. | | |
|
|
