Interesting situation with front shock install....

Installing a set of KYB shocks and at first I thought I was sent the wrong shock because when I bolt them up to the A-Arm, the bolts sit to the outside of the mounting ears of the shock. In other words, both bolts sit at the very edge of the mounting tabs, and not in the middle as expected. I checked the part numbers on the shock and the application is correct. How can this be?

I had the same problem. I sent them back. I ended up putting in a set of Monroes.

Someone at KYB has gotten a dimension wrong.

PS - what year is your car? It would help if you add it to your signature.

My car is a 65. Is this a recent thing, or have they always been this way?

Several first-gen Riv owners say they have installed KYBs in the front. I ordered them based on that and mine would not fit, exact same issue as yours.

I have no explanation why...

Interesting that there is a direct KYB application for the front shocks as sold by tons of retailers (KG4550). Did you try to do this recently? Im wondering if something changed at KYB? I cant imagine it has been this way forever and nobody raised a flag!

Installing a set of KYB shocks and at first I thought I was sent the wrong shock because when I bolt them up to the A-Arm, the bolts sit to the outside of the mounting ears of the shock. In other words, both bolts sit at the very edge of the mounting tabs, and not in the middle as expected. I checked the part numbers on the shock and the application is correct. How can this be?

my brother ran into the same thing.....we used the shafts from the old shocks.....used a cutoff wheel to slice the old end for easy removal.....my guess is that those shocks fit a bunch of GM's & KYB just got it wrong.....

Measure the end shafts from each shock. You will find 3/8 to 1/2" difference. I think this is a cost saving measure. They work like they are, just not in the center of the slot where you expected them to be or where the old ones were. As Kevin suggests, you can press the shaft out of the new shock and use the old one. Use liberal amounts of Vaseline when you press the shaft into the new shock.

Old shocks went in the trash long ago

Old shocks went in the trash long ago

AH! Lesson number one. Never throw the old one away until you're sure the new one works.

AH! Lesson number one. Never throw the old one away until you're sure the new one works.

Don't I know it! Been a long project and the old ones came out quite a bit ago. Never imagined something like this since I saw folks using these (on this board even).

Emailed KYB tech support....no response yet. A few large grade 8 washers will work, but look cheezy:confused:

FYI...

Alex,

The stamping number 553332 crosses to KG4550. The listing is correct and have had it listed for over 10 years. Because of the year of the vehicle we wouldn’t have any OEM records to research and unfortunately don’t carry anything with a larger bracket.

Thank you

Tech Support

FYI...

Alex,

The stamping number 553332 crosses to KG4550. The listing is correct and have had it listed for over 10 years. Because of the year of the vehicle we wouldn’t have any OEM records to research and unfortunately don’t carry anything with a larger bracket.

Thank you

Tech Support

I ran into the same problem a year ago.....very frustrating. I put Monroes on and they allow

the car to bounce up and down too much on severe road dips but they do ride wonderfully on a smooth

Highway. The overall feel is equivalent to the crappy Delco shocks the car came with when new.

In my opinion, the Monroes give the same ride as when the car was new. I think that there are many folks out there who, after having ridden in some of the newer cars with the "sportier" suspensions, have come to like that feel on the road and want to replicate it in their older Rivieras. It ain't goin' to happen with out a lot more work than just replacing the shocks. The Riviera's suspension is a thing of the past. If we're driving a car with that 50 year old suspension, we're going to have to accept that 50 year old ride. FatBuick from down under has gone to extremes to get his '65 to handle more like a new car. He's spent big bucks having new (bigger) front and rear sway bars made, incorporated poly bushings, and worked to make aftermarket shocks fit and work. It probably is more in tune with what you're seeking but it still won't handle like that new Audi S8.

Vern Tardle wrote in a book some time ago that to get the ride you want, you have to tailor the springs to that ride; shocks are used to control jounce. As Seafoam says the Monroes "do ride wonderfully on a smooth road." That was the designers' intent some 50 years ago. They did not build the car to be a canyon carver. One Riv owner, whose car I have driven, installed 2" lowering springs and had them made to a much higher spring rate; he uses some basic shocks that are the correct height for the springs, but nothing outrageous. Those springs along with the 50 series tire on a 17" x 8" rim gives that car a totally different road feel.

All this is true. However the Monroe shocks I took off are just too loose, and have no rebound pressure at all since they are not gas charged. I have used KYB, bilstein and other shocks in the past and have greatly improved the bouncy feeling you get with a heavy car and a loose shock. Corner carver is not the goal at all. I am putting my car back as close to original as I can. I would just like to enjoy driving it and not float. This thing is 4000lbs and man did it float. Ran the gas-a-just shocks on tons of old cars including a 71 GS and even with factory springs, the ride is night and day compared to a standard oil shock.

Im gonna make this work somehow....now its a mission :cool:

I'm sure you can mount the kyb's with a little ingenuity. When I had my problem I was in a hurry to get the car back on the road for a car event and I intend to revisit the problem at a later date and put the KYB"S on the front. I agree with you that the KYB's still give a smooth ride, they just don't bounce as severely on bad dips in the road. I have KYB's on all my other cars with the stock suspensions and they drive very nice with a smooth ride. It's been a while since I looked at the front lower shock mount....

Do you think there is room up there for an adapter plate that you could bolt the kyb's to then bolt the plate to the lower control arm?

I think there would be room if you wanted to go that far. I put them in today using a large grade 8 washer with a 3/8 hole. It does not look great, but Im pretty sure its not going anywhere as it is. The best approach would be to do as mentioned above. Pull the mounting tabs out of a different shock, and stick them into the KYB. I assume you would need a press to get this done. I chucked my old shocks in the dumpster and was not about to go buy another set just for the mounting tabs. But for the purpose of just getting the job done, the washers will do just fine securing the shock to the A arm. Steelman mentioned above that even as they are they probably would hold just fine, and he is probably right, I just figured more meat on the tabs will ensure they stay put.