KYB Strut Question

Regan Burba said:
Rather funny to see the direction my original thread went.
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Welcome to Xweb Regan!!! :eek::p:confused::rolleyes::oops: :cool: We veer off topic regularly.
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If you really want some entertainment, just ask what oil you should use in your X.
 
The KYB Gas-A-Just were available for the Spider but not the X, IIRC.
The X only got the GR-2.
 
I might be wrong but I think I recall the G-A-J was once available for the X? However that was a very long time ago.

Back in the late 70's early 80's I had a friend that worked for the US importer/distributor for KYB. That was when they first became available to our market. At that time they only offered the G-A-J model for any vehicles (at least here). I was able to get them at a discount and used them on many vehicles. In those days I was involved in Rally and Baja off-road racing, so we used them for our race vehicles. To us they were the affordable Bilsteins, which was good because in off-road applications they were subject to severe physical damage (as in impacting a large rock and crushing the entire unit, along with the suspension). Otherwise I never had an issue with any of them.
 
Dr.Jeff said:
I might be wrong but I think I recall the G-A-J was once available for the X? However that was a very long time ago.

Back in the late 70's early 80's I had a friend that worked for the US importer/distributor for KYB. That was when they first became available to our market. At that time they only offered the G-A-J model for any vehicles (at least here). I was able to get them at a discount and used them on many vehicles. In those days I was involved in Rally and Baja off-road racing, so we used them for our race vehicles. To us they were the affordable Bilsteins, which was good because in off-road applications they were subject to severe physical damage (as in impacting a large rock and crushing the entire unit, along with the suspension). Otherwise I never had an issue with any of them.
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I put the G-A-J strut cartridges in my car in 1983. At the time, only the cartridges were available but it was not that hard to install them in the original Fiat strut housings. They were working fine when the engine blew in 1995 but I'm curious to see how much "gas" is left in them when I get the car on the road this spring (hopefully).
 
So I haven't lost all of my mind, yet. They did offer the G-A-J's for the X. Wow, still working fine from '83 to '95 and beyond. That's great for a shock. But I'm sure you'll find them flat by now. :(
 
Ulix, it might be the KYB importer for Germany did not offer the Gas-A-Just for the X1/9. I'm sure it could vary from market to market.
 
No, I believe you.
I lived in Seattle at the time, but I guess at the time I started looking at KYB, the Gas-A-Just were NLA for the X1/9. I would have loved to have some at the time. I was runnig Faza Type 2 springs which are quite stiff and other und than Koni, there wasn‘t much available as a stiffer shock.
I even experimented with some NOS original shock insert with heavier motorcycle fork oil.

Things are much better these days.
 
This is a pair of front KYB's I bought 15 years ago at a time I was expecting getting replacement shocks would become harder and harder to find. I have no idea about the model (except for the number 433003) and there is no indications on the box. If anybody knows...
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Daniel, the black color indicates they are the current model KYB's. The G-A-J were mostly white (but later ones are silver), the GR-2 are mostly silver, then they went to the now black Excel-G. And the part number confirms front X1/9.
 
Last year I replaced the GAJs on my Volvo wagon after 20-some years; the left rear was totally shot, and I was quite surprised to find it had a big-ass spring inside giving it that push open I had always thought was gas pressure! They're shocks though, not struts.
 
That is interesting. I assume you cut it open to find the spring inside? And there was no gas pressure when you cut into it? Although after 20 years I would not expect any pressure to remain. The seals will naturally wear in time and allow the pressure to slowly escape. Shocks or struts, the basic design is the same inside.

Back when we used G-A-J's on the off road vehicles they got really abused and destroyed...to the point of being punctured/torn. Obviously the gas pressure would be lost and the unit no longer had that "push open" you refer to. So I don't believe there was any spring inside. Your Volvo being a wagon might have required a shock with a built in "helper spring" to deal with the increased loads?
 
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