I recently picked up a 67’ and it has Orielly’s MasterPro shocks that are only 6 months old.
Ride feels loose to me….
Would some KYB Excel G’s be enough noticeable difference to justify the cost.
Just added a beefier front sway bar and that helped a lot with steering and body roll.
Thanks for any suggestions.
The KYB shocks are among the cheapest available. The O’Reilly shocks are likely better.
Do you have a shock that you would recommend to give the car a better feel?
The sway bar helped give it better cornering and made the steering feel more responsive at lower speeds, but at higher speeds (50-60 MPH) the car feels unstable. Definitely feels “floaty” if you turn the steering wheel side to side.
Are better shocks even the solution?
I don’t mind throwing some money at it, just not sure I want to totally redo the entire suspension.
Sounds like you need to check condition of steering and suspension components. Get the car on a rack or in the air. Also check age of tires. When was last time car had front end alignment? Lots of reason that might cause stability at speed issues. Might even be worn steering box. Throwing parts at it isn’t a great idea. Find out where the wear is first. West Coast Classic Cougar did a suspension video on how to check front suspension and steering components. Doesn’t seem to me to be a shock issue.
Thanks…. I’ll do some more research and troubleshooting.
Another avenue of thought is what I did: 1-1/8" sway bar, and 429 springs, and added a rear sway bar that the car didn’t come with. The shocks really don’t matter that much, if you’re trying to get a firm ride. Don’t get me wrong: there are lousy shocks out there, but shocks are just that: they ABSORB shock. Bad springs, and a skinny sway bar won’t get you where you want to go.
The KYB Excel-Gs are pretty floaty as well, I wouldnt bother with them. A quality set of shocks like Bilstein or adjustables like QA1 or Viking would be a big improvement though.
KONI shocks are probably top of the line but they run around $125 each. Bilsteins are excellent too.
Vaquero, I’d say mr_580’s advice is spot on. Is your Cougar equipped with power steering? An inspection of your front end suspension for excessive wear to components like tie rod ends is in order, with a front end alignment done to modern specs with more positive caster to around +4° (like John at Opentracker advises Tech Information – Opentracker Racing) for radial tires instead of setting to the original factory settings. 1/8" total toe in. You mentioned not wanting to have to rebuild your front end, but if you find out of spec wear in the upper control arms or ball joints, consider revising upper control mount with the Shelby/Arning drop for a better handling ride, and Opentracker roller or Scott Drake high performance 360° rotation elastomer coil spring perches. Check for excessive play in the steering control valve to drag link ball stud mount. The steering box may need adjustment or rebuilding (recommend Chockostang for rebuild).
An export brace from the shock towers to firewall will help with better steering and handling response too.
One of the WCCC videos mr_580 referenced, for checking steering wear points.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69idxXfXJv4
When a shock or strut is bad it wont apply enough pressure on that wheel/tire on the pavement and you definitely notice it going around a corner. I had the same issues you were having on an older car and replaced t h e rear shocks and rear drag links and bushings on the sway bar. It was an entirely different car after that… Like previously said, you kinda have to look at everything, especially when a lot of the parts are tired.
I’m going to disagree with the statement that shocks are not important. They control the spring in both directions compression and rebound-and as such can certainly contribute to a floaty sensation when driving and the car body motion is not damped. Spend the money on good shocks as you do get what you pay for!