The stock length shocks have enough travel toward collapse that the shocks never bottom before something else hits...first the bump stops then the tires hitting the liners. The merit of the Koni's is that the dampening is adjustable, and that they are of high quality. I'm sure more shock manufacturers will start to offer replacements soon.

 

I realize that, but I don't need $300 worth of shocks on the back of this car. I have zero use for an adjustable suspension. There are probably many shocks out there that will work well on a lowered 500, someone just has to run the numbers.

 

If someone knows the compressed and extended length, that would be helpful. I'll try to pull one off and measure if my wife doesn't take the car to work tomorrow.

 

I emailed kyb about their monotube gas adjust shocks. I have them on the rear of my lowered mustang and they work great.

 

Rear dampers (from a 500c Pop): measured @ mounting hole centers.
fully compressed: 11"
nominal: 15"

 

So 4 inch stroke. Do you know the bolt hole inside diameter and the width of the bushing? I assume upper and lower mounts are the same.

 

It looks like the bolts are 10mm and the mounting bracket/shock sleeve is 42mm, but I don't have the proper tools for fine measurements. The only shock in the kyb gas adjust that fits this is KG5457, but has an extended length of 17.72 inches and collapsed 11.73, plus it has a 12mmx41 mount, so there's be a slight gap.

 

Now that I think about it, it maybe possible to press out the stock shock bushings and press them into a new shock. I'm not sure how standard the bushing size is though.

 

It maybe a 12mm bolt. I'm trying to look up the part online, but the descriptions all look like legalease.

 

Didn't get a chance to take a shock off, but the upper mount looks smaller than the lower. Macavant, can you measure the upper mount? I'm thinking some shocks for a ford windstar might work with some washers on the bottom mount to take up the gap. Kyb makes performance shocks for a minivan, but not for the 500, wtf?

 

I can't claim to be the greatest authority on this, but picking shocks just for their length, without taking a car's weight, weight distribution or handling dynamics would seem ill advised. You may be throwing good money after bad here, and it's not an area you want to scrimp on.

 

You got that right moosestang. I refuse (also) to put that kind of money on (the rear) of my Pop.
I've previously taken measurements to NAPA and purchased their lifetime guarantee heavy duty for an air ride truck.
Not a problem for them to source your need while you wait at counter.
Anyhow, this is what I found/purchased recently for my Pop's Madness 2.5 inch dropped rear.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/380398997417?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649

[h=1]Shocks/ shock absorbers-short double eyelet 9.97 in compressed 13.03 in ext.[/h]

I have yet to install them & am prepared to modify that sleeve as needed.
May do it today. Trying to source in the same manner for 2 in drop on the front end.
Hope this helps you.

 

You got that right moosestang. I refuse (also) to put that kind of money on (the rear) of my Pop.
I've previously taken measurements to NAPA and purchased their lifetime guarantee heavy duty for an air ride truck.
Not a problem for them to source your need while you wait at counter.
Anyhow, this is what I found/purchased recently for my Pop's Madness 2.5 inch dropped rear.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/380398997417?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649

Shocks/ shock absorbers-short double eyelet 9.97 in compressed 13.03 in ext.

I have yet to install them & am prepared to modify that sleeve as needed.
May do it today. Trying to source in the same manner for 2 in drop on the front end.
Hope this helps you.

I'm willing to pay a little bit more for a kyb gas adjust. I know the kyb's are a performance upgrade over stock shocks.. I got the shock today and should have it test fitted tomorrow. Looks like it's going to work well. They have 32mm mounts top and bottom, but come with spacers to make the lower mount 42mm, bonus! If it fits fine, then I should have them installed with the drop springs on Wed.

 

Oy. What you guys do to your cars.....

 

You should have seen what I did to my 1999 ford ranger! I put the shocks on the outside of the frame and I can assure you they were not the shocks made for the vehicle.

 

Very interested in a cheaper rear shock than the konis. Keep up the work and keep us updated!

 

Figures the upper bolt is smaller diameter than the lower one. Lower bolt is 12mm, upper looks like 10.

shock fits good, it's definitely harder to compress than the stock shocks. My only concern would be the new shocks being slightly longer with a shorter lowering spring.

Upper mount is indeed 32mm, the spacer that come with the shock work fine on the lower mount, a little tight getting the second one in.

 

ordered some 12mm to 10mm reducer bushings for the upper mount.

 

stock shocks are 10 inches compressed, for anyone looking for that info in the future. Looks like that extra .5 inches makes a difference. It still rides good the way i have it set up, but I'd like a shock that is around 9 inches compressed.

 

I'm no longer posting new threads in this forum, but I felt I should update this one. The kyb's I had weren't short enough and I didn't really like the koni's, not enough compression damping. I think the koni's would work better with a stiffer spring.

So I took another shot with some kyb's for a 84-87 corvette! These shocks are stiffer than any i've tried and I like the ride with the neuspeed springs. They are 9.6 inches compressed and 14.33 extended, so I gained almost 1/2 inch or travel over stock or the Konis. I was expecting a harsh ride, but it's much better than I expected. I had to cut the washers off the stock top bolt, the bushing sleeves are longer on these shocks, so I needed the extra thread depth and I had to shim both upper and lower bushings with 16-12mm for the bottom and 12mm-10mm for the top. Still it was only $80 for everthing on amazon.com. If anyone wants to try these, they are kyb KG5564. You could also cut the upper bushing sleever shorter, but I didn't want to modify the shock until I was sure I liked them. They also double as a sway bar, yes they are stiff. this pic is at ride height. I took out the upper and lower spring isolators.

 

Excellent find, as I refuse to invest mucho dinero in my rearend also.
Where (exactly) did you source the specific reducer bushings?
Thanks much.

 

These are the ones I used for the lower mount, only ones I could find that went from 16mm down to 12mm. I used 2 on each lower shock mount and they worked great. A little expensive I thought, but they shipped them free and priority mail in 2 days from TX, so half of the cost must be shipping.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00LXGTZQU/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

There are a lot of different length 12mm-10mm bearing sleeves. I believe I used the 15mm ones here.

http://www.amazon.com/Length-Silver...ie=UTF8&qid=1412342412&sr=1-3-catcorr&keywords=12mm+x+10mm+plain+sleeve+bearing

 

lWell first off, forget about the shocks I mentioned from ebay earlier in this thread. TOO soft.
I have the Big Red Bar setup that will be upgraded to the CPR 28mm Bar.
Looking forward to the shocks.

 

I think with both upper and lower spring isolators removed, I'm at 2.5 inches in the back. so anyone wanting to lower the rear of their car .5 inches, just take out the isolators.

 

youre amazing. thanks for doing this research. im going to do the same thing. i just sourced nissan maxima rear springs for my 500e. they are almost the same exact dimensions as the 500e stock rear spring (dam near exact inside and outside diameter), just slightly shorter in free length and a higher spring rate (to account for the 500e's extra weight). hopefully this gives us 500e guys a slightly lower ride

 

Definitely let us know about this, pictures would be nice, too. Running the cut down stock rear springs is the one thing I wish I could find a better solution too, as the cut ends do not seat very accurately with the isolators on either end.

 

I have the shocks Moosestang suggested also.
I did cut one level of my Norcal bumpstops.
VERY pleased on my Pop using these shocks with the 2.5 Madness on rear.

 

I cut 2 levels off the prothane bump stops I have and on the biggest dip on the interstate, it's a huge/deep drepression from some sort of road construction, it still doesn't hit the bump stops, but the tires do rub the inner fenders a little after removing the spring isolators. before these shocks it would hit the bumpstops hard!

 

these shocks are awesome. stiffened up the rear so much. thanks again moosetang. i did the same as you and just cut the washers off the top shock bolt since i was lazy heh. the **** 12-10mm sleeve bearings took forever to come from HK though. just a warning for those who go this route. think it took 11 days from ordering to arrive

 

The 12-10mm sleeves can be found all over, the 16-12mm are the hard ones to find. People might be able to find them locally, but i wouldn't even know who to call looking for a bearing sleeve.

Are you using them with the nissan springs?