Re: Shocks for '89 100?? Shocking Banter

[brv@chrysler.com]

You definitely do NOT want Gabriels or Monroes for you Audi if you enjoy
the ride quality you have come to expect from a european car.  Both
companies will sell you a strut that fits your car, BUT they were never
tuned for it.  Most aftermarket companies like those two  will have one
part number to fit a variety of vehicles from different manufactures that
all have different corner weights, spring rates, shock motion ratios and
performance capabilities.  I saw an aftermarket catalog that had one part
number to fit a Nissan Maxima wagon, an AMC Matador an International Scout
and a Mazda Pickup truck!!! (and those were just the ones I remember!!!
There were about ten others on the list...)  As you can see, they were only
concerned with proper length and mounting, not control forces to
match/exceed original equipment.  This is why they are sold so cheaply.

To add to the story of the aftermarket,  the 1998 Dodge Ram pickup has 37
different part numbers to cover all the different model variations that we
produce.  This includes wheelbase, engine, 2 or 4 wheel drive etc..  Tokiko
has 6 part numbers to cover the entire product line!!!  If you think you
can buy those shocks and recover your "new truck ride", you are sadly
mistaken.  Usually, balance is lost and harshness is increased  and
expected life is reduced.   I suppose the choice is yours...

Your mechanic is  mistaken when he says the Gabriels would be so stiff as
to hurt your upper mounts.  Many people have been running much stiffer
shocks on their cars and I have never read about one failing.  They do have
a limited life, however, depending on road conditions in your  area.  IF
the Gabriels are indeed stiffer at all over the OEMs (I suspect they are
mush), they will traditionally have about 10% higher control forces so that
when a customer puts them on his vehicle, he will say "wow!  these feel
newer, read stiffer, that the ones I took off".

Despite all this banter, I do not want the OEMs on MY Audi because I have
lowered it and want/need more body control than the stock ones offer.  I
have paid for this choice with a harsher ride.  I knew this ahead of time.
In your case,  I would opt for a higher quality unit that will give you a
comfortable ride that will last a while.  The cheapie shocks usually have a
lifetime warranty on the unit but what  does your mechanic charge for
installation??  If you wear a set of  cheapies out and need to pay him
again for install, then you probably could have bought the better ones and
had money left to take the family to dinner!

Try Boge/Sachs.  They were the OEM supplier and make a quality unit that
should last for many miles of comfortable driving.


Brian Vinson
Dodge Truck Vehicle Dynamics




                                                                  
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Please respond to p-o.selander@ericsson.com

To:   quattro @ coimbra.ans.net
cc:
Subject:  Shocks for '89 100??




Fellow drivers,

I know that many of you/us put on BOGE, KONI or BILSTEIN shocks. Great
shocks but somewhat expensive for my commuter 100E (even though I just
put 6000 great miles on it during a 5 week vacation - at 25-28 mpg, not
too bad for a slushbox up in the mountains).

Has anyone tried the "american made" Gabriel ProRyder or similar after
market shocks. Can get these gas shocks for less than $40/piece and
might consider it since I am not really looking for performance, just a
good daily driver. But, my trusted mechanic says their too stiff and
might damage the strut mounts. Any reason?

P-O Selander
89 100E
91 300ZXTT

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