A place to preserve the past, present and future of the Corvair. An ever evolving knowledge base made up of Corvair Enthusiasts from all over the world. (Note: no ads for logged in members). https://www.corvairforum.com/forum/
I'm planning to replace the rear shocks on my 67 tomorrow, and I need a little information.
Is the shock the hard stop for the spring so that the shock holds some compression in the spring at full suspension droop? If so, then I would think that you would have to compress the spring before installing new shocks, but I didn't see any mention of that in the shop manual. Do you have to compress the spring before installing the lower shock bolt or can you install the shock with the suspension unloaded?
Thanks for the info!
John
Re: LM - Shock Absorber Question
Posted: Wed Jul 02, 2014 8:04 pm
by davemotohead
The shock acts like a travel stop on LM cars, change them with the car on the ground,If you have it jacked up and remove the shock it will fly apart from the spring pressure.
Re: LM - Shock Absorber Question
Posted: Thu Jul 03, 2014 1:41 pm
by JP_REX
Dave,
Thanks for the reply. I did exactly as you described and replaced the shocks in no time. I was really surprised how fast I got the job done.
For those of you looking for LM rear shocks in the future, I used Gabriel 69606 ($28/pc from Autozone, less at RockAuto). They are almost an exact fit. The only thing special I had to do was tap the sleeves for the lower bolts out of the old shocks and push them into the lower bolt holes on the new shocks. The sleeves were held in the old shocks by rubber bushings, but I drilled out the old rubber and then was able to easily tap them out with a hammer. The sleeves slid into the new shocks with just hand pressure. With that very minor modification done, they fit just like the old.
This is one of the few times I've got a part from a local store that actually fit my Corvair.
John
Re: LM - Shock Absorber Question
Posted: Thu Jul 03, 2014 2:16 pm
by bbodie52
I checked, and these shocks are available at Amazon.com. With current discounts and free shipping, the sell for $19.65 each!
Gabriel 69606 Ultra Passenger Car Shock
by Gabriel
Price: $23.01 & FREE Shipping on orders over $35
Save an Extra 20% on Gabriel Shocks & Struts
Save an extra 20% on Gabriel shocks & struts. Discount registered at checkout. Offer valid through July 31, 2014, and on products sold and shipped directly by Amazon.com. See other deals in our Automotive DIY in July sale.
Order Summary
Items (2): $46.02
Shipping & handling: $10.89
Gabriel Discount: -$9.20
Free shipping: -$10.89
Total before tax: $36.82
Estimated tax to be collected: $2.48
Order total: $39.30
