Hi all! My husband, tom65special, was a member here for years. Unfortunately, he passed away 3 years ago and I’m now the proud owner of our fully restored 65 Special. He was in the middle of an LS swap when he died and it was finally completed last October. I’ve been having a great time driving it this summer. My knowledge about cars is somewhat limited and could use a little help. Recently I noticed that I’m missing a nut, cap and bushing on one of my front shocks(?). Can anyone direct me to where I can find a replacement? I will attach pics of both sides so you can see what I’m talking about. Any help will be greatly appreciated!
Welcome, think I would see what brand the good one is and get a whole new one. Probably doesn't cost much and it could be the shock itself caused the breakage. If you can see the brand of the old shock and have a hard time finding it, I'm sure we can help. installation is pretty easy too.
A good hardware store should have those items. Remove the same two pieces from the other side and use those as specimens for the sizes that you need.
Per an old post of his on here they are Edelbrock Classic IAS which appear to be discontinued. I think I will just replace both front shocks to be safe. Is there a recommended brand? If I remember correctly, the suspension is basically stock. Suspension upgrades were coming after the LS swap. I prefer a pretty stiff ride and as of now it tends to float down the road. I know that shocks aren't going to fix that but if there is something that would be a better ride, I'm all for it!
Thanks! When he passed away, his friends were terrified that I was going to sell it but there is no way that is going to happen. There is too much of him in the car to ever let it out of my hands even though I've had several offers. The biggest problem I have is that I know just enough about it to be dangerous but not enough to sound intelligent about it!
Brooke, it’s good to have you join us. Hopefully you’ve gotten to the point where being around Tom’s car brings you sweet memories of having him instead of the bitter pain of losing him. We all have to get to that point...eventually. Now, as for your shocks...I have always had good luck with KYB. They seem to offer a firmer ride than stock, but no too harsh. Different for a drag vehicle but that is where I would start for a cruiser. I’m not sure if they’re available for a 65 but I’ve also had good luck with Bilstien. GM has used them extensively through the years. Keep us posted and good luck. Philip T.
It looks just like the shock hardware that came off. I gave a bunch of that stuff here. You may just be able to replace that shock washer and nut. Likely it just came loose.
Hi Brooke, welcome to the site. Your local auto parts store should have the bushings. Look for a rack with the 'Help' line of products, usually in a red blister pack. There are several sizes avail, here is one:
I'm still suspicious of what caused the rubber bushing split and missing nut / washer. If just replacing those items, I would bounce the front end to make sure the shock itself isn't stuck. Also check the threads on the rod end for damage. Edit: Wondering if shock is shorter than stock, shouldn't there be a rubber bump stop that limits the downward control arm travel to prevent the shock from taking that load?? Good luck.
