S-PAutomotive.com

Author Topic: KYB Caddy rear shocks - STIFF!  (Read 20625 times)

June 27, 2010, 06:40:51 pm

wolf_walker

  • Veteran

  • Offline
  • ***

  • 1202
KYB Caddy rear shocks - STIFF!
« on: June 27, 2010, 06:40:51 pm »
Maybe I'm getting old but crap these guys are stiff.
I put boge/sachs gas units in front when I did the rehab the other month
and it was getting on about time to replace the 600K miles stockers in the rear(which
still had some rebound damping, just not much compression).  I couldn't get mates to the
boge/sachs fronts from my supplier for some reason, so I figured the KYB's would be
pretty stock-ish.  They are pretty firm though.

It's an interesting contrast to the fronts,  think they are two sides of the cheap-damper coin.
The fronts, which are touted as OEM brand replacements but after putting them on 4 vehicles
in the last few years I have a hard time believing that.  They are soft, overly so, and as such they do
pretty well at damping small road imperfections, but I bottom the front out pretty regular on this
pickup in normal driving, and have had the same experience on a Volvo with them.  I think they erred on the side of soft with these.   
The KYB's in contrast, are stuff all around.  They handle notable bumps and potholes alright, but it's the small things they can't damp.  Little undulations in the pavement, usually you can't even see them, don't produce suspension compression, the truck just moves up and down and you get a little rolling bounce.  I hope they wear in some, lowering the rear tire pressure helped a bit.

Granted this is comparing struts to shocks, and heavy nose to light Caddy bed rear.
And one, possibly the most noticeable thing, is the improvement in cornering, those stiff shocks
keep the body roll down MUCH more than before.  If you had told me there was suddenly a swaybar on it I'd have believed it the way it feels.  Much, much improved.
$85 well spent, all in all.



Many things we do naturally become difficult only when we try to make them intellectual subjects. It is possible to know so much about a subject that you become ignorant.
Mentat Text Two

Reply #1June 27, 2010, 08:05:54 pm

745 turbogreasel

  • Guest
Re: KYB Caddy rear shocks - STIFF!
« Reply #1 on: June 27, 2010, 08:05:54 pm »
KYB Gas a Just (the white ones) are valved quite a bit stiffer than stock, and have about 200PSI Nitrogen charge.
KYB GR2 (silver gray) are more stock replacement, and have nowhere near as much gas pressure.  I'd wager an unloaded Caddy doesn't overcome the gas charge.

I put some 3/4 ton truck shocks on a escort in addition to the stock struts, and the gas gave me 2" of lift.  the car was a lot lighter than stock, and after the swap, you could land a 3' air, and hardly bottom.

Reply #2June 27, 2010, 09:28:40 pm

mystery3

  • Veteran

  • Offline
  • ***

  • 774
Re: KYB Caddy rear shocks - STIFF!
« Reply #2 on: June 27, 2010, 09:28:40 pm »
Wolf, which kyb's did you purchase? Did you do the bushings as well? And have you driven it loaded?

I'm about to gather parts for a rear suspension overhaul once I get the front finished up...soon hopefully...too many projects.

Reply #3June 28, 2010, 06:16:14 pm

wolf_walker

  • Veteran

  • Offline
  • ***

  • 1202
Re: KYB Caddy rear shocks - STIFF!
« Reply #3 on: June 28, 2010, 06:16:14 pm »
They are gas-adjust, white, and despite 607K miles the bushings look serviceable and it sits level just on the springs, not sagged.  Haven't done it daily or anything but as the beat up bed will attest the truck has been used during it's life, which has been mostly in my family.

They are stiff, but are breaking in some slowly.  Handling improvement is darn near worth the little bounce in the rear, it's much more settled and no more pitching left/right in the middle of sweeping turns, that was getting really annoying.  I have not driven it loaded yet, but I suspect it will ride pretty good.  Sometime soon I'll have my metal storage box in the back again with the usual compliment of tools, a good 150lbs, that will likely help as well.  I picked these because they were all my supplier had.
The only other stuff I've found period are boge/sachs that I could only find one place online(which is odd since both my supply joints are distributors but don't have em) and monroe/gabriel stuff at the McParts stores.  They were all about the same price, these had free shipping, so.  What the heck.  I was able to compress them by hand, shock on ground pushing down, but it was tuff.  Weight of the truck does compress them so it's not that they are sitting at full extension.  Just takes some movement to get them damping.  If they had about 3/4 of the gas pressure they'd be better.
I'll see if I get annoyed with em after awhile I guess.
Interestingly, all the Porsche track guys I deal with detest gas shocks.  I wonder if it's just a Porsche thing?  Not that i had an option in this case, unless VW still sells the OE one's, I'm assuming they were hyd. 

« Last Edit: June 28, 2010, 06:18:35 pm by wolf_walker »
Many things we do naturally become difficult only when we try to make them intellectual subjects. It is possible to know so much about a subject that you become ignorant.
Mentat Text Two

Reply #4June 30, 2010, 12:47:17 am

VWCaddy

  • Junior

  • Offline
  • **

  • 85
    • VW Caddy Page
Re: KYB Caddy rear shocks - STIFF!
« Reply #4 on: June 30, 2010, 12:47:17 am »
I ran KYB Gas-adjust on the rear of my pickup for years and they are a bit on the stiff side.  Not bad with 1000 lbs. in the bed, but lightly loaded, they are stiff.

I recently swapped in some Bilstein's on the rear of my '82 and they are great:
- http://www.4crawler.com/Diesel/CheapTricks/RearSuspension.shtml#Shocks


'82 VW pickup, 1.9D engine, Missing LinkZ shift linkage

Reply #5June 30, 2010, 02:25:15 pm

Rabbit on Roids

  • Guest
Re: KYB Caddy rear shocks - STIFF!
« Reply #5 on: June 30, 2010, 02:25:15 pm »
 :o straight axle short bed toyota behind the caddy! 82 or 83?

Reply #6June 30, 2010, 03:34:10 pm

rabbitman

  • Veteran

  • Offline
  • ***

  • 2787
Re: KYB Caddy rear shocks - STIFF!
« Reply #6 on: June 30, 2010, 03:34:10 pm »
:o straight axle short bed toyota behind the caddy! 82 or 83?

Going by his previous writings I'd say it's a 4-runner ;D.
'82 Rabbit, I put on a euro vnt-15, 2.25" DP, 2.5" exhaust, the result.....it whistled.

I removed the turbo, made a toilet bowl 2.5" DP, the result....it was deafening. Now it has a homemade muffler up front and a thrush in the rear, the result.....less loud.
Watch: AGENDA, GRINDING AMERICA DOWN

Reply #7June 30, 2010, 06:40:41 pm

VWCaddy

  • Junior

  • Offline
  • **

  • 85
    • VW Caddy Page
Re: KYB Caddy rear shocks - STIFF!
« Reply #7 on: June 30, 2010, 06:40:41 pm »
:o straight axle short bed toyota behind the caddy! 82 or 83?

'85 4Runner:


- http://www.4crawler.com/4Runner.shtml
'82 VW pickup, 1.9D engine, Missing LinkZ shift linkage

Reply #8June 30, 2010, 10:07:06 pm

rabbitman

  • Veteran

  • Offline
  • ***

  • 2787
Re: KYB Caddy rear shocks - STIFF!
« Reply #8 on: June 30, 2010, 10:07:06 pm »
:o straight axle short bed toyota behind the caddy! 82 or 83?

'85 4Runner:


- http://www.4crawler.com/4Runner.shtml

Nice rig, ain't that kinda hard on stuff twisting like that?
« Last Edit: July 03, 2010, 03:04:04 am by rabbitman »
'82 Rabbit, I put on a euro vnt-15, 2.25" DP, 2.5" exhaust, the result.....it whistled.

I removed the turbo, made a toilet bowl 2.5" DP, the result....it was deafening. Now it has a homemade muffler up front and a thrush in the rear, the result.....less loud.
Watch: AGENDA, GRINDING AMERICA DOWN

Reply #9July 03, 2010, 02:26:33 am

wolf_walker

  • Veteran

  • Offline
  • ***

  • 1202
Re: KYB Caddy rear shocks - STIFF!
« Reply #9 on: July 03, 2010, 02:26:33 am »
Roger I've been admiring your caddy and page for it a lot of years now.  I forgot about your shock section, should have looked through it again.  The KYB's were a bit of an impulse click/buy, they will do for now I reckon. 
Many things we do naturally become difficult only when we try to make them intellectual subjects. It is possible to know so much about a subject that you become ignorant.
Mentat Text Two

Reply #10July 03, 2010, 10:57:16 am

VWCaddy

  • Junior

  • Offline
  • **

  • 85
    • VW Caddy Page
Re: KYB Caddy rear shocks - STIFF!
« Reply #10 on: July 03, 2010, 10:57:16 am »
Nice rig, ain't that kinda hard on stuff twisting like that?

Not if you build things right, but it will point out all the weak points.  That was my first run on the new front suspension (in 1998) and funny thing is just a month ago I finally had one of the front springs snap in half.  I had missed one area where I should have rounded off the end a leaf above the one that broke and that sharp corner ultimately caused the metal to fatigue and break.
'82 VW pickup, 1.9D engine, Missing LinkZ shift linkage

Reply #11July 03, 2010, 11:00:25 am

VWCaddy

  • Junior

  • Offline
  • **

  • 85
    • VW Caddy Page
Re: KYB Caddy rear shocks - STIFF!
« Reply #11 on: July 03, 2010, 11:00:25 am »
Roger I've been admiring your caddy and page for it a lot of years now.  I forgot about your shock section, should have looked through it again.  The KYB's were a bit of an impulse click/buy, they will do for now I reckon.  

I did just add the Bilstein install although I have been running them for about 2 years now.  One good thing about the rear KYBs is that they do last a long time, unlike the front KYB struts, I've had those fail in a few years.  Actually, before I replaced the KYBs, I had mine remounted with the top bolts farther forward/back from stock to leave the shocks at more of an angle.  This softened out the damping and actually made the ride better.

UPDATE:

If anyone is interested, I do have a set of the rear KYBs plus some mounting bracket extensions I built to lay them over at more of an angle to soften the ride to a reasonable level.  $25.00 for the pair w/ brackets plus shipping.

« Last Edit: July 22, 2010, 02:19:32 pm by VWCaddy »
'82 VW pickup, 1.9D engine, Missing LinkZ shift linkage

Reply #12July 11, 2010, 01:12:18 pm

Baron VonZeppelin

  • Guest
Re: KYB Caddy rear shocks - STIFF!
« Reply #12 on: July 11, 2010, 01:12:18 pm »
Sorry to swap ends on your thread Wolf - but i'm about due for some Fronts soon.

egermanparts.com (worldpac) lists a KYB GR-2 for 81 Truck.
I can get those through my CarQuest/Worldpac connection for about $40 each.

Are they gas charged ?
Anyone familiar with them ?
I want stiff/firm weight haulers.

In the rear i have the HD leafs like VWCaddy's truck.
With spring assisted rear shocks.
Its plenty stiff back there.

I put boge/sachs gas units in front when I did the rehab the other month ...

The fronts, which are touted as OEM brand replacements but after putting them on 4 vehicles
in the last few years I have a hard time believing that.  They are soft, overly so, and as such they do
pretty well at damping small road imperfections, but I bottom the front out pretty regular on this
pickup in normal driving...

I don't want that kind of action really.
But can get the Sachs Hydraulic for about $30 each from same source. I almost pre-bought and went that route a few months ago because they list as HD. But have found the HD was short for HYD for hydraulic - lol. Not HD as in Heavy Duty. Now glad i waited.
« Last Edit: July 11, 2010, 01:16:15 pm by Baron VonZeppelin »

Reply #13July 16, 2010, 01:15:04 am

Baron VonZeppelin

  • Guest
Re: KYB Caddy rear shocks - STIFF!
« Reply #13 on: July 16, 2010, 01:15:04 am »
In the rear i have the HD leafs like VWCaddy's truck.
With spring assisted rear shocks.
Its plenty stiff back there.

Correction, my 81 with HD leafs only has 4 leafs, VWCaddy's has 5 !

My 82 only has 3 leafs.

Reply #14July 16, 2010, 03:09:57 am

745 turbogreasel

  • Guest
Re: KYB Caddy rear shocks - STIFF!
« Reply #14 on: July 16, 2010, 03:09:57 am »
I've installed GR2's  in some other cars, and they are satisfactory if you like a stock ride.  IMO pretty comparable to Bilstein Touring(TC), or an OE Boge.