Coil springs

[2Shelbys]

My TC front suspension bottoms out if I run over anything thicker than a quarter. Coil springs for these cars seem to be non-existent. What have you guys done for replacement front springs? 

[Hemi Dude]

If the car still stands at normal hight, the trouble is not the springs but the struts.

[2Shelbys]

The struts have less than 100 miles on them.

[Reaper1]

Which struts are they? I agree with Hemi, this is a problem with the struts, not the springs. What is happening is the jounce damping isn't strong enough. I need to do the front struts on Doyle because of this exact issue.

[2Shelbys]

KYB Excel Gs. I’ve never had any problems with KYBs, especially not new ones. I’m wondering if somebody who owned it before me replaced the springs with some cheap Chinese eBay Springs.

[Reaper1]

Hmm...I've never used the Excel G's. Always GR2's. These cars are sprung softly and if the jounce valving isn't tightened up to account for that, I could see them letting the car bottom. You do have bump stops on it, right?

[2Shelbys]

When I was looking for shocks the Excel Gs were the only thing available. Yes, the re are bump stops. Has anyone tried Monroe OESpectrum struts? They are the only other thing available that looks ok. 

[Hemi Dude]

1 hour ago, 2Shelbys said:

When I was looking for shocks the Excel Gs were the only thing available. Yes, the re are bump stops. Has anyone tried Monroe OESpectrum struts? They are the only other thing available that looks ok. 

Quite frankly, I would only install Monroe Struts and Shocks on my customers vehicles the years I had my shop.

 

[Reaper1]

As long as they aren't Sensa-Craps. I HATE those things. Good in theory...CRAP in the real world.

 

I find it hard to believe there are no other strut options, quite honestly. Only thing I can think is that the spring perch die finally wore out for the other suppliers, too. This is why you can't get Sachs, Bilstein, or Koni's any longer...the die that made the spring perches wore out. 

[ghostymosty]

I stopped using Monroe decades ago. I worked at an auto suspension/brake warehouse that handled both Monroe and KYB but saw 10 Monroe come back under warranty for every 2 KYB. Then the Monroe rep never questioned  unless there was obvious physical damage to the outside of the shock/strut whereas the KYB rep went over every return to  find a cause and relayed that back to the manufacturer. This was decades ago so I don't know about quality control these days but a ruined reputation in someone's mind is a hard thing to fix.

[2Shelbys]

22 hours ago, Hemi Dude said:

Quite frankly, I would only install Monroe Struts and Shocks on my customers vehicles the years I had my shop.

 

OK. Your word carries a lot of weight of experience. I'm going to get a pair of Monroes and see wat happens. 

[Hemi Dude]

2Shelbys

Here is my recommendation to you. Look into whatever brand you can still buy and determine the type of ride you want from your TC. 

If you want a smooth hi-way ride or a firmer 'handling' suspension decide for yourself.

When I was working, I often came across people who had installed what they called 'heavy-duty' shocks or struts and found them to be much too firm.

When you get to be in your 80s, you may want that smooth ride, in the meantime, maybe not.

I do appreciate your remark, "Your word carries a lot of weight of experience"

[Hemi Dude]

5 hours ago, ghostymosty said:

I stopped using Monroe decades ago. I worked at an auto suspension/brake warehouse that handled both Monroe and KYB but saw 10 Monroe come back under warranty for every 2 KYB. Then the Monroe rep never questioned  unless there was obvious physical damage to the outside of the shock/strut whereas the KYB rep went over every return to  find a cause and relayed that back to the manufacturer. 

Monroe, made in the USA (at least in the past) v KYB Headquartered and made in Japan and around the world including China.

 

Ghosty, I easily understand your opinion. When I came to the USA after WW2, this was the greatest country on the planet Earth! That was as a result of the manufacturing capacity the USA had developed in order to win that war. Slowly but surely we exported all that manufacturing capacity to other countries, much at first to Japan, then Korea and now China. We must not forget India and many other countries.

[Turbo Kane]

Get the Sachs super touring struts for a daytona! Your tc will love them! I have them all the way around on mine. 

[Reaper1]

15 hours ago, Turbo Kane said:

Get the Sachs super touring struts for a daytona! Your tc will love them! I have them all the way around on mine. 

Last I knew you couldn't get Sachs for TD's anymore. Has this changed in the last 10 years?

[Turbo Kane]

Got mine from auozone. They are special order but you can get them. 

[Hemi Dude]

On 8/5/2021 at 4:17 PM, Hemi Dude said:

Quite frankly, I would only install Monroe Struts and Shocks on my customers vehicles the years I had my shop.

 

I have pairs of this strut and several others, including this pair of FORMULA GP struts for the TC and other HP FWD cars of that era. (MESSAGE me if you have any questions) 

[Turbo Kane]

Sachs super touring all the way! 

[zagato]

Auto Zone has them, but the site says they are not available for Chrysler's TC by Maserati.

[Turbo Kane]

Right.. they are for a dodge daytona and can be used on the tc. It’s essentially the same exact strut. 

[Nile]

Keeping in mind that this will absolutely destroy ride quality, you could go with coil overs.  They dramatically improve turn in response and there is less body lean, but don't go that route if you have a lot of fillings in your teeth.

[Reaper1]

On 8/18/2021 at 10:25 AM, Nile said:

Keeping in mind that this will absolutely destroy ride quality, you could go with coil overs.  They dramatically improve turn in response and there is less body lean, but don't go that route if you have a lot of fillings in your teeth.

That really depends on the spring rates chosen and the accompanying valving in the damper. Just because it's a coilover doesn't mean it has to be tuned for race duty. If you decided to go that route, they ARE available.

[2Shelbys]

On 8/18/2021 at 11:25 AM, Nile said:

Keeping in mind that this will absolutely destroy ride quality, you could go with coil overs.  They dramatically improve turn in response and there is less body lean, but don't go that route if you have a lot of fillings in your teeth.

I used to have two Shelby GLHSs, an ‘86 and an ‘87. With the Konis twisted all the way up stiff I could run over a dime and almost tell if it was heads or tails.