[DeTomaso] Front Shock Question

JDeRyke at aol.com JDeRyke at aol.com
Sat Mar 20 14:49:32 EDT 2010


Whatever shocks you get, I recommend installing polyurethane bushings, at 
least in the lower mounts. Reason is, the weight of the car will collapse 
rubber lower rear shock bushings. This collapse then distorts the rubber enough 
so   the lower shock body touches the a-arm mounting bracket. A 
hard-to-locate thump or squeek and eventual shock damage will result. I had this happen 
with stock blue-body Telecars and orange-body Konis. Nothing wrong with the 
shocks- the noise was strictly from the rubber bushings not able to take 
the constant load. 
Note also that after changing the shocks over completely to polyurethane 
bushings, no detectable increase in road noise resulted- and I used a dB meter 
in the cab to verify this. Then I changed all the a-arm bushings and the 
front & rear swaybar mounts to poly- still no extra noise but much better 
handling. Now, I'm running Koni gas shocks with metal rod-ends in place of 
bushings, and there's STILL no detectable road noise increase. So if someone 
tells you that extra noise will result with polyurethane bushings, they are 
mistaken. Good luck- J DeRyke



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