Don’t go with short shocks

Question:

I am restoring a ’67 GTO and purchased some reproduction spiral shocks. The rear shocks are the same length as the shocks that I removed, but the front shocks are 1.5” shorter than the Monroe shocks that I removed and a pair of Delco A-body shocks that I was going to use. When the spiral shock is fully extended, it just reaches the mounting hole in the frame. The frame is completely empty at this point and I know that when I get all the parts back on, the front springs will be compressed enough to allow me to get the shock in.

My problem is that the suspension travel will be limited by the maximum length that the shock can extend and not by the frame-mounted upper control arm rubber bumper, which seems like a lot to ask of the shock. The vendor states that there have been no problems.

Answer:

I agree with you, John, and would not be comfortable if the shock was the component that limited the suspension travel. The fact that the vendor hasn’t heard of any problems with the shocks he sells doesn’t indicate that they are the correct dimensions for your GTO. The chances that your restored GTO or other restored muscle cars will be driven in a way that causes the suspension to reach the limits of its suspension travel are pretty slim these days but even so I would not use shocks that appear to be slightly short.