Re: [Amc-list] : Gabriel "Classic" shocks...

[farna@xxxxxxx]

A: Try a regular shock with a Jeep XJ bar pin eliminator. That's what we do 
for extra lifted XJs and MJs.
---------------

I finally found a pic that showed me how that works! All it does is replace the bar end shock in an XJ (the end has a bar the end eye with a bolt hole or slot on each end fromt the factory) with a standard open eye end shock. 

I used a bar end shock for a while. The problem is the stamped steel lower arms on a 50-61 Classic and 50-63 Nash Rambler/American aren't very wide. You can barely srill a 1/4" hole in the top of the arm flange to bole the shock to it. It works using grade 8 bolts, but just so. 

The bottom eye is larger than a normal shock. It has a 1" diameter two piece spacer (half slipe in the eye from each side) with a 3/8" hole through it. The bolt goes through the arms and spacer, squeezing the spacer between the arms and stabilizing the arms. The spacers can't be eliminated without something else to stabilize the arms. The entire lower arm assembly will come of as one unit, so you could weld a piece of plate across the arms, but then would have to cut that plate to get the trunnion or inner arm bushings off. Put in a new trunnion and bushings, assemble, then weld. Good for at least 100K miles/10 years -- or more, depending on conditions. The trunnion will practically last forever as long as it is kept greades with a good moly grease, the bushing will deteriorate with age and use much faster -- unless you never grease the trunnion. But most people don't want to do anything like that. 

If the trunnion cap holes in the arms are badly worn and no replacements can be found (big car arms will interchange if you change the inner rubber bushing though!), the trunnion caps can be welded in after the unit is assembled. The problem with that is the same -- in order to replace the trunnion or bushings one of the arms must be cut and replaced. So if that repair method is ever used, it would be prudent to look for a set of replacement arms for future use. Again, there's over 100K/10 years in such a repair, so if it's a seldom driven car it's worth doing. Just find arms later to line the next owner up.

--
Frank Swygert
Publisher, "American Motors Cars" 
Magazine (AMC)
For all AMC enthusiasts
http://farna.home.att.net/AMC.html
(free download available!)
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