1963 Landau Front Shock Absorber

[sombb]

Hello,

I'm looking for front shocks to replace the ones installed when I bought the car. I'm not certain these are factory size or spec, and want to be certain of my replacements. My research turned up only one shock designated "front" and that is Monroe-Matic Plus #32066, which includes "Lower Mount Type: Loop Bushing, Cross Pin", which seems to be the fastening for 61/62 but NOT 1963. It seems there are several aftermarket rear shocks to choose from.

The 1960-64 Ford Car Master Parts & Accessories Catalog, p 1399, "Illustration Section 30, p.71" is a 1963/ diagram, fixing the lower mount with bolt 304880-S. No dimensions for that bolt in the Ford catalog.

SO...
1) any model nos. suggested for FRONT 1963 shock?
2) anyone know the size of bolt 304880-S?
3) can "Loop Bushing, Cross Pin" be modified to work on '63?
4) this whole exercise would be easier if the shock manufacturers included "Thunderbird" in their list of search options, but do not. Other 1963 Ford Motor Co. models CAN be searched. Is anyone CERTAIN of sibling 1963 Ford/Mercury models that shared the same shocks as Thunderbird?

Thanks!

[Alan H. Tast]

Hello,

I'm looking for front shocks to replace the ones installed when I bought the car. I'm not certain these are factory size or spec, and want to be certain of my replacements. My research turned up only one shock designated "front" and that is Monroe-Matic Plus #32066, which includes "Lower Mount Type: Loop Bushing, Cross Pin", which seems to be the fastening for 61/62 but NOT 1963. It seems there are several aftermarket rear shocks to choose from.

The 1960-64 Ford Car Master Parts & Accessories Catalog, p 1399, "Illustration Section 30, p.71" is a 1963/ diagram, fixing the lower mount with bolt 304880-S. No dimensions for that bolt in the Ford catalog.

SO...
1) any model nos. suggested for FRONT 1963 shock?
2) anyone know the size of bolt 304880-S?
3) can "Loop Bushing, Cross Pin" be modified to work on '63?
4) this whole exercise would be easier if the shock manufacturers included "Thunderbird" in their list of search options, but do not. Other 1963 Ford Motor Co. models CAN be searched. Is anyone CERTAIN of sibling 1963 Ford/Mercury models that shared the same shocks as Thunderbird?

Thanks!

'Bird front shocks are pretty much non-interchangeable with others with exception of 1964-1966 T-bird fronts, and those may require the shock tower 'cap' and other parts that you find on '64-'66s. As you observed, the '61-'62 bottom mounting is different from '63, in part because the upper control arm is different between '61-'62 and '63-'66.

The '61-'62 front shock uses a 'bayonette' style mounting stud at the top and bottom of the shock: the bottom goes through the upper control arm.

61-62 T-bird Front Shock Absorber (from 1960-68 MPC, Ill. Sec. 180, p. 4)

The bottom shock mount for a '63 uses a bolt through a bracket and the loop/bushing at the bottom of the shock. The bracket bolts to the top of the upper control arm.

63-66 Front Shock/Upper Control Arm (from 1960-68 Master Parts Catalog, Ill. Sec. 30, p. 5)

Your question about adapting the "cross pin" to work is a good one, but it would probably serve you better to get the bushing/bolt combination that's OEM to the car and use it. That would mean pressing out the pin and bushing and replacing it with the bolt, along with finding a suitable bushing that would work in the bore of the loop at the bottom of the shock absorber. "Kludging" something to work with the cross pin, which has slotted ends for mounting shock bolts to a control arm, will be more work than it would worth be to stick with original in my opinion.

At the top, the mounting for '63 is different from '64-'66:
1963

63 Upper Shock Mount (from 1960-68 MPC, Ill. Sec. 30, p. 5)

1964-66

64-66 Front Upper Shock Mount (from 1960-68 MPC, Ill. Sec. 30, p. 5)

Here's the side-by-side comparison between '63 and '64-66 mountings:

63-66 T-bird Front Upper Shock (from 1960-68 Ford MPC, Sec 180, p. 7)

As for that bolt, the parts diagram shows it was supplied in Ford/Autolite's 18124 shock absorber kit. I doubt you'd find that today in an aftermarket one.

Here's the list of shock absorber part numbers from the 1968 Master Parts Catalog:

60-68 Shock Absorbers (from 1960-68 Ford MPC, Sec. 180, p. 7)

Note that the '64-'65 shock changed on November 15, 1964. What that chagen was I don't know, but the heavy duty replacement was used for 64, 65 and 66.

[claybreaker 144]

I swapped a 65 disc brake set-up with the lower control arms in my current 61 project and ordered the referenced 63 Monroe Shock and found the lower mount wrong. The only other place I found 63 shocks were on ebay from a seller that had KYB brand front and rears . The fronts were the correct configuration but... the shock body wouldn't drop through the opening in the shock tower without running a 2-1/8 dia (guessing) hole saw due to poor alignment of sandwiched metal stampings in the shock tower. The hole saw fit snug in the top layer of sheet metal and only cut a slight edge of the lower metal layer. Also the front lower mount sleeve was slightly smaller than the stock bolt so I to drill it out, I was concerned the sleeve might break free of the rubber mount but it held up through the drilling. KYB are made in Japan (metric) and probably matched up roughly to Thunderbird Specs. There is really nothing else out there at this time for a 63 and I was glad I got them to work.

[sombb]

Your question about adapting the "cross pin" to work is a good one, but it would probably serve you better to get the bushing/bolt combination that's OEM to the car and use it. That would mean pressing out the pin and bushing and replacing it with the bolt, along with finding a suitable bushing that would work in the bore of the loop at the bottom of the shock absorber. "Kludging" something to work with the cross pin, which has slotted ends for mounting shock bolts to a control arm, will be more work than it would worth be to stick with original in my opinion.

…The fronts were the correct configuration but... the shock body wouldn't drop through the opening in the shock tower without running a 2-1/8 dia (guessing) hole saw due to poor alignment of sandwiched metal stampings in the shock tower… There is really nothing else out there at this time for a 63 and I was glad I got them to work.

My first inclination in tech support talk with vendors was the "press-out" option, but according to them, press-out is a non starter. The two candidate models, Monroe Matic Plus #32066 features the same bottom mount, "Loop Bushing, Cross Pin" as KYB 343127 (Excel-G) or KG4515 (Gas-a-Just).

Hoping one or both can suggest a more traditional "loop with bushing" bottom bracket to match the OEM 1963 design. It seems boring the '63 bracket holes to match ID of the shock bushing would likely be simplest? Any traps I should know of?

[Ducksface]

Vendors tend to
"Say thing's"
As butt covering.

Did they say explicitly why it wouldn't work?

I have a little smithy lathe/mill and a big hammer along with a flat surface. I can make anything fit there like factory.

I think those shocks mentioned above, along with an industrious, slightly talented, adventurous friend, and you're an hour away from having the fit you need.

Once you've done this I can possibly/probably lathe you some urethane bushings to fit or you can easily just
Pour then bore
Your own.

[Ducksface]

Once you get your fitment please supply a path and pictures for others to follow.

[stove]

These work perfect, ran them for years before finding NOS.

Did have to push the bar mount out of the rubber, or something (been too long).

Here is a place that claims to have them, used to be available anywhere... I don't like the looks of that website much (never heard of it).
There's some on eBay, but they are across the pond.

https://majorautosupply.com/products/ca ... ade-in-usa