73 Charger KYB Shock absorber choices

[Paul_G]

I ordered most of the suspension bushings for the 73 from Rock Auto and I got a pair of KYB Gas A Just shocks for the rear. Placing another order on Rock Auto I wanted the Same Gas A Just shocks for the front. Come to find out they dont make them for the front. I emailed KYB asking about that and they confirmed it. They also said that many customers use the Gas A Just on the rear with Excel-G’s on the front. Hmmm, mismatched shocks? Anyone else do this?

 

[Kern Dog]

KYBs suck ***. They are the Harbor Freight of shocks. I will never put them on any car I intend to keep.
If you are living on baloney sandwiches and Kool Aide, I can see why someone would use them...If your budget is too tight to buy a better shock, I suggest a Monroe or save the bucks and buy Bilsteins.

 

[funknut]

KYBs suck ***. They are the Harbor Freight of shocks. I will never put them on any car I intend to keep.
If you are living on baloney sandwiches and Kool Aide, I can see why someone would use them...If your budget is too tight to buy a better shock, I suggest a Monroe or save the bucks and buy Bilsteins.

Damn, that's harsh. Funny for sure, but definitely harsh. ;)

 

[MoparLeo]

Every body has an opinion. KYB has been around for about 80 years. They are about the largest hydraulics manufacturer in the world. I personally have used the Gas-adjust models since 1974 on several E and B-body cars and have nalways been completely happy with the ride and stability. I don't auto-cross or road race but these were not designed for that., Every body doesn't drive a perceived "race car". If you don't like them, they are guaranteed and you can get a refund. No problems here though. But that said, no human made product is 100% perfect. That is why Every company has a service department.

 

[moparedtn]

Every body has an opinion. KYB has been around for about 80 years. They are about the largest hydraulics manufacturer in the world. I personally have used the Gas-adjust models since 1974 on several E and B-body cars and have nalways been completely happy with the ride and stability. I don't auto-cross or road race but these were not designed for that., Every body doesn't drive a perceived "race car". If you don't like them, they are guaranteed and you can get a refund. No problems here though. But that said, no human made product is 100% perfect. That is why Every company has a service department.

True dat...
Well, they still do make Gabriels and Monroes for these critters iffin someone just wants the old school jobbers on there, too...
Some folks do tend to be "shock snobs" - only the finest, high dollar stuff for them!
Me, I'm like Leo - I want the thing to ride decent and behave on the street corners, which means from all my research that the KYB's are going to be just fine.

 

[FrnkNsteen]

There's no arguing that KYB has been around for a long time. My Barracuda had them on it when I first bought it. I'd have to say the ride wasn't bad, but the previous owner was still running the original .82" /6 torsion bars and had them cranked to the top. When I redid the front suspension and went with the 1" Firm Feel bars, the ride got very harsh. I swapped them out for a set of Bilsteins and like the ride much better.

From what I have read and heard, Bilsteins excel as you go bigger on the torsion bars. KYB's or others seem to work with the softer bars. I don't think it's about people being "Shock Snobs". I think it has to do with what works best with the overall suspension packages. Yes, the Bilsteins are more expensive, but if you are upgrading the rest of the suspension, why go cheap on the shocks?

 

[Kern Dog]

Here is the deal:
No, I am not a snob by any measure. I ran KYBs on a few cars and thought they were fine until I tried a set of Bilsteins. Yeah, they are spendy but so are TTI headers and nobody seems to dispute that they are the best of their kind.(Aside from Doug's)
Yeah, KYBs do work best with stock torsion bars because they are a digressive design.
In short, in the initial segment of suspension travel, KYBs are stiff. This gives the soft torsion bar and soft leaf springs a crutch, making the car feel more solid and in control. The further the suspension travels, the softer the KYBs get, exactly OPPOSITE of what any performance shock should do. A shock should react as the springs do: Get progressively firmer as it compresses.
They are too firm initially, hence the nickname:
Kill
Your
Butt.
These shocks are horrible with bigger torsion bars or leaf springs but they were not designed to be used with them.
As a cheap way to firm up the ride, they do work but there are better shocks for the same money.

 

[Paul_G]

Problem I am having is finding shocks that fit the 73 Charger front. They are shorter than the earlier years. I have not found many choices.

I have found;
KYB Excel-G
Monro Matic Plus
Gabriel Gaurdian

Then I found QA1 stuff and the price goes up from there.

This is a street cruiser although I enjoy spirited driving in every car I own. So something a little better than stock that will work well with the stiffer ride the Poly bushings are going to provide is what I am looking for. This aint a Buick.

Of the three choices above, KYB excel G, Monro Matic plus, and Gabriel. Are the KYB's the worst of the three?

 

[Kern Dog]

I don't like them based on their backwards design. Too stiff while going down bumpy roads. They "porpoise" when the road goes up and down.
A good shock dampens the bumps that you drive over then stiffens up as the suspension travels further, KYBs work the opposite way.
In most cases, the price tells the story. KYBs are about a third the cost of Bilsteins.
My car has 1.15 torsion bars, 6 stage leaf springs, big sway bars and Bilsteins. It rides about the same as the Wife's 2015 Challenger R/T. The car rides and handles better now than it did when I had 1" torsion bars and KYBs.

 

[Joske2]

Go with the Bilstein's, you will not regret it.

 

[MoparLeo]

KYB's were never "cheap" quality. They were always a very good "value" for the money. I like the term "digressive". Not true, at least not your definition. They were not a "crutch". They were designed to work with the stock, oe suspension. Like any other automotive component, parts are part of "systems". The shock is one part of the suspension and the parts need to be compatible. Just like engine parts, they must be compatible for best performance. They work hydraulically like any other shock. I knew and bought my first KYB shocks from Buck Bradley who if any of you were around in the early seventies was the first supplier of KYB in the US. He carried them in his trunk. The valveing is actuated by hydraulic fluid pressure. They had a 50%/50% valveing. Which meant equal compression and rebound damping. The resistance increased with pressure not decreased. Oe shocks back then were more like 10%-20%/80%-90%. Which meant very little compression resistance and more rebound damping. That was because the whole car was new. The springs were at their stiffest as they hadn't settled and the ball joints and bushings were also at there best strength. OE shocks were designed for suspension break in. Usually 15-30K miles. Replacement shocks always had a more balanced valveing. Back in the 60's-70" if you wanted a shock with adjustable valving your choice was pretty much just the Koni . Bilstiens were available but were more of an oe European shock than the performance shock that they build today.