I was looking for a nice set of shocks for my 4 seater. The stock shocks have some real worn out bushing’s and they creek like crazy. One option would be to replace my stock bushings. (If anyone has a line on new shock bushings) and replacing them please let me know.
Option #2 would be going to a aftermarket shock. I think my stock shocks ride way to harsh. My car rides much better with 4 people. Seems like the stock shocks need a lot of weight to get them moving.
I have seen some people talking about older Honda air shock or “Gold Wing” touring bike shocks. But I never heard any feed back on how or if long term they worked. Any advice or I for would be appreciated.
[quote=Gwest;22439]I was looking for a nice set of shocks for my 4 seater. The stock shocks have some real worn out bushing’s and they creek like crazy. One option would be to replace my stock bushings. (If anyone has a line on new shock bushings) and replacing them please let me know.
Option #2 would be going to a aftermarket shock. I think my stock shocks ride way to harsh. My car rides much better with 4 people. Seems like the stock shocks need a lot of weight to get them moving.
I have seen some people talking about older Honda air shock or “Gold Wing” touring bike shocks. But I never heard any feed back on how or if long term they worked. Any advice or I for would be appreciated.[/quote]
Well Goldwing shocks are air shocks and while the might provide a nice adjustable ride, they cost $400 each. you could go with Progressive Suspension 412 Series Shocks, but they are still $300 each.
I haven’t done any research on alternative sorce for shocks but there has to be a cheaper way to go.
Have the Progressive 412 shocks been used on the GEM’s. If so how is the ride quality
They are $299 for a Pair. (Thats for 2 shocks) That’s a reasonable price for a quality shock.
Just press out your worn out bushings, turn them over 180 degrees and press them back in. Your good for another 5 years.
I did mine and it works. 2 sockets and a vice >30 minutes for all 4.
NOTE: Your NOT going to get a soft ride. With the limited travel the spring rate has to be high to prevent bottoming under max load. ive with it or get a late model. There is really nothing out there that will give a soft ride with one passenger and support 4 without bottoming. Save your money.
I did some research the Progressive Honda Gold wing replacment shock kits are part # 412 4222 C (that’s a chrome shock)
The spring rate is a whopping 120 over 170 LBS that’s a Heavy duty shock
The stock gem shock has a Eye to Eye length of 13-1/4 inch long
The Progressive 412 Goldwing shocks are 13.01 inch long (so they are just a bit shorter)
WORKS Performance is looking into either grabbing somthing off the shelf or making somthing for me or GEM’s
The Key would be having someone that’s pulled somthing off a car or motorcycle that’s worked and then we could use it as a reference. I have no Idea how the "Goldwing Shocks have worked? Are they to soft or to hard ect
One thing is for sure GEM picked a spring rate that worked on Every car they made. One shock/spring rate had to work on the 2,4,6 seeter as well as the truck. So Im SURE we can come up with somthing better.
Due to the way the suspension is designed on older gems, the eye to eye distance has to be maintained or you lose your camber. GEM doubles up the rear shocks on the heavier capacity models.
Do I hear solid?:eek:
Old houseboater. I completely agree with you on the Eye to eye length. I want to try and find a shock that maintains the stock links as best as possible. Works suspension can either build something or hopefully pull something off the shelf from a Nother application. This might require trying a few different spring rates. I have used works performance shocks on some ATVs and changing out the shocks is fairly easy.
I wonder what Polaris is using on the newer A arm style gems
I guess what I’m trying to ask is what sort of spring wait would be optimal for a four passenger GEM.
Grant
While your waiting turn your old bushings over. Even if their down to the metal. it’s free, will help your camber, eleminate your squeeks and you will like the result. Some one said Marlon turned up some out of nylon. I will ask him the next time I talk to him.
Rodney
Hey that’s a good idea. I wouldn’t mind just buying some new ones. What ones do you get I saw NEV acessories sells them for $20 each.
I got all the body work off my GEM. I spoke to the guy at Works performance. He sent me a data sheet to take all the measurements from the stock supension.
This is the data sheet for the rear.
One thing is for Sure the GEM shock set up and ride quality is JUNK.
A buddy has a ford Think and the ride Quality is night and day better in his THINK.
The ride is Not bad when you have the car loaded with 4 people the shocks actually seem to move. But when it’s just me or me and my wife the GEM seems like it have Zero travel and bounces down the road. Simply installing a set of shocks with a bit of travel would improve ride quality a whole bunch.
You have to remember: because of the design of the front undercarriage prior to 2005, there is a limited amount of suspension travel in the front of the cart. Travel greatly influence’s camber.
With limited available travel high spring rates are required to accomodate 1 to 4 passengers. This is the main reason GEM went to a more conventional system in later models,
If you will notice, the illistration in the brochure shows the conventional double wishbone suspension. It allows a soofter ride rate with more suspensionl travel.
There is no free lunch.
I understand the limitations and expiations. Not looking for a “Free Lunch” in fact I’m willing to do the work rather then sit back and complain or accept that what they came up with in 1999 is still “state of art” I’m willing to try and come up with somthing better then what they came up with 15+ years ago and see if I can make it better.
Even the most messed up designs can be improved apon
IMHO, due to the limited travel, air adjust is really the simplest way out. You can adjust pressure for the load. Works great on my Lincoln. Might be heavy dollars though.
They sure do ride solid. Our trucks have double shocks on the rear. I’ve heard of people removing one pair to allow a smoother ride. We now have a 2002 in need of front shocks. Those chrome Honda Goldwing shocks would look nice. Has anyone actually tried them?
Daniel
As far as the gold wing shocks. When I measured a stock GEM shock it come up to be 1/4 inch longer then the Gold Wing shock. So I didint want to play with them
Grant
You might consider moving the top mounting hole to accomodate the Gold Wing shock.
However: if they are heavy enough I wouldn’t let 1/4 inch bother me. Your present shocks with worn bushings are 1/4 or more shorter than stock.
If you do this take a few pictures and post in the DIY thread.
I ordered the parts for another steering setup also 100 nylon shock bushings.
Rodney
Moving the front shocks mounts is not a bad Idea.
I have the MZ motorsports Tourque motor. It sticks out quite a bit further then the stock motor. (It’s longer) this causes you to move the stock shock mounting location forward of the motor. MZ provides you a bolt kit to do this. But moving the top shock mount location was a mod that was in my future anyways. I also like the idea of a adjustable Air ride shock. This way I could keep the ride real soft and if you loaded the car up with 4 people you could add air to compinsate for the extra weight