pinkgrips thanx for posting the link to toyotaoverstockparts that appears to be really helpful in the near future. you guys know that alot of the parts for these lil vans are getting harder to find everyday.
pinkgrips thanx for posting the link to toyotaoverstockparts that appears to be really helpful in the near future. you guys know that alot of the parts for these lil vans are getting harder to find everyday.
Re: Need new front shocks '87 4wd
no problem!
feel free to send me a couple Gansett's to show your appreciation!
Hey PinkGrips,
How are those OEM shocks working? And just to be sure, were they for your 4wd van?
So far they seem to be working out pretty well. To be honest, I don't have much of a basis for comparison. The ride is still a bit bouncy, but definitely better than what was on there. I went with the OEMs because I didn't really want to fiddle around with pressing out the old rubber or having to cut the metal sleeve on some of the AM options.
I originally ordered a different set from the toyotaoverstock folks, but was contacted b/c the part I ordered didn't match the VIN. They set me straight and ordered the corresponding shocks.
They were for the 4x4 van.
48500-29335 is the part I originally ordered, 48500-29606 is the part they said was actually what I needed and got.
Thanks for the info!
I haven't seen any reports on the Gabriel Ultra Truck Shock, 4wd Front G63612, aside from the fact that they fit. So I thought I'd throw my 2 cents in. I've used the 63612 on two vans. Like them a lot. Not bouncy. Not stiff. Just right, in my opinion.
Now, does anybody know if these Gabriels will work with with cranked torsion bars? That is, are they long enough? Are the other front shocks (e.g. kyb, durango, crown vic) extra long to accommodate a 2" lift?
I figured I would throw in my shock experience since I haven't seen any posts about these. The Gabrield Progaurd shocks were recomended to me by the owner of toyotavans.org and being that I didn't want to deal with modifying Durango shocks at this point I thought I'd give them a try. I could only find them trough autozone which required that I go for a drive since there isn't one near me, but I picked them up and replaced them two days ago. My first impressions are very good. They're about twice the diamater of the stock shocks but bolted on no problems. So far I've driven them on dirt roads and on pavement up tp about 60. They seem to be doing really well. No bounce when going over bumps and the suck up washboards really well. Cornering is also significantly better than with the old shocks. I don't have anything to compare them to but I'm impressed with them. My torsion bars are set a little soft right now so we'll see if anything changes once I get those tightened a little. There is also a rear shock that Autozone says is not compatible, but apparently is just missing a bushing that if you pull of the old shocks works fine, but I haven't tried them yet.
Thanks for the information. I might try these next time I buy shocks. Tim
I assume you are referring to Roy. Did he tell you whether they were compatible with cranked torsion bars? They appear to be a stock type replacement. I'm just wondering if they have enough travel since mine is lifted and in dire need of new shocks.Originally Posted by teleman73
He didn't say either way, What shocks do you have under it right now, because if they're not something specifically longer than stock I think these would work, I think it would also depend on how much you have the torsion bars cranked up.
I finally got new shocks. I decided to go with the Gabriel ProGuard mentioned by teleman73 since they need no modifications and were readily available from Autozone. I've had them on nearly a month and driven close to 1000 miles including around 150 on dirt service roads and am pleased with their performance. The install was a little tight due to the larger tube diameter but provided adequate clearance once bolted up. The sleeve in the lower bushing was a little narrower but the bracket bent in slightly to accommodate when I torqued the bolt down.
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Last edited by originalkwyjibo; 09-22-2016 at 02:13 PM.
I bought KYB's for a dodge durango and modified the shock mount. The sprung weight is the same. Completely made the car. You have to cut the sides off one of the mounts and drill it out for the mounting bolt.
been several years so i cant remember it it was the upper or lower, but it will be clear which one when you get the shocks.
At the sirens of humanity we STOMP!
I'm slightly confused... fuquan in this thread says Gabriel part # G63612... these also are mentioned in another thread as someone bought and installed ...but originalkwyjibo you show in the picture Gabriel part # 61545 and mention teleman73 says these are good... they both seem to fit w/o issue.. which are the preferred model?
Gabrials are guaranteed roflroflroflrofl. I am not kidding. The best is to get the Durango shock and easily modify the lower mount. Trust me, I have done both. I took the gabrials off after less than 6 months.
At the sirens of humanity we STOMP!
Got it, thanks for suggestion. Can you explain a little more what you needed to do to modify the lower mount? Are you running stock height with the KYB's from the Durango or are you raised via the crank torsion method? Would you happen to know the part number on these KYB's ?
The G63612 is the Ultra line while the 61545 that I used is the Proguard. The Ultra's are a stiffer sport/truck line with more aggressive valving that is likely the cause of the "bouncing" that has been described by both van owners and owners of other vehicles while the Proguard is in between the Ultra's and stock. I read reviews for both as well as Gabriel's descriptions and also trust the opinion of Roy from yotavans.org who presumably is the one who recommended to teleman73 as it is my understanding Roy has rebuilt more vans than even Tim has owned. One of my stock shocks was blown out so nearly anything was an improvement but after a few months and a few thousand miles I'm still happy with mine. I have no experience with the KYB's and may try them on my other van when the time comes for a more informed comparison.
I appreciate the clarification! I had read through so many different threads and experiences this last week it was all getting blurry.
Well I've got over 10,000 miles on the Gabriel Proguards I mounted and recommended last fall and thought I'd give an update. So far I still recommend these shocks. They've broken in a little more and don't feel quite as stiff around corners, but they are still way better than what I was dealing with before. The bounce is still minimal which for me is the biggest thing. I wish they had a little more resistance when cornering, but that would probably increase bounce and they still handle pretty well. Most of that 10,000 has been highway or paved two lane roads. On dirt they suck up washboards well, and I can tell that the stock shocks on the back leave something to be desired. I think these are a great option, especially for those that don't want to deal with modification.
What exactly did you have to do to get the Durango shocks to fit? Maybe you could explain the mod? Do you have a part number? I have cranked torsions and the shocks on there now bounce me out of my seat over bumps. One of them appears to be leaking as well. If the Durango front shocks are as good as you say I'd love to do that to my van instead of the Gabriel ones
If your torsions are cranked up way high it will be bouncy anyway.
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