Suspension travel

[slammin Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close slammin]

A Google search was no help. Can anyone tell me the approximate total suspension travel, front and rear, 29 Tudor.

[BILL WILLIAMSON RIP Dad"Permanent Member" Find all posts View Profile Close BILL WILLIAMSON]

Simple answer, NOT TOO MUCH!
Bill W.

[pAAt Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close pAAt]

I would say as far as the shackles can go, before binding on something, then measure ? Load your back seat up with weight until it hits that limit and with the front, have friends stand on your bumper. I would like to see the results. Pat's curious

[Big hammer Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Big hammer]

As for the rear spring, I left the center through bolt long and was giving rides, the bolt hit the diff. I then removed 3 or 4 inches of the through bolt and no more issues. So in the back of a tudor, maybe 7 inches downward travel ?
We are wondering why you need the travel distance?

[slammin Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close slammin]

Being a tool maker with my own machine shop at my disposal, I can't justify spending $275 to $375 for a tubular shock kit that I can fabricate myself. I have sketched the mounting system I will build, but need to figure out the appropriate shocks to buy. I came up with front shocks, still need to decide on the rears. Cheap? You bet!

[CarlG]

The main reason a person buys a kit like this is that they are also buying the engineering and research it took to build, fabricate, and supply proven parts for the intended purpose.

[Tom Wesenberg Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Tom Wesenberg]

You can also mount tube shocks at 45 degrees to get more travel and a softer ride. This will also add some to sideways stability.

[George Miller]

Plus 1 I also think that is the best way.

[wensum Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close wensum]

I would be very surprised if you get more than 4" travel front & rear. As the designer of vintage car bodies, I allow 4" travel up from static for most cars and to date have not had a problem with the wheels hitting the mudguards. The transverse springs of the Model A effectively give it very short springs, especially at the front, limiting travel. For a test, jack one wheel up to the max and see how far it travels and then raise the chassis on that side and see how far it drops?

[plyfor Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close plyfor]

In response to Slammin, we tried the shock kit with eyelet end tube shocks provided (See other threads here) and experimented with a number of shocks for the town sedan. Talked to a number of tech experts at KYB, Monroe,etc. thru our little shop and got some good advice form Eaton Spring who makes A springs and offers shocks (adjustable non -gas enhanced that are quite pricey). We like the look of the eyelet types with concealed plungers.
We found the kit- provided shocks to be too stiff for our spring rates, so we went with EMPI 9600 series non gas charged VW type shocks on the fronts which some folks suggest are a little too undersized for the wt. of the A. We found the ride to be much improved with softer rebound and at $60 a pair was a test bargain. The studs for the eyelets are metric and need to be reamed to 5/8" if needed or replaced with new nitrile ,etc. insert bushings readily available.The rear shocks from the kits are still being tested and seem to be OK for heavier sedans. We're told the red Gabriel Gas charged shocks are used in some of the kits. . The compressed/ extended lengths depend on brackets fab'd, but vary from about 11" to 16" for the vendors kits shocks at ride height of about 13 to 13 1/2" eyelet to eyelet. Feedback appreciated.