Adding a few pics to share ride height currently 

KYB gas shocks for a 1970-sh VW sedan should work if you're just popping around with it.

Like the Gas-a-Just (white) jobs on here:

http://www2.cip1.com/SearchRes...yb+shock&Submit=

If you're not keen on the Gas-a-justs, then the GR-2 is a good shock, too.

A stock replacement oil shock usually works best; the only issue will be to measure from top to bottom while it's installed  and sitting to figure out whether a stock or shorter version is what you need. Or better yet, remove the fronts and measure how long they are compressed and extended, and then you can compare with what the parts guy has. Do you know if the car has lowered spindles or is most of the lowering done by the beam (either adjusters or turning the center section(s))? If it has lowered spindles then chances are that stock length shocks will be what the doctor ordered. In the back, GR2's seem to be a popular choice. Sorry I can't be more precise, but without knowing what's been done to the car...Al

PS- Just saw Gordon's reply above, and sorry Gordon, I disagree; the white KYB's are valved all wrong for a street car (especially the fronts!).

Thanks Guys, I was thinking the oil shocks is the way to go as well at least from all the data that I poured through that was the conclusion i came to. Al to answer your question the front is lowered by adjusters, I do not have drop spindles. In that case should I get the shorter fronts? This is what I was thinking I believer they are both liquid but i'm not 100% on the rear. Let me know if it's correct if you have a chance. 

Front:

http://www2.cip1.com/ProductDe...ProductCode=C13-9651

Rear:

http://www2.cip1.com/ProductDe...e=VWC-113-513-031-NP

Hey, Al!

Poopie Head!

I tried the shorter so-called "lowered" shocks on my car - lowered with Avis adjusters, not with dropped spindles - and had the "lowered" shocks (KYB's) reaching the ends of their limits occasionally.  Replaced them with Stock VW sedan set of adjustable Konis set to "soft" front and "medium" rear and have been running them ever since.  Gave away the "lowered" shocks at the Carlisle Raffle.   So I guess I did what Al says to do, but he's still a "poopiehead"  

(This site is SO much fun!)

 You're a double Poopie Head!!!!

Hoopster, if you're looking for a softer ride, I guess the first thing we should ask is what tire pressures are you running?

With a very light front end and an 80-year-old suspension design, our cars are usually happier with pressures very different than most modern cars. Many of us run under 20 psi up front and maybe mid to high 20's in back.

If you haven't yet, try that and see what happens. The front in particular is very sensitive to pressure variations, and 18 psi can feel very different than 22. VW recommended 18 psi up front for the sedan, BTW.

Very good point, Mitch! I'm reserving judgement on whether (or not) you're just another poopiehead like Gordon...

Hey Hoop,

I live in Mass. also and have a CMC.  Mine was orignally lowered by cutting and welding the top tube of the front beam. This gave a very harsh ride with normal tire pressures and gas shocks.  I replaced the beam with an adjustable job and used standard oil filled VW shocks (cheap) and dropped the tire pressures to about 25 psi and that helped a lot.  I've yet to drop tire pressures lower than that but others have.  Try that out first and go from there.

Frank 

Al, I believe it was Kierkegaard who once observed, "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me."

Frank C. posted:

Hey Hoop,

I live in Mass. also and have a CMC.  Mine was orignally lowered by cutting and welding the top tube of the front beam. This gave a very harsh ride with normal tire pressures and gas shocks.  I replaced the beam with an adjustable job and used standard oil filled VW shocks (cheap) and dropped the tire pressures to about 25 psi and that helped a lot.  I've yet to drop tire pressures lower than that but others have.  Try that out first and go from there.

Frank 

Drop the front tire pressure to 22lbs, go for a drive, come back and raise the front pressure back up to 25 and go for another drive. I'm interested in what you think...Al

Mitch- Ah, there we go. Sounds like poopiehead talk to me...

Al, technically, 'poopiehead' is the French spelling, from the old French poupier - to emit a foul odor.

When the word entered the English language after the Norman conquest in the late 11th century, the Middle English spelling poopyhead was favored in the few surviving texts from the period and is generally acknowledged by etymological scholars to be the accepted English spelling.

There is this citation from the latest edition of The Oxford English Dictionary:

Sacto Mitch posted:

 

Al, I believe it was Kierkegaard who once observed, "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me."

 

Mitch, Mitch, Mitch, please get your words straight. The quote (and I remember it like it was yesterday) is: "sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me"

words no, but names? They hurt like hell!

You guys are a bunch of nut jobs!

Sacto Mitch posted:

 

Al, I believe it was Kierkegaard who once observed, "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me."

 

If someone chooses to smack you in the head with the phone book you might change your mind about names never hurting you. And if you prefer Will's version a nice big, thick Oxford dictionary might change your mind also. I would never do that of course.  

Will Hesch posted:

Sacto Mitch posted:

 

Al, I believe it was Kierkegaard who once observed, "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me."

 

Mitch, Mitch, Mitch, please get your words straight. The quote (and I remember it like it was yesterday) is: "sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me"

words no, but names? They hurt like hell!

You're both poopieheads.

As the foremost 19th century existentialist authority in Steamfitters Local 353, I can assure you Kierkegaard never said that. He DID say, 

"How absurd men are! They never use the liberties they have, they demand those they do not have. They have freedom of thought, they demand freedom of speech."

And I'm pretty sure old Soren had a speedster he did his own work on as well, since he also said, 

"I see it all perfectly; there are two possible situations - one can either do this or that. My honest opinion and my friendly advice is this: do it or do not do it - you will regret both."

I think the sticks and stones thing was Plato. 

Cofap oil filled.

Will Hesch posted:

Sacto Mitch posted:

 

Al, I believe it was Kierkegaard who once observed, "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me."

 

Mitch, Mitch, Mitch, please get your words straight. The quote (and I remember it like it was yesterday) is: "sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me"

words no, but names? They hurt like hell!

Now you're getting too technical, Will. I'm starting to think you might just be a poopie head too...

And Poopie Head Mitch- I do have French Canadian blood running through my veins, so I naturally spell it that way!

Alb, the french blood, I know that well, that is why you got in trouble At Lanta.  

ALB posted:

Will Hesch posted:

Sacto Mitch posted:

 

Al, I believe it was Kierkegaard who once observed, "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me."

 

Mitch, Mitch, Mitch, please get your words straight. The quote (and I remember it like it was yesterday) is: "sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me"

words no, but names? They hurt like hell!

Now you're getting too technical, Will. I'm starting to think you might just be a poopie head too...

And Poopie Head Mitch- I do have French Canadian blood running through my veins, so I naturally spell it that way!

Wouldn't it be tête de merde in French?

Fixed it Ray, thanks. I hadn't noticed the autocorrect.

merge, is auto correct for merde! (poopoo)

I don't know about you guys being "Nut Jobs" (You Pineapple Head!), but I was left in here by my parents:

(sorry, I had to load it as a PDF - Theron's "Gonculator 5000" Image Deciphering App didn't like my JPEG file.  Look for the PDF attachment and open it (click on "Show" below right).  

And don't complain about all the work to get to see it - that's a sure sign of being a Poopiehead.) 

I sometimes wish they hadn't demolished that place . . . . . . I always felt "right" there.

And I thought "Scheisskopf"  had a real ring to it!

Does anyone remember why this thread is called "New Shocks" ?

This week has been the most entertaining series of SOC thread comments that I've experienced in my years of associating with you astonishingly witty, articulate, and knowledgeable contributors (knuckleheads?) to this shared (consuming?) obsession! 

BRAVO for maintaining your dignity in the face of insulting, infantile, petulance.

Because "Constantly Changing Directions" wasn't a compelling thread title.

Carl, in a highly un-deserved compliment of the group, wrote:

"BRAVO for maintaining your dignity in the face of insulting, infantile, petulance."

OK, well....That's because we had already worn out our "Flatulance".  

"Dignity" was all we had left and it was ebbing fast.

Isn't this thread more like "As the Stomach Turns"?

BRAVO GORDON!

That comment is EXACTLY what I mean by a witty, insightful, articulate contribution by this group that I'm so very proud to be accepted (tolerated?) by. 

Carl's being nice because I called him on the phone when I was out riding this morning.  BEAUTIFUL day to be out bike riding in New England and my avg. speed would have been higher were it not for the lots of other bikers to stop and BS with along the way.  Carl's part of the ride is highlighted in green - maybe 5 miles or so, all tree-covered back roads.  Thanks for the chat, Carl!

BTW:  Carl told me he was re-aquainting his VS with an engine, today, with help from a local friend who's a good mechanic.  The cell connection was poor at that point, so I don't know if it is to be air-cooled or if he's installing the Suby engine he picked up.

Either way, pretty exciting stuff at the Berry Patch!

YES...finally, finally, at last, the Hiroshima exploded 2110 is being replaced with the low mileage Pat Downs built 2054 from Carey Hines. My mechanic friend is providing the tools and will be looking over my shoulder with directions and calming encouragement because despite my official $18.50 service manual I've but a vague confidence of how to intelligently go about doing what has to get done and probably wouldn't recognize making a catastrophic error......I'm thinking a chilled six-pac should get us through this wrenching adventure! 

That's great, Carl!

You'll do a great job.

Congratulations, send pictures and money for advice.

Frank C. posted:

Hey Hoop,

I live in Mass. also and have a CMC.  Mine was orignally lowered by cutting and welding the top tube of the front beam. This gave a very harsh ride with normal tire pressures and gas shocks.  I replaced the beam with an adjustable job and used standard oil filled VW shocks (cheap) and dropped the tire pressures to about 25 psi and that helped a lot.  I've yet to drop tire pressures lower than that but others have.  Try that out first and go from there.

Frank 

Thanks Frank, Gordon and Al. I took it for a ride today with lower pressure and the ride was much better however believe there is still room for improvement. I'm going to to Order up stock VW oil filled and see how it works out. Looks like this thread started a war of the poopie heads so took me a while to weed through it! Good luck with the war! 

I may have missed it but what shocks were recommended for a softer ride? Also, can we come up with something a little grittier than the word poopie. PLEASE? I can't even stand typing it.

Rusty S posted:

... can we come up with something a little grittier than the word poopie. PLEASE? I can't even stand typing it.

I'm with Rusty on this.

Poopiehead, or the more generally accepted spelling (outside this forum) poopyhead lacks some of the machismo that's needed in a car guys forum.

We need something between poopyhead and douchebag, although I think douchebag is a largely under-appreciated epithet.

For a while, I thought twat waffle was gaining some traction (and don't dwell on that metaphor any longer than you need to), but it, too, appears to have, well, grown old.

So, faced with this dilemma in the past, I think that's where knucklehead came from.

Knucklehead has a nice, grizzled, anglo-saxon sound to it, doesn't make you squirm when you type it, and generally describes most of the douchebags who hang out here.

No offense.

I like knucklehead as well, but Bob is OK.

Rusty S posted:

I may have missed it but what shocks were recommended for a softer ride? Also, can we come up with something a little grittier than the word poopie. PLEASE? I can't even stand typing it.

I think Poopiehead is perfect.

It's completely ridiculous, juvenile, and stupid-- and takes the conversation directly back to early elementary school... which is where a very small element of this site would like it to be.

Really-- online macho-men?

Poopieheads.

Richard Cranium

Two of the best posts of the week directly above.