The Ford Barn

drgunter · 08-29-2024, 08:08 PM

I have a 1932 V8 pickup that has a missing front shock. Where can shocks for the pickup be purchased and will any other model years fit?

38 coupe · 08-31-2024, 07:08 AM

How close to as Henry made it are you looking to get? You can find brackets to mount tube shocks on the vehicle if you just want some sort of shock absorber, or you can find the 32 shocks and arms.
I suspect your truck is modified, the number of 32 pickups that left the factory with V8 motors was exceptionally small compared to the total production. If you do have a factory V8 pickup then by all means get the correct shocks and preserve a rare bit of history. If it is a modified truck, then let us know what you are wanting to make of it.

DavidG · 08-31-2024, 10:12 AM

It might be helpful to know that the original front shocks on the front of a '32 pickup and the other commercial vehicles were the same as those on '32 passenger cars.

drgunter · 08-31-2024, 05:07 PM

I’m not sure if it was a four cylinder when it left the factory but it has a V8 now. I’d like to stay away from the tube shocks if I can. The rest of the shocks are the round/lever type. I’m just having a tough time finding any. Your help would be appreciated.

DavidG · 08-31-2024, 05:49 PM

You basically have three options. Find an original '32 shock and have it rebuilt (the rebuild success rate is usually less than 25% in my experience and overall it's perhaps the most expensive option, but if you want original, it's the only option) or purchase a reproduction Model A shock from Bratton's for $295 (less capacity than a '32 shock,but fits and looks like an early '32 manually-adjustable shock, or go for a modern technology replacement from England (see other thread on '32 shocks herein for details; it appears to be roughly similar in outward appearance).

mcgarrett · 08-31-2024, 06:34 PM

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Quote:

Originally Posted by drgunter

I’m not sure if it was a four cylinder when it left the factory but it has a V8 now. I’d like to stay away from the tube shocks if I can. The rest of the shocks are the round/lever type. I’m just having a tough time finding any. Your help would be appreciated.

Not trying to hijack your thread, but in case you're interested, the '32 Model B (4cylinder) pickup would have had an engine vibration damper bolted to the back of the engine and attached to the firewall with 4 bolts in a semi-circle. If you still have 4 bolt holes in a semi-circle on the firewall above the engine, yours was originally a Model B. There are other ways to tell how it was built originally, but that might not be important to you.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/116138275717

DavidG · 08-31-2024, 07:07 PM

Back to school!

Except for some early firewalls produced before the release of the engine vibration dampner, all subsequent firewalls were produced with those four holes, regardless of the powertrain, chassis type or body type destination of the firewall.

The only surefire way to determine the truck's original powertrain is the engine number stamped on top of the chassis frame rail near the left foot of the firewall. If that number has a 18 or 18F prefix, it was produced as a V8. If that number has an AB, B, ABF, or BF prefix, it was produced as a four (the F being for those engine/transmission assemblies destined for RHD chassis).

08-29-2024, 08:08 PM	#1
drgunter Junior Member Join Date: Jul 2019 Location: Arkansas Posts: 14	Shocks for 1932 V8 pickups I have a 1932 V8 pickup that has a missing front shock. Where can shocks for the pickup be purchased and will any other model years fit?

08-31-2024, 07:08 AM	#2
38 coupe Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: South Texas Posts: 2,040	Re: Shocks for 1932 V8 pickups How close to as Henry made it are you looking to get? You can find brackets to mount tube shocks on the vehicle if you just want some sort of shock absorber, or you can find the 32 shocks and arms. I suspect your truck is modified, the number of 32 pickups that left the factory with V8 motors was exceptionally small compared to the total production. If you do have a factory V8 pickup then by all means get the correct shocks and preserve a rare bit of history. If it is a modified truck, then let us know what you are wanting to make of it.

08-31-2024, 10:12 AM	#3
DavidG Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: southeastern Michigan Posts: 10,601	Re: Shocks for 1932 V8 pickups It might be helpful to know that the original front shocks on the front of a '32 pickup and the other commercial vehicles were the same as those on '32 passenger cars.

08-31-2024, 05:07 PM	#4
drgunter Junior Member Join Date: Jul 2019 Location: Arkansas Posts: 14	Re: Shocks for 1932 V8 pickups I’m not sure if it was a four cylinder when it left the factory but it has a V8 now. I’d like to stay away from the tube shocks if I can. The rest of the shocks are the round/lever type. I’m just having a tough time finding any. Your help would be appreciated.

08-31-2024, 05:49 PM	#5
DavidG Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: southeastern Michigan Posts: 10,601	Re: Shocks for 1932 V8 pickups You basically have three options. Find an original '32 shock and have it rebuilt (the rebuild success rate is usually less than 25% in my experience and overall it's perhaps the most expensive option, but if you want original, it's the only option) or purchase a reproduction Model A shock from Bratton's for $295 (less capacity than a '32 shock,but fits and looks like an early '32 manually-adjustable shock, or go for a modern technology replacement from England (see other thread on '32 shocks herein for details; it appears to be roughly similar in outward appearance).

08-31-2024, 07:07 PM	#7
DavidG Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: southeastern Michigan Posts: 10,601	Re: Shocks for 1932 V8 pickups Back to school! Except for some early firewalls produced before the release of the engine vibration dampner, all subsequent firewalls were produced with those four holes, regardless of the powertrain, chassis type or body type destination of the firewall. The only surefire way to determine the truck's original powertrain is the engine number stamped on top of the chassis frame rail near the left foot of the firewall. If that number has a 18 or 18F prefix, it was produced as a V8. If that number has an AB, B, ABF, or BF prefix, it was produced as a four (the F being for those engine/transmission assemblies destined for RHD chassis).