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Supreme Being
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This weekend I got around to installing the rear KYB gas shock absorbers I purchased from Concours Parts. I jacked up the rear and positioned the jack stand under the frame and removed the rear wheel/tire assembly which has always been a pita to jockey the wheel/tire around the fender lip to get it out. I then gave the old Gabriel Red Rider shock studs a liberal dose of penetrating oil and ratcheted off the lower stud nut. Imagine my surprise when the nut reached the end of the stud and the leaf spring violently sprung down sending the rubber donuts and steel washers across the garage. Thankfully my fat head wasn't under the spring at the time and I was wearing safety glasses. It seems the PO had the wrong length Gabriels installed sometime in the past which required the installer to compress the leaf spring in order to get the shock bolted on. The extended free length of the KYB and Gabriels differed by about 3 inches. With the KYBs installed, the wheel/tires were a breeze to reinstall and the ride has improvement difference is like night and day. The height of the rear of the car gained about a 1/2 inch. I have read posts on this site about the trouble of removing rear wheels, so my advice is check them shocks!
BrodieSavannah, GA
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Supreme Being
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| A wake up call, with positive results, no one hurt, a lesson learned.. Never trust an unknown work on previous equipment.. Try working behind Texas Electricians..Yikes..
 Brother and I own/operate 1957 Ford Fairlane 312/4x2 and two 1963 Falcons 302 rollers carburated 600cfm, FE427 sitting in shed..
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Supreme Being
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I found the same thing wrong with one of my cars, shocks shorter than they should have been, with the new ones it is much easier to change the wheels.
 55 Vicky & customline 58 Rack Dump, 55 F350 yard truck, 57 F100 59 & 61 P 400's, 58 F100 custom cab, 69 F100, 79 F150, 82 F600 ramp truck, 90 mustang conv 7 up, 94 Mustang, Should I continue?
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Supreme Being
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Supreme Being
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| Sounds like the po's were trying to lower the car by FORCE! These cars are always interesting...
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Supreme Being
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You don't want too long a shock though, they will bottom out on bumps and you will just pound the rubbers out of them.
55 Vicky & customline 58 Rack Dump, 55 F350 yard truck, 57 F100 59 & 61 P 400's, 58 F100 custom cab, 69 F100, 79 F150, 82 F600 ramp truck, 90 mustang conv 7 up, 94 Mustang, Should I continue?
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Supreme Being
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| Chuck, I've got to pull the rear springs out of the red car this winter, Ican measure what a 57 is if that'll help. Summit says they're 20.5" extended. I'll see what the Concours shocks are. Frank
Frank/RebopBristol, In ( by Elkhart) 
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Supreme Being
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Supreme Being
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| Chuck. It depends on how you lowered the rear of your car. If you stop and think about it using lowering blocks only, the spring and lower shock mount plate are still the same distance from the upper shock mount. The axle is closer to the upper one now making it a job to remove the tire. If you used dearched and or reverse eye springs than the distance is less needing a shorter shock. T M
 in Bethel ,Vermont (aka: Bluedot Kid)1962-68 45th ENG. (DT) School of Hard Knocks C l a s s of 1960
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Supreme Being
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