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Anyone else do their own rear shock conversion?

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regularman

regularman

Yoda
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I am doing mine and trialed some low cost off the shelf shocks and I will be making brackets and see how it goes. Its been a while since had time to do any more work on my Midets. The yellow 71 has been doing well. I got a lot of new parts for the 77, but I need to hunker down and get that sprite bonnet right before I do any more on that.
 
Kim, I totally forgot that you had a rubber bumper project. I was recently given one and I'm try to decide how to proceed. I'm thinking about making it mechanically sound and selling it on. I have enough projects without adding a whole nother car.

Remind me again, what are your plans for yours?
 
I've got a NOS adjustible Spax Bugeye kit that supposedly is NLA that I'm willing to part with.
 
Easy.

Use Monroe Road Sensor shocks part # 5877R (or equivalent). They are the correct length.

To mount the shock at the lower end, flip the U-bolt plate upside down (this is the plate in the center of the rear leaf spring that the U-bolts go through). Use the original shock mount hole in that plate.

Attach the upper end of the shock to the hole that was used for the rubber limiting strap (you'll have to enlarge the hole).

You will probably have to use and extra long bolts and spacers at both ends to get clearance for the shock and keep it fairly vertical (as viewed from the rear).

Reposition the limit strap to a new, drilled hole.

You can see some of this in the photo below (ignore the panhard rod and alternate battery location)

panhard1.jpg
 
I already acquired some shocks so I am going to make them work. I did all the figuring on Saturday. Wow, so many ideas here. I have access to some metal and a shop, so I am going to make some brackets and at least try it. I am wanting to keep the cover shields on the shocks and I think I can do that.
Treavor, the tube shock conversion is on my 71 (the yellow one), the 77 I have as my current project, I have not even started on the suspension on it yet(but I have lots of parts). I will wait and see what I am going to do with shocks on it. Its a couple inches taller than my 71 and so I would like to lower it so it doesn't lean so much. I have a bugeye nose that I got from coastalman that I am repairing and will be putting on the 77. It will be a true spridget.
 
aeronca65t said:
Easy.

Use Monroe Road Sensor shocks part # 5877R (or equivalent). They are the correct length.

To mount the shock at the lower end, flip the U-bolt plate upside down (this is the plate in the center of the rear leaf spring that the U-bolts go through). Use the original shock mount hole in that plate.

Attach the upper end of the shock to the hole that was used for the rubber limiting strap (you'll have to enlarge the hole).

You will probably have to use and extra long bolts and spacers at both ends to get clearance for the shock and keep it fairly vertical (as viewed from the rear).

Reposition the limit strap to a new, drilled hole.

You can see some of this in the photo below (ignore the panhard rod and alternate battery location)

panhard1.jpg
Click to expand...
What is that read bar? Something for anti-sway?
 
That'd be a panhard for lateral axle location.
 
Nial, couldn't you leave the strap off and let the shock limit the travel like evertything else does?
 
That's what I did on my set up. But I am using a different shock than Niall. The full extension length of my shock is a little less than Nials.
 
Did the change over yesterday and it went well. I made 2 triangular brackets out of 1/4" plate and put a couple bends in them. The shocks are common for a bunch of different vehicles and I got the pair off ebay for under 30 bucks. I also got a a couple fuel pumps off of ebay called herko. Put one on yesterday and the other in my bag of spares in the trunk. It seems to work fine. The car handles better and rides with less vibration on the interstate now. I am happy with it. I also put some home made supports to hold and adjust the arches on the bugeye bonnet that I have for the white midget. They worked out pretty well. I need to have the bride help me put it back on the white one and make sure the supports don't hit anything .
 
Hey Kim interested in seeing the supports you made for the bonnet. Hey, I set up a bridle to allow me to install the BE Bonnet on Bugsy by myself in about 5 minutes with my front tilting bonnet. I use a couple of eyebolts secured with washers and bolts through the mirror holes on the fender. Pretty good balance point there. S Hooks and rope attach to each eyebolt and go to a single rope through a pulley setup attached to a beam in the garage. I used some old sailing hardware along with a mainsheet cleat I had in the back of the garage but I've seen similar setups for hoisting bikes up to the ceiling available for a few bucks.

Start with bonnet standing on end, raise with bridle to get off of the ground a foot, pull down on front of bonnet and it will balance horizontally with about 20 lbs of pressure on the front. Raise high enough to clear fenders, rotate into place and lower bonnet into place. Caution, be sure and place a piece of cardboard over the battery and cables just in case. No I have not experienced an issue but caution is in order. Happy to send pics if you want.
 
A friend fitted an aftermarket tube shock set up to his MGB and completely ruined the ride. He ended up taking it off and going back to levers so it would appear that the shock selection is critical.
Good to see you are getting it worked out, Kim.


Kurt.
 
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