Shock Link Assemblies

[Chris H]

I purchased a full set of Bill Stipe shocks about 2 years ago and have never installed them all. It is about time that I got them installed! My problem has been with the shock link assemblies. I have tried everything that I can think of to get the link ass'ys properly installed, and nothing works! I have literally spent hours in trying to get them together and no matter what I do, the ball seats keep turning inside the tubes and end up popping out onto the floor. I have even tried gluing the seats to the spring with super glue and they still pop out. When I did the front shocks, I thought I had it licked, with everything intact, and low and behold, there they were sitting there on the floor!

I guess you could say that I gave up at that point and decided to leave it for another day when frustrations were not so great. Well that was two years ago! Today, I decided it was time to start with the frustration all over again, and to my dismay, now can't find all the parts!!! I am sure they are around here someplace.

I have attended a few events of my local Model A club here lately and have been looking around at shock installations. Many, if not most, of the cars I have seen have the stock shock links installed, but there were a few with the dog bone links installed.

Are there any advantages to keeping the stock links over the dog bone links, other than maintaining originality? I have always tried to maintain originality, at least with original reproduction parts. This looks like one of those cases where using the dog bone vs the original link is an easily reversible change, should the need arise. I am simply thinking that, since I need to reorder the parts anyway, I might be better off just trying the dog bone link. Opinions, suggestions?

Totally frustrated!