Shoptalkforums.com

Folks - I need to get new rear shocks on the 411, and I understand that the KG 5406 and KG 5410 will work. Trouble is, I cannot seem to find them listed anywhere! One thing I hate about the WWW is the say you type in a manufacturer and part number, and about 100 different on-line parts stores come back, but do not take you to the page that describles the item you want. You just have to put in made/model/year info, and click your way through about 5 screens.

I know that these are for an Econoline, but do not know which year. Also, since they are for an Econoline, wouldn't other manufacturer's products work as well?

I am basically looking for a local place (Pep Boys, Carquest, etc.) where I can walk in and get the KG (or other manufacturer's) shocks right off the shelf.

Thanks.

- Justin

Hey, have you checked www.classicgarage.com they have the rear shock from from mexico? Bill

Is that the same as the Super Beetle?

Classicgarage.com has Boge Mexican rear shocks for $49 per pair. I guess I'm just trying to figure out if I can walk into a local parts store to get the Econoline ones that Ray has mentioned. If I knew where year Econoline he referenced, I'd be there in a heartbeat!

- Justin

The KG 5410 are listed for the 75-91 Econoline E-100 and E-150 (Front). The KG 5406 are listed for the 75-91 Econoline E-250 and E-350 (Front). I also still need to find the right internet source for the Kyb's. Classicgarages does not list them.
Ray also mentioned Bilsteins for the same Econolines, B46-1325 for the E-100/E-150 and B46-1105 for the E-250/E-350. According to Ray the Mexican made Boge's are crap.
Jan Peter

Jan - now that you've given me the years of the Econoline ('75 - '91), I will trot down to the local parts guy and see what they have to offer. I am totally willing to try some other brand as all brands should fit. Should I find out that a Gabriel or some other shock fits in the 411 and eliminates my problem, I'll post to the group, and we'll have yet another "adopted" part that we can put on our cars.

- Justin

Hi - Is your 411 a squareback or a fastback? They have different shocks. I got new rear shocks for my fastback on ebay last year, and I found new ones for my squareback from a guy who has a type-four yahoo group (it's called "vw-type4"). His name is Erich. These are the gas-filled shocks, and they do indeed fit just fine.

so it's the fastback, not the wagon.

- Justin

The econoline shocks are the EXACT shock as the variant. I run them on mine. I had a KYB dealer do a search on the part #'s and cross match them. The only difference in the varient and the sedans shock was that the wagon had gas from the factory and the sedans had oil. The sedans need the gas too. Its a major improvement. Skip the NOS Koni's. They ar older than the hills. They will have seal problems most likely....and the warranty is void. The tooling to manufacture replacements is long gone. Ray

We have a FLAPS chain called Advance Auto Parts here that deals in KYB shocks, and I was able to give the counter guy just the KG part number and he special ordered me a pair. I had them in 2 days, no muss no fuss. I didn't even have to mention which car/truck model I needed the shocks for.

Hey, do you have the KYB number? Is it for the two down sedan? I ordered the ones from classicgarage.com but the two door must be different bottom mounts. I have the ones with the rubber bushing that sticks out about a inch and has a cigar looking ends. The other ones I checked out had the regular shock bottom mount. The tops were right.
My number is 411-513-031K(vw034A)12/73 We have Advanced auto parts here do you have that number? Thx, Bill

Bottom mounts are the same in all type 4. For the record, save for springs on the variant. There is no difference at all in the suspensions of type 4's. Through the years, they had 3 different strut bushings, the variant had heavier rear springs, there was a blue and yellow series front spring...both are good...but the blue is stiffer. There was a ground end rear coil spring and a rond end with a slightly different rubber pad on the top...but all of these parts are interchangeable. The variantsdid not have the rear sway bar...but the holes and mounts are on the cross member and the trailing arms. Its a 10 minute job and worth it. There was an early and late sway bar. The early straight was slightly thicker....the late cranked slightly smaller. Both are interchangable.
The rear shock without the cigar bushings is the econline shock. It works fine, but you should just find some rubber bushings to slip onto the tube. Ray

Hey Ray, here is a link where a guy was selling a nos shocks with the number 411-513-031B(same ref as classicgarage.com)(I have a "K")
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayI ... otohosting
They have the cigar looking ends. So basically the top mount matters not the bottom. Can the old bushing be pressed out and reused or just use two other bushings as spacers? Is there a closer match for the originals? Is the main concern the dampering only? The Econoliner shocks are the best kit for dampering? Thx, Bill

Those ar original oil shocks for the sedan. I have a pair just like them. Never been installed. They are quite stiff for an oil shock, but just not enough for these cars. They will give a smooth ride, but are no good for handlind or load control. They are well made and last a long time, but ...they are not worth $66 bucks unless you want them for restoration/nostalgia sake. I bough mine a few years ago in the boxes for aboutr $10 ea. The KYB...though you will only get about 40-50 K from them...are much better.

Just get a pair of rubber spacers...or plastic...or washers for that matter, just to keep the eye bushing on the econoline shock from sliding on its spacer tube. The econoline shock and the 412 shock are EXACT in every way....inside and out (save for the bushing). The important things are the extended length, the internal collapesed length (because the bottoming stop is inside) and the valving, which is crucial....due tothe far distance from the apex of the trailing arm. It has a large amount of leverage. I have destroyed much larger and stronger shocks on this car. Ray

Two years ago I replaced the worn-out KG 5531s (the NLA shocks) on my 412 wagon with 3/4-ton KG 5406 shocks, like I mentioned above, that I special-ordered from Advance Auto Parts. The tube on the bottom through which the horizontal attaching bolt fits is shorter on the 5406, which would have allowed some side-to-side movement. So what I did was take a Dremel and cut off the ends of the similar tubes of the old KG 5531s to make perfect metal spacers. Took a little extra time but the spacers matched right up to the new shocks.