Since the Sears/Gabriel '84 Colt gas shocks are so cheap ($10/ea when I got
them) I thought I'd do a comparison with the Moss Monroes for the heck of
it.
The Monroe shocks are indeed stiff (front shocks on GMC full size vans) and
not well matched to the Armstrong levers up front. (I've had the front
Monroe kit on a BGT, but haven't done it to my roadster.) This would be
particularly evident on rough roads or over speed bumps.
I had the Moss upper brackets (a beefy pieces of plate steel with 1/2" nuts
welded to them) already installed, and decided to use them. This meant
carefully drilling/reaming out the bushing sleeves on the shocks from their
metric size to a full 1/2". This took a couple of different drill sizes,
as it was important not to spin the sleeve out of the bushing. It also
meant cutting the sleeves off flush with the bushing with a hacksaw.
Installation was easy, and the result is very satisfying--ride is very well
controlled, and they are not nearly as stiff and jouncy as the Monroes.
Still stiffer/harsher than the front shocks, probably no thanks to all the
unsprung weight of the axle...Now to find a better replacement for the
Moss/Monroe front tube shock kit at something less than Spax prices.
Chris Attias
'64 MGB
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