Best shocks to run on G-bodies?

[rad928music]

My car is 1980 Grand Prix Base Model that had a 301 with A/C.
There is a 400 in it now with aluminum intake and A/C removed and the Battery is in the trunk now, so the weight I think is about the same but I am bottoming out sometimes and the front kinda Bounces over big dips.
I'm Looking to replace my shocks in a couple weeks.
I have Gabriel Air Shocks in the back and Monroe Sensa tracks up front (and they suck)..
I'm looking for some heavy load well Dampening shocks up front that don't raise the ride height.
I have 5660 shocks up front that are cut to get my 1 in drop up front.

Any suggestions?

 

[V8 Rumble]

I use the Hotchkis tuned bilsteins. They are very good with lowering springs I have the eibach pro kit springs. Umi has their own tuned shocks too.

 

[84_SS]

I ran kyb gas-a-just shocks in the front and rear of my car. I really liked them.

 

[Injectedcutty]

I have been running koni adjustables (gotta take em off to adjust them) and hotchkos drop springs for years with no complaints. It's not gut jarring stiff but my cutlass hits bumps with a solid feel and no sway.

 

[Dayzedandkonfuzed]

I ran kyb gas-a-just shocks in the front and rear of my car. I really liked them.

X2. Hotchkis and Koni's are probably better, but also way more money I believe. The KYB's are miles ahead of those monroe's, and around the same price. Fronts are KG4513, rears are KG5548.

 

[Longroof79]

I've been running KYB Gas-adjust for years, and they still work great. Probably the best bang for your buck. I'm sure you can't compare Gabriels or Monroes to them.,

 

[oldsmobile joe]

i'm running gabriels on my pedestrian 78 salon and kyb's on my 79 calais. i like them both. i have used kyb's since about '86. there weren't many choices back then. are there better shocks out there, maybe. but these work for me.

 

[Injectedcutty]

X2. Hotchkis and Koni's are probably better, but also way more money I believe. The KYB's are miles ahead of those monroe's, and around the same price. Fronts are KG4513, rears are KG5548.

Yeah in hindsight i coulda got away with kyb's, i just wanted good shocks that would last awhile (i thk i paid $100/shock back 10ish years ago). But hell they still perform great and i have them on the medium setting. Only visual issue i have now is after putting new urethane body bushings you can't tell i have drop springs! That will def have to change before my cutlass hits the streets!

 

[Dayzedandkonfuzed]

I hope I'm not going off on a tangent, but here goes...

I pulled a new set of sensa tracs off the shelf to compare to a new set of KYB's (both for front of a gbody.) The sensa trac could be easily compressed against the floor with one hand, whereas the KYB took both hands and just about my full body weight (don't try this at home, it slipped once lol.) I remembered being told once that monroe's are like that so they are easier to install, and that they firm up once they've bounced a couple times down the road. So I pulled the sensa tracs off my car, which had probably around 2000kms on them, and they compressed just as easy. They went in the garbage, and the KYB's went in. Car rides so much nicer now.

Also, this wasn't just a faulty pair of shocks. I've now tried at least 4 pairs of monroes in the same part number, and they all have very little resistance when compared to the KYB. Also, the KYB returns to full height way faster than the monroe, less than 2 seconds from compressed to extended with the KYB, and anywhere from 6 to over 10 seconds on the monroes I tested.

 

[Injectedcutty]

I hope I'm not going off on a tangent, but here goes...

I pulled a new set of sensa tracs off the shelf to compare to a new set of KYB's (both for front of a gbody.) The sensa trac could be easily compressed against the floor with one hand, whereas the KYB took both hands and just about my full body weight (don't try this at home, it slipped once lol.) I remembered being told once that monroe's are like that so they are easier to install, and that they firm up once they've bounced a couple times down the road. So I pulled the sensa tracs off my car, which had probably around 2000kms on them, and they compressed just as easy. They went in the garbage, and the KYB's went in. Car rides so much nicer now.

Also, this wasn't just a faulty pair of shocks. I've now tried at least 4 pairs of monroes in the same part number, and they all have very little resistance when compared to the KYB. Also, the KYB returns to full height way faster than the monroe, less than 2 seconds from compressed to extended with the KYB, and anywhere from 6 to over 10 seconds on the monroes I tested.

X2....i remember adjusting my koni's the 1st time...had them in a vise. Needless to say my grip slipped and a couple bloody knuckles to the bench later i had it done. Didn't make that mistake again.

Sorry for going off topic.