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Thread: Front and rear shocks

  1. #1
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    Front and rear shocks

    Apparently doing research a lot of people were saying the KYBs were super dangerous..... so I decided to pull up Rockauto for my 86 Van

    Theres a lot to choose from but there are "heavy duty" Gabriel

    Rears
    GABRIEL Part # 61513 $17.87
    Fronts
    GABRIEL Part # 61529 $17.87

    has anyone tried these?

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    Re: Lets talk suspension shocks

    Have no experience with Gabriels but do have a pair of OEM rear shocks for a 2wd van kicking around.
    (they were supposed to be for a 4WD and I cannot return them)
    Available if you want 'em.
    BB

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    Re: Lets talk suspension shocks

    Quote Originally Posted by highwind View Post
    Apparently doing research a lot of people were saying the KYBs were super dangerous..... so I decided to pull up Rockauto for my 86 Van

    Theres a lot to choose from but there are "heavy duty" Gabriel

    Rears
    GABRIEL Part # 61513 $17.87
    Fronts
    GABRIEL Part # 61529 $17.87

    has anyone tried these?
    I am currently using Gabriel G63900 on the front and G60087 on the rear. They seem OK, as good as the Monroe (Tenneco) shocks I have used. Last time I tried a "heavy duty" shock the jolts
    going over uneven surfaces was severe. There is nothing IMO that can make the ride on the van "good".

    Where did you hear that the KYB was dangerous (how are they dangerous)?

    John

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    Re: Lets talk suspension shocks

    Quote Originally Posted by craftech View Post
    Where did you hear that the KYB was dangerous (how are they dangerous)?

    John

    oh the other site theres a thread where a couple guys who installed them and was bouncing around very dangerously.

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    Re: Lets talk suspension shocks

    Quote Originally Posted by craftech View Post
    I am currently using Gabriel G63900 on the front and G60087 on the rear. They seem OK, as good as the Monroe (Tenneco) shocks I have used. Last time I tried a "heavy duty" shock the jolts
    going over uneven surfaces was severe. There is nothing IMO that can make the ride on the van "good".

    Where did you hear that the KYB was dangerous (how are they dangerous)?

    John
    are they super bouncy John?

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    Re: Lets talk suspension shocks

    Just chiming in my 2¢,

    I have KYB gas-A-just shocks in my 2wd van and they seem to be fine, I've been running them for over a year and haven't had any issues with the van being bouncy.

    I didn't choose those shocks by chance but they were suggested by my now retired Toyota Master Tech and he knows these vans very well.

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    Re: Lets talk suspension shocks

    Quote Originally Posted by highwind View Post
    are they super bouncy John?
    They are little bouncy, but the heavy duty shocks give sharp jolts especially to the passengers. They are like the OEM shocks that came with the van in 1984. Drving over uneven surfaces (not smooth blacktop) is where you notice it. The nation's crumbling infrastructure doesn't help. My van was disabled for seven months thanks to the Palisades Interstate Parkway having so many potholes last winter, there was no way to avoid them. My left front torsion bar (original) cracked.

    There are no plans to pave it this year due to ongoing budget cuts.

    John

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    Re: Lets talk suspension shocks

    Quote Originally Posted by JDM VANMAN View Post
    Just chiming in my 2¢,

    I have KYB gas-A-just shocks in my 2wd van and they seem to be fine, I've been running them for over a year and haven't had any issues with the van being bouncy.

    I didn't choose those shocks by chance but they were suggested by my now retired Toyota Master Tech and he knows these vans very well.
    Do you have a model number? Is it these?:
    http://www.kyboutlet.com/kyb-kg4652a...-absorber.html

    Thanks,

    John

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    Re: Lets talk suspension shocks

    John,

    my Tech bought the entire 4 shock kit for my 89 van, so I'm not sure which model number would correlate if you bought the entire set vs. just buying a pair at a time, but I think those are the correct ones for a 2wd van ranging from 84-89.

    But of course plug in your info and the correct ones will pop up.

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    Front and rear shocks

    Okay,

    I did a thorough search of the forum using the search function and I cannot find part numbers for the front and rear shocks for the 1985 2WD van. I am pretty sure that the P/N#'s will be different than the 1986 model since the front steering system and the rear suspension system are different between these two years.

    I put KYB Gas-A-Just Monotube shocks on my 1986 van and I am interested in a set of KYB Gas-A-Just Monotube shocks for my 1985. Can any of you tell me the part numbers for the 1985 Van 2WD front and rears?

    Thank you.

  11. #11
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    Re: Front and rear shocks for the 1985 2WD van

    Here's some I just did a quick search on partsgeek, you might be able to find a better price on KYB outlet-
    Attached Images Attached Images  

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    Re: Front and rear shocks for the 1985 2WD van

    Thank you. That must be a proprietary part number on partsgeek. It isn't coming up on Amazon or Google. However I did manage to locate the part numbers for the KYB Shocks for the 1985 2WD van with rear coil springs.

    Front: KYB Gas-A-Just Monotube KG4652A
    Rear: KYB Gas-A-Just Monotube KG5463 (W/Rear Coil Springs)
    Rear KYB Gas-A-Just Monotube KG5538 (W/Rear Leaf Springs)

    Now the next person who searches for it will find it.

  13. #13
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    Re: Front and rear shocks for the 1985 2WD van

    Sorry the picture came out blurry, it looked clear when I took the screen shot. Nice job posting the part numbers.

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    Re: Front and rear shocks for the 1985 2WD van

    Front shocks are Toyota Part #48500-29278. Rears are Toyota part #48531-80597. Tim

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    Re: Front and rear shocks for the 1985 2WD van

    Ever shop rock auto? They have some of those #'s on closeout for less than $20 plus shipping.

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    Re: Front and rear shocks for the 1985 2WD van

    Thanks for the OEM P/N's Tim.

    I will check Rock Auto!

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    Re: Front and rear shocks for the 1985 2WD van

    Thanks for the heads up on Rock Auto. I ordered the rear ones as I got the last two they had in stock shipped to my door for $50. That is a little more than the cost of one on Amazon. The fronts cost about the same as Amazon so I will probably just get them there on my Prime so I don't pay shipping.

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    Re: Lets talk suspension shocks

    Allow me to chime in...

    Just installed a full new set of the KYB Gas-A-Just shocks on a 1987 2WD LE Van and I am VERY SATISFIED with the result. The ride is smooth and absorption seems right on. No excessive bounce or stiffness. 100% satisfied and they bolted straight on.

    I purchased them from RockAuto:
    FRONT: KYB KG4652A Gas-A-Just
    REAR: KYB KG5463 Gas-A-Just

    Hope this helps!

    -Danny-

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    Re: Lets talk suspension shocks

    Same here. KYB gas-A-just shocks on my 85' 2WD for about a year and they are great.

  20. #20
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    Re: Lets talk suspension shocks

    Just put KYB's on my van. They're a little harsh but there's nothing dangerous about them and I notice a difference in improved crosswind stability. I previously ran Gabriels and Monroes for about 65K miles and didn't care for them... too bouncy IMO.

    I'm curious if anyone has run Bilstein or Sachs shocks on our vans? In my VW bus days I really liked them and the TV's suffer from the same boxy, short wheel base issues.

    One thing I'd recommend is following the factory tire inflation pressure specifications. Just b/c your tires list a max PSI doesn't mean you should be running it unless you have a heavy load or something requiring it. The difference in ride quality is noticeable.

    Glad you brought this up and that so many folks are chiming in.

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