VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND NEWER 1946-1948 47 Fleetmaster Front Shocks

Need some help with information on how to determine what may be wrong with the front shocks on my fleetmaster. I get a real hard banging from them when I go through a bump or pothole on accident. It also causes steering wheel to shake at the same time. Front end was rebuilt and seems to be pretty tight still. Also can I take some sloppy play out of steering wheel by turning in the screw on top of the steering box?

Hi Rich,

In 2014 you posted the same question 47 Front Shocks. Exactly what has been rebuilt in your suspension system and by whom? A lot can be wrong with a suspension system, but driving through a pot hole is not going to be handled by a 70 year old suspension system as well as it is in our modern cars. Here are a list of some of the possible problems which you can find more info on by doing a SEARCH of our old posts:

READ YOUR MANUAL AND UNDERSTAND THE RELATIONSHIP OF ALL THE COMPONENTS OF YOUR SUSPENSION AND STEERING SYSTEM

1) Are your shocks, front and back, in perfect condition - don't leak don't bounce

2) Are your tires in perfect condition - rims not bent, tires in balance

3) How much play is there in your king pins and bearings

4) What is the condition of the other components of your suspension system - go through the Chevs of the 40's Parts Catalog for front suspension rebuilds, rear suspension rebuilds, and steering box rebuilds Suspension and Steering Parts


In dealing with any steering issue all of the above must be in excellent condition, [b]including the front end professionally aligned, and then the following should be followed:[/b]

1) New pitman arm bushing if not in excellent condition

2) Steering box full of fluid although if parts are worn this is not going to improve any steering problem

3) Remove the steering box and rebuild it. DO NOT ADJUST YOUR BOX IF YOU DO NOT KNOW THE CONDITION OF ITS PARTS. Basic parts are available from the catalog. The worm gear and the shaft with roller are not normally available so find a company that rebuilds steering boxes, and have yours rebuilt. USED parts could be found on Craigslist or ebay. I do have some pictures of damaged parts which I can post. It is typical for steering boxes to leak, once there is no fluid in the box then excessive wear and damage will occur. A well maintained steering box should not require the replacement of the worm gear or the shaft with roller.

Best practice is at each oil change check the fluid levels all your shocks and your steering box.

Good luck, Mike

P.S. Are you missing the lower A Arm bumpers or upper crossmember bumpers?

My friend and I kind of determined that the bushings in the steering box seem to have more play in them than it should be. The rest of the front end was basically rebuilt and etc. What type of fluid can a person use now in the shocks front and rear? I am going to get bushings and whatever else needed from Chevs of 40's or filling station.

You can use regular hydraulic jack oil in the shock absorbers.

Thank You. Do you know of anyone that rebuilds them if needed?

Hi Rich,

I would use Apple Hydraulics for my rebuild. The cost of a pair is $445 plus you have to send them your original shocks or pay a core price of $140. For $20 more they do a heavy duty rebuild which I think comes with a better warranty. I recommend the Heavy duty shocks. I am not familiar with a more reputable rebuilder of our old shocks.

Removing and reinstalling shocks is way up there in the work involved, risk of injury if the springs are not removed carefully, and knowledge base needed to do the work. A real must is having studied and understood the manual. You need to also do a SEARCH on our chat site to see what others have done with their shock problems. The search terms could be (+hydraulic +shocks) and If you use the DISPLAY NAME (Mike Buller) you will find extensive discussion on this topic. Some of my posts no longer have pictures in them. Let me know and I will repost them. Our chat site now doesn't require a third party host to post pictures.

I do not mind having you call me if you want to discuss your problems.

Good luck,
Mike
989-832-7634

Thank You. Will check it out.

I would take the car back to the place that "rebuilt" the front end................From the banging noise you describe it may not be the shocks. The shocks mainly have nothing to do with asorbing shock but rather keep the front end from bouncing up and down. You may have a serious and dangerous problem and the car must be inspected by a professional for safety reasons.