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Rob Rawe Member
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While going over the J.H. getting her ready for a road trip I noticed one of the rear shocks is leaking. So I would like to know if someone can recomend a aftermarket shock ( Mfg. & Part #) that I could pickup at a local autopart store. Thanks Rob |
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Greg Fletcher Administrator 
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I don't think you're going to find any shocks at your local auto parts chain store for this car. The size has been obsolete for years. The least expensive route I know of is the budget KYB brand shocks that Delta is selling. The rear ones will raise the car somewhat, so the KYB's are not an exact replacement by any stretch. The Bilstein shocks in the club store are custom fabricated to fit the JH, which is one reason they cost what they do. |
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Jensen Healey Super Moderator 
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Try the KYB KG5552 from the '83 to '85 Toyota Celica with solid rear axle. The car weighs a few hundred pounds more than the JH but IIRC the length is correct. Use at your own risk since the valving is not for a JH. |
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mnunes22 Member
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I just replaced rear shocks with KYB KG5552. Rubber bushings were wider and could be trimmed, I re-used old ones. Shocks work great with huge improvement over old ones. Shockwarehouse.com $41.32 ea. Bill Nunes #14592 |
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Greg Fletcher Administrator
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Those are ones that Delta sells. They do raise the rear ride height slightly as they are not specifically designed for the JH. |
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Joel Member
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Just ordered a pair off of Amazon - believe it or not. They had the best price. I'll letcha know how they work out. |
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Joel Member
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The shocks fit fine. Took me maybe an hour to install them both. What a difference! I didn't realize how bad the old ones were. MUCHO smoother ride and improved handling in the corners. Berry Berry nice. |
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mnunes22 Member
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Joel, Congrats on rear shock replacement. How are your front shocks? I will be changing mine out soon and have seen some talk about using KYB KG5501 with some mods. Any thoughts or advice? Thanks, Bill Manteca, Ca. |
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Joel Member
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I paid someone else (Harry at Viking Motorsports) to do the front. I think he put KYBs on the front. I know they're not bilsteins. I like them a lot. |
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LambandAndy Member 
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I am waiting for two pairs of KYB's to arrive, KG5501's for the front and KG5552's for the rear. I will post how the installation goes but, as I have the whole front subframe pulled out (new ball joints and bushings), it may be a while. Also have all new bushings to put in the rear. Andy 15223 |
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Joel Member
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The entire front suspension is new on mine. I had Harry do it. Now, I need to go thru the rear. But, she's running good. :-) If anyone in San Diego needs a mechanic I found another guy. Josh at Eli's British cars in Hillcrest did a really good job on a couple of small things for me and I will use him again. Threadjack over.... |
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mnunes22 Member
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Andy, who did you order your shocks from? I'm doing a similar project, replacing front bushings with Super Pro's from club boutique, springs and sway bar from DMS. thanks, Bill #14592 |
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Joel Member
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I found Amazon to be the cheapest - 40 bucks for the rear. |
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mnunes22 Member
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Thanks for the tip on Amazon Joel. I'm wondering if some one would know what modifications (if any) would have to be done to the KYB 5501 for Jensen Healey front shocks? Thanks, Bill |
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LambandAndy Member
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I bought mine from Shock Warehouse. Cheaper on Amazon but Shock Warehouse had free shipping. I was working on fitting the front ones today. For the lower end it seems that if you press out the steel bushing from your old shock it is a good fit in the new one and should be all that is needed. The rubber bushing seems a little wider in the new one, and may need to be trimmed a little, but I think it will compress. For the upper end, to replace the "T" piece, I am going to take the bushing pressed out of the old shock and make a spacer (approximately 0.535" long) to go on each side of the new shock's bushing. Seems relatively simple and could be done with a hack saw and a file in a few minutes. Hope this helps, Andy 15223 |
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LambandAndy Member
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I whittled up my spacers today. Picture attached. Andy Attachment: SANY0358.JPG (Downloaded 584 times) |
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mnunes22 Member
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Awesome! great pic's, I should be receiving my shocks and springs today and can't wait to install them. Many thanks for the effort to supply info. and pic's. thanks, Bill |
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Steve Jarvis Member
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I had a note from another member that Monroe Sensatrax work - 5752 for the front (tough to install) & 5867 for the rear (easy to install). I haven't tried them yet. |
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Steve Jarvis Member
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It's hard to believe it's been three years since I posted the note about Monroe shocks. I finally pried my wallet open and picked up a set for both front and back on Friday. Seemed to be time to replace the original ones from 1973 The rears went in easily with no modifications and took about an hour. The front required about an hour for each side. The longest part was removing the old bushings to be reused in the new shocks. The bottom pressed out in a vise and the top came out with a hacksaw (eventually). Everything is back in place and ready for a ride later in the week. Attachment: Jensen Shocks.jpg (Downloaded 174 times) Last edited on 06-20-2011 01:08 am by Steve Jarvis |
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Eric Member
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Steve..when you replace the front shocks, do you need a spring compressor to remove the spring ? Was considering doing springs and shocks but got intimidated after reading the shop manual instructions where it says to use a compressor. Eric |
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NigelK Member
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Hi Eric The spring compressor I bought when I changed the shocks and springs on my GT was too long. You might struggle to find a sufficiently short one in most auto parts shops. But, you can easily compress the front spring using a trolley jack under the lower suspension arm (remove the grease nipple first) which will allow you to remove the shock absorber. This link is to an excellent step-by-step guide how to change front shocks and springs on a Healey, with very helpful pictures. https://sites.google.com/site/johnsjensenhealeywebpage/maintenance-projects/5-front-suspension The part I found really tricky was re-assembly - getting the tie rod, lower suspension arm and shock absorber bracket all lined up so the two bolts could be inserted. In the end I had to be rescued by my friendly local Jensen mechanic (who also happens to be Chairman of the Jensen Owners' Club...) Also, correct torquing of the bolt securing the shock absorber to the bracket is pretty much impossible without a crows foot. Best wishes, Nigel |
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Screenplay Member
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Eric, It's not difficult to remove the spring with a spring compressor; it's really something that can easily be done by many home mechanics. Use the internal compressor type that runs up through the center of the spring (after removing the shock absorber) and just make certain to exercise caution. Make sure all four of the arms of the tool are firmly in contact with the coil as you tighten (compress) the spring. Also, don't compress any more than necessary to unseat the spring from the control arms. Just remember to loosen (decompress) the spring as soon as it is out of the car-there is a lot of energy in a wound spring and there is no need to keep it compressed longer than necessary. I don't have a favorite video, but there should be numerous ones online showing the process. Clinton |
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Eric Member
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Hi Nigel, Just finished rear suspension. Looks like somebody replaced bushings and springs previously, so just going to do front shocks for now. Did you run into trouble aligning the bolt holes because you were replacing springs as well, or is this a problem I'm likely to encounter just replacing the shocks ? Thanks Eric |
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NigelK Member
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Hi Eric The bottom bolts of the front shocks affix to a separate 2-piece bracket, which is itself affixed to the lower suspension arm by 3 bolts, 2 of which are the same bolts which affix the control arms (tie rods) to the lower suspension arm. So you'll need to remove these two bolts regardless of whether you are replacing the shocks and the springs, or just the shocks. Have a look at that web link I posted before and it'll make sense. I think the job of aligning these bolts is much easier if the car is up on a hoist and you can get enough physical leverage to line things up. When I tried to do it, my car was on axle stands and it was impossible to get enough leverage from a prone position on my garage floor! Hope this helps. Best wishes, Nigel |
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Eric Member
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Thanks Nigel..good to know. If there is any possible snag, I will definitely experience it. Eric |
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Frank Schwartz Member
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You don't need a spring compressor or any fancy tools, I did mine with a set of socket and open end wrenches...but you must read my article in the JHPS magazine as to how to do it without pain....it's so easy and I remember previous jobs on the JHs just trying to get the front end thingys back in place....and I use Monroe shocks...work great for me.... |
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Frank Schwartz Member
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You don't need a spring compressor or any fancy tools, I did mine with a set of socket and open end wrenches...but you must read my article in the JHPS magazine as to how to do it without pain....it's so easy and I remember previous jobs on the JHs just trying to get the front end thingys back in place....and I use Monroe shocks...work great for me.... |
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Eric Member
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Thanks Frank. How do I access your article in the magazine? |
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Frank Schwartz Member
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Hi: I will have to look back and see what issue it was in. I can make you a copy of it, however, if you give me your snail mail address. Do you have a parts manual? You will need it to identify the parts...I can make a copy of the related pages if you don't. Getting the rear shocks off and on is easy...the fronts, as I wrote, can be a first double class bugger as the coil spring will try to push the whole assembly back and getting it back in place is almost enough to drive a man to suicide. My method is easy and works without all that bother... Frank |
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dbeliveau74 Member 
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I found KYB KG5552 on Ebay $27 ea free shipping |
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dbeliveau74 Member
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Greg, Currently you list 2 shock sets in the club store, but neither description lists the name or any attributes. Could you provide more info on these ? Thanks, Dan Attachment: 20230906_220409.jpg (Downloaded 53 times) |
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vnavaret Member 
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Lads: Reviving an old thread... A photo showing how to modify the KYB front shocks to fit. I used the sleeves from the original front shocks, and pressed in a pair of Energy suspension bushings, then pressed in the original sleeve. I used a vise and couple of sockets to press things in or out. Looks factory, and everything fits! The new bushings are Energy Suspension part 9.8141G, $8 from Amazon. I did not want to cut up the original sleeves since they add strength to the top bolt. Slicing up the sleeves and adding the pieces to the top mount compromises the strength. Think about it; Imagine using only the original KYB sleeve - the shock now has a longer lever arm (the space between the sleeve and the frame) on the mounting bolt, and it is therefore easier to bend the bolt near the mounting holes in the frame. The sleeve does more than just keep the shock centered, it adds strength to the mounting bolt. Vance Attachment: IMG_0385.jpg (Downloaded 33 times) Last edited on 03-31-2024 06:33 pm by vnavaret |
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