A Smoother Ride

Super HD shocks.

Bo

Quick, name one generation that hasn't said that--although most would add "thank heavens"...

Rear springs tend to settle in, down to the point where they swing & sway just a little (in fact, to the point where they'll pop through over-center and ride underslung). Re-arching or adding a leaf can bring them up to the area they're supposed to work in. It's not just for propping up ride height or taking more weight.

The physics of front coils can be puzzling. If you cut off one coil, the change in rate actually makes them harder. So using the HD coils ought to make it ride easier--right?

Rubber "grommets" at spring ends and shock mounts rattle when old, sway when new. Nylon and polypropylene are sometimes contra-indicated for Avanti, but ought to be good for Larks. At the very least, newer rubber.

Our 63 Wagonaire rode a lot better after we had put OEM bias-ply tires on in place of radials. Steered better, too. Can't speak to the road-holding, just never pushed her that hard. Sounds screwy, but it's true. Had to be the taller profile, or the narrower contact patch.

all excellent advice. However, I do not recommend the use of "HD" shocks.

Someth> " I know the older cars don't ride like the newer cars."

I had bad experiences with KYB on a Porsche; they started rattling alarmingly after a year or so. The Bilsteins that replaced them have been fine, however. I also had a set of Boges wear out in less than a year to the point where my tires were bouncing off the road after a bump. Konis, if you can find them for a Studebaker are also excellent.

nate

(actually wearing a Koni T-shirt today )

--Therein should lie a longish string.

Perception is about everything in ride vs. handling. When I was young, Ken Purdy held up Mercedes as the model, so we went ahead and believed that. While Cadillac and Chrysler were kinda-sorta cutting edge in creating a "float" that made me feel seasick, their owners would get positively alarmed by a quick spin in a Spridget or Morgan, which very finely tuned some barbaric technology (knee-action shocks, for instance, that worked really good on sprint cars--or accepting the flex of a sintered-ash subframe as 'input').

Buyers of sporting conveyances today were not around for the sports car wars. It was ride OR handling. Caddy owners defined handling by how many fingers it took to turn the wheel, and thought that what kept the car stuck to the road was its weight (not that Cad engineers didn't know better: once you put them up on the bump-stops, they didn't handle bad, but how many ever got there?). The cap & scarf crowd sneered, and learned to hold the jaw slightly open in cornering to avoid chipped teeth. That's why sports car drivers always looked like they were smiling.

With a Mustang, by the time you stiffened the shocks and springs enough to keep it stuck down, you'd tear the subframe in half and poke a hole in the trunk. And I'm still amused by a Camaro or SS coming to a full stop before crossing railroad tracks.

In the late 70's some wag did a comparison test of brand-new 1964 Ferrari and Pontiac GTO's. The Pontiac outbraked and outhandled the Ferrari. The difference, of course, was that 9 out of 10 Pontiac owners didn't replace their rubbers every year (heh). Ferrari guys gloried in how much time and money they could, um, invest.

My Alfetta had a torsion-bar front that was (with a slide-rule level of spline counting and a death-defying unloading of the suspension) infinitely adjustable. I finally accepted that the ride was firm enough (well, down-pressure heavy enough) when the firewall fuel pump crash sensor would shut off whenever I hit a bump in a corner. Had I improved the handling? It sure felt like it...

Could be as simple as tire pressure and varying front to rear may help some. Bring the pressure down to 26 cold and see how it rides and handles. Rear pressure can be a little lower than front. Experiment.

ErnieR

Bumpy, not bouncy, and I do have the front and rear tire pressure set differently w/radials. Lou

Thinking that a 40-50 year old car should ride and handle like a newer vehicle is wishful at best,IMO. I personally get a kick out of my old cars and the quirks and mannerisms.While they are maintained adequately I take the ride as is.

Bob40

In every case in my experience, ride improved with radials as did handling. The one negative is harder steering at slow speeds.

JT

snipped-for-privacy@aol.com wrote:

I think the term used was "super HD" shocks. I would not recommend these except for performance applications. I have a new set, (front and rear) laying around somewhere and they are twice as big as your standard HD shock. I once intended to put them on a project which unfortunately never came to pass. I think they would really result in a super stiff ride that many would not like...

JT

The steering is great,much better than expected, I'm not complaining about the ride mind you,just curious to get all the more experienced "studies" out there opinions. Lou

I installed HD coils, rear leaf's, and all bushings along with Dave T's improved swar bars, super HD shocks and run 205/75R/15 radials on my 64 R2 Avanti. I know that before I installed these the ride at 75 mph was a bit rough. After installation smooth as silk. These definately improve the stability of the body and keeps the tires firmly glued to the road. All of which adds up to better drive handling. I've clashed with several vettes and Mach 2's up to 130+ on several occassions and she really performes well. Well enough that quit a few of the local rodders respect her, from a distance, behind.

While I don't think you will get your Lark to perform exactly like a new and improved modern vehicle, I think you can get rid of the "bumpy" ride that your concerned with and improve her roadability performance a great deal. You might consider that the front coils and rear leafs might be a bit tired on your car, as well. Any sag from these will effect the ride as well. You might have a closer look at them and all your bushings.

I've installed the same upgrades to several other cars, a 55 Speedster, 58 Silver Hawk, 60 Lark Convertible and a 61 4 spd Hawk. All with about the same results in drive handling. I've heard nothing but good rants and raves from the owners of these cars since installing these upgrades. Well, there was one rant about the cost from one owner, that is until he out ran the 454 through all the S curves during a recent rally. Something he hadn't ever been able to do before.

Of course, the bottom line is this. It's your car and it all depends on how much money you want to spend to achieve the results your looking for?

Bo