Do shocks drop with age

[Ryan King]

Dana you do raise a good point, and a concern I always had with John's rear shock setup.

Perhaps the change in height is the collar letting go and sliding downwards (very scary)

You can buy NOS rear Girlings for $75 a set you know? Great deal if you ask me and properly designed for the rear "coilover" setup.

I went BACK to the original Girling shocks for the rear. Other aftermarket shocks aren't designed to handle the weight of our engines. I blew out to sets of shocks in the rear, and too many to count for the front. The fronts were due to lowered suspension. I went back to stock height in the fronts, and opted for a KYB set for the front. No regrets. Car rides great.

-Ryan

[Lwanmtr]

I'd almost think my shocks have collapsed a bit...they are old, crusty and hard.... and one was even leaking.

[DMCMW Dave]

You can buy NOS rear Girlings for $75 a set you know? Great deal if you ask me and properly designed for the rear "coilover" setup.

Agree - the NOS Girlings at $75 a pair are a smokin' deal especially if you are retrofitting from one of the collared designs that has failed and want to economize. They typically ride very well as, although they are 30+ years old any that I've seen are still holding pressure. Just don't forget to get the retainers (4 needed) at the same time unless they are still in the car somewhere. Part 101205A but any of the shops ought to have dozens of them laying around as they are not used on any of the conversions.

The best solution is the current aftermarket shock from the DMC dealers, but if you are on a budget the Girlings work well.

[DMC-81]

The best solution is the current aftermarket shock from the DMC dealers, but if you are on a budget the Girlings work well.

I agree. That is what I ended up going with. I like that they are plug and play, painted black, with poly bushings, and I think 17 adjustments on the dial on both front and rear shocks. They look like very sturdy units, and I'm happy with them so far.

I know that it is to each their own on these parts, but I happen to be very concerned about the clamp on collar solution.

[Nicholas R]

The best solution is the current aftermarket shock from the DMC dealers, but if you are on a budget the Girlings work well.

What are the current aftermarket shocks from the DMC dealers?

Because the website shows these:


But I thought it may be these:

[David T]

As long as we are talking about shocks, I am amazed that unless you have a very high mileage car, the shocks are leaking or otherwise damaged, the original ones can still work satisfactorily.

[Jason]

I had front springs on my car that slowly dropped with age and eventually had to be replaced because the car rode too low. Could it be your spring is going bad?

[Patrick C]

What are the current aftermarket shocks from the DMC dealers?

Because the website shows these:


But I thought it may be these:

All of the DMC vendors sell Ed Uding's shock kits now.

Grady appears to sell similar now too:
https://www.pjgrady.com/product/avo-...uspension-kit/

[Drive Stainless]

All of the DMC vendors sell Ed Uding's shock kits now.

Grady appears to sell similar now too:
https://www.pjgrady.com/product/avo-...uspension-kit/

Does AVO actually have an American distributor, or are all of the vendors importing the shocks from the UK on their own behalf?

Something to consider:
We've seen past failures with the SPAX suspension. As a result, the vendors have stopped carrying them. Should one of these AVO suspension components break and cause injury as a result of a manufacturing defect, who will you sue? With no American distributor, it's unlikely you could get personal jurisdiction over UK-based AVO. Therefore, you'd be stuck suing in the UK, which means you'd have an uphill battle from the very beginning with finding a UK-based attorney, paying to lodge and fly your witnesses to the UK, and then you'd pray for justice from an unavoidably biased English jury. Good luck.

On the other hand, you could buy a USA-made suspension manufactured right here in Minnesota and with dealers located throughout the nation (http://www.qa1.net/dealers). If trouble finds you, you can almost certainly sue QA1 in your home or neighboring state based on specific jurisdiction (minimum contacts).

Note that this post is not meant to be construed as legal advice nor does it create an attorney-client relationship.

[David T]

Does AVO actually have an American distributor, or are all of the vendors importing the shocks from the UK on their own behalf?

Something to consider:
We've seen past failures with the SPAX suspension. As a result, the vendors have stopped carrying them. Should one of these AVO suspension components break and cause injury as a result of a manufacturing defect, who will you sue? With no American distributor, it's unlikely you could get personal jurisdiction over UK-based AVO. Therefore, you'd be stuck suing in the UK, which means you'd have an uphill battle from the very beginning with finding a UK-based attorney, paying to lodge and fly your witnesses to the UK, and then you'd pray for justice from an unavoidably biased English jury. Good luck.

On the other hand, you could buy a USA-made suspension manufactured right here in Minnesota and with dealers located throughout the nation (http://www.qa1.net/dealers). If trouble finds you, you can almost certainly sue QA1 in your home or neighboring state based on specific jurisdiction (minimum contacts).

Note that this post is not meant to be construed as legal advice nor does it create an attorney-client relationship.

I doubt very much that people's buying decision is based on who and where you can sue them. I agree it is a hassle on many counts when you buy overseas and for myself I prefer to buy "American" where possible. That said, because of the currency values, you can get a bargain if you don't mind ordering overseas and waiting.