front shocks for bags? 73-87

[edflores]

i have an 86 swb with he-7's in front, no lower cup, no sway bar, and the suicide doors upper bracket. what are you guys using for shocks? are you relocating them?

[edflores]

hmm???? are you guys just not running shocks?

[SCOTI]

My 74 is static dropped w/3" spindles & 1-coil cut.

I used stock spec gas shocks from Gabriel & had to raise the upper shock mount. I'm guessing you'll need to as well unless you go w/a custom made shock (or one not intended for your truck).

The only thing I've never seen answered is how to know if custom spec'd shocks can handle the load from the front end of these nose-heavy trucks?

[Kontrol Phreaks]

What are you doing to locate the lower portion of the bag if you're not running a lower cup. Do you have them bolted to a set of lower air control arms ?

You don't have to relocate the shocks on a 60-87 truck as they are located off the back side of the lower control arms from the factory. The upper mount is already off the side of the frame as well. In order to figure out the shocks that you're going to need the you will have to take some measurements. With the truck laid out measure the distance from the upper shock mount to the lower mount. Then reaise the truck up and measure from the same points again. Take those measurements and give them to me and I can locate you a shock, or go to the local parts store and give them to them.

Each truck is different depending on what setups they're all running. If you have drop spindles then the lower control arm wount be as low as someone whos running stock spindles. There are all kinds of variations to suspension systems, and most of them take the same shock, but it's always best to measure and get the correct shock to start with.

Good luck with the project. Let me know if we can help.

[edflores]

im using my stock lower control arm. it has been cut for clearance. i'll try to measure when i get home but i think the measurements are going to be off cause i plan on installing a set of 22's in the near future. last time i went to kragen, they looked at me like i was crazy when i asked for shocks by the measurement. and i thought you had to relocate the shocks to get more travel out of em????? or at least the top mount?? my truck has drop spindles. another question: does the stock sway bar limit travel up or down? i took it off but i dont know if it was necessary. my truck has mad body roll. even for being a truck

[Kontrol Phreaks]

The sway bar wount effect the lift and drop of the truck, but it does increase handling. If you only have a front to back air system then the truck will have bad body roll as well. I'd say hook the sway bar back up but make sure that the end of the bar doesn't come in contact with the bags. Sometime you will have to trim about 1/2 inch off the end of the bar to provide some clearance, along with triming the factory bumpstop mount on the lower control arm.

The shortest shock that I found with the correct mounts was a Monroe # 20718 that was 9.625 collasped and 14.750 extended. Not sure if that collasped number will work in your case but it should.