LouieM

I just switched to a rear fiberglass monoleaf spring on my 67 roadster. I like the improved ride, but what I don't like is a kind of floatiness on rebound. I see that Vette Brakes & Products sells KYB GR-2 gas shocks for only $30 each that they say are designed for monoleaf springs. That sounds fine. But, in my mind "KYB" = "really rough ride" based on (long-ago) past experience. Has anyone used these particular shocks with a monoleaf spring (or even with a regular spring)? How does your Vette ride? I want to avoid making the car ride any firmer than when it was stock with a steel rear spring.

396 RAT

I used KYB shocks with a glass spring on the rear of my old 65 365
and found it to be a bit bouncy. Not too bad, just didnt settle in as quick
as the steel spring after hitting a bump or small rise in the road.
(Giving you that floaty feeling)
Several folks here seem to like 'em though,
but I was less than thrilled. I didnt find KYB's to be too stiff,
But Konis might be a better way to go as they do not rebound
under pressure like a gas shock. They ase as hard to extract as they are compress. Might just be the nature of a glass spring on the C2?
Just my take on it.......

JohnZ

I'm very happy with KYB Gas-A-Just shocks on my (stock steel spring) '67 SB (#KG4514 fronts, #KG5501 rears); excellent ride control, but not harsh. Any rear shock you get for a Corvette with a composite rear spring needs to be a calibration for that specific application, as those springs require more aggressive rebound damping to avoid the "bouncy-bouncy" phenomenon. :thumbs:

MidYearRoadster

I also installed a composite spring in this year.....at first i kept the regular shocks in but felt it gave a real harsh ride. I then installed a set of Delco gas shocks and now find the ride to be alot smoother but also gives you that bouncy feeling when you hit a bump in the road, but since the wife has a cervical neck problem ...it is better for her at this point. if you dont like the ride you may want to look into an adjustable gas shock....so that you may get the stiffness that you want. :banghead:

396 RAT

My buddy just took the glass spring off his 64, as he felt it was
dangerous to hit a bump at speed. (read as light rear end)
Push the rear end down and count the bounces......
The less the better..........

LouieM

You're right, 396, a bump at high speed might be a big problem with a glass spring and my current shocks. Funny I never heard about this monospring/shock situation before. :confused: I'll go with the KBY GR2 shocks that VBP says they calibrate *specifically* for monosprings. I'll let the group know how these "correct" shocks turn out, after I get back from a month long trip to Alaska (flying there, not driving my 67!). Even "simple" aftermarket parts seem to take some twiddling to get right. :banghead:

Louie :auto:

66ragtop owner

Louie,

I have a glass spring in my 66 roadster. I always felt the bounce on the light bumps. The car had Ryder gas shocks. I too read the VBP catalog and ordered the KYB matched shocks. I installed them on the car about 3 weeks ago but have only managed one short 5 mile test drive (too much rain in the northeast). My initial impression is improved. I hope to get some more miles in the near future.

Brian

LouieM

Brian,
Thanks for the info. I'll be interested what you think of the ride after putting on a few more miles.

Louie

66ragtop owner

Louie,

I just had the 66 out on Friday for a long ride and I must say I am impressed with the improvement in the ride quality. The car no longer bounces over light or heavy bumps. It feels much more stable and planted on the road.

I visited Palo Alto last September on business. You live in a great area and perfect roadster climate, year round top down cruising!

Brian :auto:

richbell

I had KYBs from VBP on my 66 427 coupe. It has both front and rear mono springs and the full range of components from VBP.

My car is lowered quite a bit. It was quite bouncy over speed bumps and I actually thought that under a certain driving condition it could be dangerous.

I switched to Bilstein’s from VBP. Incredible difference even though the cost is quite dramatic. I would highly reccomend the Bilstein’s as they are worth the money. To be honest I didn’t realize how much difference shocks could make…!

One more note.. If your C2 is lowered make sure you check the shock travel clearance just to be sure you are hitting the bump stop not the bottom travel of the shock in adverse conditions.

VBP can provide special shocks that have different travel parameters for the right height of your car.

Richard Belliveau

LouieM

Brian,
I just ordered the KYB GR2 shocks that VBP customizes for monoleaf springs. I'll report back on how my 67 ragtop rides once I bolt them on. Your experience sounds promising. I'm assuming that richbell's lowering his car required him to go with the expensive Bilsteins, and that the KYBs will be OK with my otherwise stock suspension.

You're right about Palo Alto being perfect for year 'round roadstering. Make that ALMOST perfect. It'll be an unusually hot 102 degrees today, and last night I got back from two weeks of camping in 30-degree temps and rain in Alaska. I'll wait til my body gets used to the 65-degree temp increase before driving around with the top down!

Louie

67435animal

Try Bilsein Sports. Go to http://www.eshock.com for the best prices. I have them on mine with the standard spring and they are great for handling and ride. The ride is no firmer than it was before.

Cliff63

JohnZ,

Thanks for your post with part numbers for the KYB shocks. I installed a set of AC-Delco "Road Response" shocks (replacement for OEM, 'bout a hundred bucks for the set) on my '63 last year and the ride did improve. In your opinion, would you say that the KYB could improve my ride even more? (stock rear spring has been replaced) Looks like a set would be about $150.00. Your comment please. Thanks for your time. :cheers: