Tube shock conversion?

[Wana]

Anyone here ever converted to "modern" tube shocks on their BJ8? I would really like to improve the driveability of my car, particularly on twisty, rough highways. Seems like every crack in the road is transmitted to the body and steering wheel and when cornering at speed it can get interesting sometimes. I've read Putzke's testimonials and it sounds like it provides quite an improvement, but I'm wondering if I would be disappointed in the amount of improvement after spending many $$'s. Any comments?

 

[Bruce Bowker]

Have not done it but doubt it will be a huge improvement over a car's suspension technology that is nearly 40 years old to start.

Bruce

 

[Keoke]

HiBruce, Surprisingly adding the adjustable tube shocks to these old cars can improve the handeling imensely. I have not converted mine but have driven others and it is a significant improvement over the levers.---Keoke

 

[Dave Russell]

How many people compare a new lever shock to a new tube shock. Usually the comparison is between an old lever shock & a new tube shock, with the conclusion that the tube shock is a great improvement, which of course, it is.
D

 

[Keoke]

I almost goofed huh Dave??---Keoke /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

Peter did mine too with uprated valves

 

[Dave Russell]

I was fully prepared to try tube shocks & pay the fairly high cost of conversion kits. As an experiment, I first tried new top quality lever shocks (actually rebuilt by Peter) with the intention of changing to tubes if needed. The good lever shocks were such an improvement that I didn't bother with the tubes. Plenty of tube shocks were available in the 50's & 60's if Healey had wished to use them. A lever shock can feel pretty good when manually operated but still be way down in damping ability compared to a "good" one.

The good load sensitive adjustable rate tube shocks may be an advantage for all out competition, however the factory race Healeys didn't seem to feel a need for them & they were available then.

IMO, the main advantage of tube shocks on later production cars is that they are considerably cheaper to manufacture, replace, find room for, & require less expensive brackets & no links.

Just like the highly vaunted rack & pinion steering. It's much cheaper to build & to find chassis room for. Not particulary better steering than a good worm & peg system which requires noticeably more parts & space.

Often the newer designs are just cheaper to build. Manufacturing economy has become the number one goal.

I'll get off my soap box now. To each his own.
D

 

[Keoke]

Well Dave, that may be,but FAHRPASS's new kit with the Bilstein adjustable shocks is awsome ill tell you.The complete kit price of~$850 is not too bad. Additionally, somewhere in the mill is another kit with new Aluminum upper "A" and lower arms fashioned like the XK Jag units.I saw the proto type in SanDiego a couple of years ago but have not seen any products on the market yet. However, what I saw looked very good and was well made.Im not in love with using the existing upper shock as the upper "A" arm .There are a number of other changes that will probably come to market in the not to distant future.---Keoke

 

[Hangtown Healey]

I went from worn levers to front Koni's in the 70's. And there was an improvement. But I was always dissapointed in that I thought the rear's were more of a problem and the Koni rear kit seemed poorly engineered so never got the rar kit. Now I have gone from front Koni's to Udo's kit front and rear and can say that there is another improvement.

 

[msoylemez]

Wow, timely post(s) for me as I am almost about to buy the Frontline front conversions. Can anyone tell me what other mod kits they would recommend, and where I can find them? Thanks--

 

[Wana]

Here's the one I am looking at: https://www.putzkes-fahrspass.com