air shocks Monroe or Gabriel

[troyschwab]

Hello everyone. i've been looking for some clear definitive answers on which air shocks i can use on my king pin front end. i'm a visual person so i figured i'd share a youtube video i've made to help clear some things up. if it helps you then great. i know there are many people here who know their sh!t and will certainly see something i've done wrong or called it something wrong etc. i just know that finding this video would have helped me out so I'm trying to share the little bits i've learned thus far. i will continue to post as i complete my little project.

here is a link to the video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DYSbFyk6AA

[TDCTDI]

You need to stop watching that fucking idiot. After seeing how much material that he cut out of the trailing arm & the shock tower, he is case & point of what not to do with a car.

The shock towers were not designed to bear the weight of the car.

The interference issues are usually "remedied" by the lowered beam suppliers by moving the upper mount up & rearward in addition to mounting the shock upside down. The shock absorber is NOT designed to work upside down & moving the upper mount back causes interference with the tie rods.
_________________
Everybody born before 1975 has a story, good, bad, or indifferent, about a VW.


GOFUNDYOURSELF, quit asking everyone to do it for you!


An air cooled VW will make you a hoarder.


Do something, anything, to your project every day, and you will eventually complete it.

[troyschwab]

1st off. why would i be afraid to cut anything from my car when i have the ability to weld it back together? remember this is me trying to do research and figure it out as I go. how else do people learn? perhaps your are afraid to tear into things? fucking idiot seems like a pretty harsh way to say you disagree with what i'm doing. if you are an angry person by nature then best of luck to you, maybe you should not torment yourself by trolling forums? i'm simply trying to do someone else a favor by showing them what I've found.

by the way, i've been driving my car these last few days with no issues what so ever other than not having enough air in the small tank so i can play with it constantly.

my trailing arms had perhaps 1/8"- 1/4" sanded off of them with a flap disk sander and rounded nicely. that is in no way enough to cause any reason for concern.

my shocks are not upside down as you recommend and with the Gabriel i would not have needed to clearance anything as i mentioned in the video.

there for by watching the video i posted... someone would probably buy the Gabriels first and not the Monroe and not cut into their beam.

you see now what i did there TDCTDI????

regardless of you being a dick. i'm sure someone will find something in the video that will help them or save them some time. which is why i posted it. not to have some asshole wine about a video he didn't like.

[TDCTDI]

OHH, that was YOU that ground down a trailing arm to gain clearance for aftermarket parts to achieve a look , sorry... NAH, I'm not sorry in the least, taking away material on vital suspension components is a REALLY fucking stupid thing to do. Unfortunately, I doubt that you'll edit your vid to say as much & some other kid will come along & think "This guy did it & posted it so it must be the way to do it"


Here's a screen shot...

"Only 1/8" - 1/4" of a part that's only 1" is ONLY 15-25% of the part's integrity (& it looks like you went deeper than that.). The only thing that you have going for you is the fact that it is no longer required to bear the weight of the vehicle since you have eliminated the spring pack (Or maybe you just lowered them) & are transmitting the load to the lower shock bolt.
_________________
Everybody born before 1975 has a story, good, bad, or indifferent, about a VW.


GOFUNDYOURSELF, quit asking everyone to do it for you!


An air cooled VW will make you a hoarder.


Do something, anything, to your project every day, and you will eventually complete it.

[troyschwab]

again.... the purpose of posting the video is to show people the Gabriel is a much better fit. had I seen these videos I would have purchased the Gabriel rather than the Monroe which every other post on the samba seems to suggest.

i was the guy following the forum and it led me down the wrong path. I found the Gabriel was a better option and that it would have worked without having to clearance anything.

so in short.... what i did can be chalked up to R&D. and i wanted to share my findings with the other people in the same boat.

I do agree, that photo makes it look like a lot was taken out but it is quite deceiving.

[cbeck]

Shimming shocks sideways for clearance? I vote hack. A well respected racer showed the world how I did my shock mounts wrong, I did not waste any time cutting them out and doing it right. And then I thanked him.
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My cut in half and rebuild thread
www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=647779

[theastronaut]

I hope you don't drive this on the street, or anywhere around other people... That arm is ruined.

_________________
Strive for perfection in everything. Take the best that exist and make it better. If it doesn't exist, create it. Accept nothing nearly right or good enough."
-Sir Henry Royce, co-founder of Rolls-Royce

'64 Beetle Sunroof OG Bahama Blue
'63 Beetle Vert
'66 Beetle
'88 Festiva L
'89 Festiva L
'64 Chevy C10
'66 Chevy C10

[62L41Sedan]

I've searched (for those who get upset when they see a repeat question) ... but I'm just looking for an air shock that would "plug and play" on the front suspension. Not looking at modifying the shock towers or cutting anything off. I have a 65 frame on a 68 Deserter Dune Buggy and I'd just like the ability to raise/lower the front end as needed. Thanks for any advice.
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Charlie Tupper
Edisto Island SC
1962 VW Sedan (L41)
1965 Deserter Dune Buggy (1968 kit/1977 engine)
1969 VW Squareback (L40)-Automatic

[Erik G]

[troyschwab]

[TDCTDI]