Mushy Front Suspension

Posted by Jay Faubion On 2009/6/26 12:06:50

My '49 has mushy suspension. Going over railroad tracks or moderately rough roads, the front end vibrates like a machine gun. I can look at the original, rusty shocks in the rear and understand that part of the problem. However, the elbow-style shocks in the front are another matter.

I filled them with hydraulic jack oil last year, but didn't get much improvement. I see rebuilt shocks for a couple of hundred dollars, but spending anything near like that kind of money for front shocks is out of the question right now. Maybe ever.

I don't know, of course, what the suspension should feel like. I've never ridden in a (new) or fully restored car of this type. I'm just betting the original ride was a lot different than mine.

Is this a situation others also have to deal with? Are there any lower-cost solutions?

Jay