Shocks?

I'm new to the speedster game and picked up a CMC in good shape. It sits on a 70 VW and I want to change out the shocks. It has independent system in the rear. Any suggestions

Go to Napa or Autozone or any place like that and get stock beetle sedan shocks for a 1970 car.

The cheaper (and softer) the better.

Gordon
The Speedstah Guy from Beaufort.

Agreed. You'll enjoy the ride a whole lot more.

I'm disappointed in this topic. I was expecting post-Carlisle recommendations regarding defibrillators.

Wh-wh-wh-wh-what-t-t-t-t-t??????

Shocking! I'm just sayin'...

All them egg sammiches, Gordon....

GK

The Cheaper and Softer the Better? I'm saving for 4 Konis...ill let you know the difference in the ride.

What Alan 'DrClock' said x 2! Koni's only if you're going to do nothing but Auto-X your Speedy.

Koni's on a speedster will make dentures come loose , I'm just say'n.

I hope you guys are wrong, because I'm installing Konis on my IM. They're adjustable, so I set the fronts to 'full soft' and I'll set the rears, when they get here, to 'hard'.
I ordered them from Koni USA in early January and I received the fronts a few weeks ago and the rears will be here next week. If you want to order Konis be prepared to wait, as they have to come from Holland.

I'm running KYB GR2s and the ride did not deteriorate. In fact it feels a bit tighter, but not harsher. Leon tells me that hey provide damping in both directions, while the stocks only do so in compression.

some say soft and cheap others say koni performance

I had KYB gas on the front before and they were way too stiff.

I am running KYB GR-2 on the front of my Spyder(rears are adjustable coilovers) and like them. I actually wish they were just a bit stiffer, but definitely better than the Cofaps, they were too soft.

Does Bilstein make them? I'll bet they do but I like the idea of the Koni adjustables.

Konis come with a lifetime warranty. pay for them once and send them out to have them rebuilt when they when they go. A lot of VW bug and Porsche 356 owners running these. Ive heard most don't send them to be rebuilt, they simply firm them up one turn and are good to go. I haven't herd they ride rough until now.

I chatted with Henry R of IM in Carlisle. I asked him about one of the A arm conversions, he suggested I try the Monroe 32022 front shocks first. From a 1968 Dodge Dart?
They should come this Thursday. $14 each with free shipping is worth a shot.

Lane Anderson and I both run the KYB GR-2 shocks.........They're road shocks, not track shocks, and won't float your kidneys on a 500 mile trip.......

i think the gr2 is oil filled, while the gr1 is a gas shock, the oil or stock wil work better on the front. bill

Bilsteins are gas and non adjustable.

I believe that he GR2s have a small gas charge to keep the oil from foaming, but it is not high pressure.

Lane,

Are you running a sway bar with the GR2s?

Stock or heavy duty?

Thanks.

Just a camber compensator in the rear. The Beck frame looks like it would interfere with a front sway bar, and I haven't really felt the need for one yet.

Sounds good. I have a pair of GR2s, I guess that they're going on the front. One more problem solved.

Thanks again ! ! !

Bill, how much does a 68 Dodge dart weigh in the front? The shocks are going to be valved way too much for the amount of mass they need to control in a speedster/spyder.

I bought some Monroe's @ NAPA that fit, but damn they rode HARD! They were for some American car, I forget which.

Henry said they are softer than the Empi HD units stock on a VS.

When we came upon the downed motorcycle on the Crest nailing the brakes caused the front to hop and skid like crazy! I backed out and then braked sticking letting me come to a stop.

IM still builds VW based front ends in their base model using the Monroe 32022.

The Dodge Dart front shocks are an old VW drag racers weapon of choice. They're as cheap as can be from AutoZone, NAPA and the like and have a 90/10 or maybe even 50/10 rating. They drop quickly and return nicely so if the nose comes up during launch the wheels will stay on the track and when the nose comes back down, you don't get bounced out of your seat. They really help keep control of the car during the most crucial and dangerous few seconds of the ride.

They're also great for spirited street driving and not all all as harsh as you would suspect, because of the odd Mopar torsion bar front suspension of the time. Even with the big wedge, the Dart didn't plow up front. In a VW, they really work well.

Then I stand corrected, maybe I'll have to try them. Thanks!

He's right. i have some KYBs on the front end of the speedster now but back in the mid 70's i put some dodge dart shocks on the front of my cal-look bug after we cut the torsion bars to lower the thing...the shocks worked great !!! i think i bought them at Sears...

I aimed for every bump I used to avoid. Hard braking in a corner with no hop! When I press down on the fender it goes down and slow up. It was hard as a rock!
Henry was correct!! A great shock for these light cars!

I now have to take them off.....


To paint them red with Koni stickers from Sierra Madre Madre Collection. $14 for the shock and $3 for the decal.



Thank you Henry!!!! What should I put on the rear?

SOB I learned something new today!

Received my rear Konis today. I set them at 1/2 turn down from full hard. Hopefully, this will work with my fronts, which are set at 1/2 turn up from full soft.