For most rodders the Houdaille...
For most rodders the Houdaille is the lever shock of choice, though the early GM Delco units are used as well. The neat thing about the early Houdaille's design is their mounting tabs that allow them to be easily installed on the sides of nearly any original or aftermarket framerail.
It's pretty apparent these days that old school hot rods are here to stay, let's face it, tradition is tradition. That said, keeping a traditional-style hot rod build on the right track requires a bit of planning. One way to stay a bit more true to the style is the inclusion of early style lever-action shocks as part of your suspension setup.
They are still plentiful but they're not often found in useable condition. However, there's hope for rebuilding and using those early-style lever (or knee-action as they're also known) shocks you thought would look so great on your hot rod, and in most cases they'll work just as good as those post '55 tube shocks you thought were your only choice. In fact, properly-operating lever shocks are actually tunable to your ride quality taste thanks to adjustable valving. And you thought adjustable shocks were a miracle of modern science.
If you're open to the idea of using early-style shocks on your ride, here in sunny SoCal resides a company called Five Points Classic Auto Shocks, a resource that can be a great help in keeping your hot rod truly traditional in style. Five Points is a family-owned shop that's been refurbishing all types of early lever-action shocks for both rodders and restorers for well over 25 years. Recently I had a chance to swing by and meet the owner Mathew White and his pop, Jerry. I'd heard through the SoCal hot rod grapevine that these guys are the best resource around, and since my latest project is equipped with lever-action shocks I thought it only prudent to try and get a bit of an education in that respect.
Among rodders Houdaille (pronounced WHO-dye) is probably the most recognizable name in lever shocks, having been used on most early Fords, but Delco and Lovejoy's (used on GM and some Chrysler products) are options for us traditionalists as well. It's no matter, because Five Points can fix `em all, so if your going that route rest easy because in nearly any case they can either rebuild what ya bring `em, or if you're lucky, swap your old ones for a matching freshly-rebuilt set right off their shelves. It's nice to know that we have yet another resource we can use to keep our hot rods true to tradition.
That said, let's take a look at Five Star's digs and get an idea of how lever-action shocks work, what Five Points does, and how they do it, all the while keeping in mind that those cool-looking lever shocks you found at the local swap meet can again be pressed into service on that traditional-style rod you're building.
An easy way to identify the...
An easy way to identify the Model A Houdaille is the square mainshaft. Later designs incorporated a splined mainshaft that allows the ability to clock lever location, which is a help in custom applications.
Another hot rod option is...
Another hot rod option is the early Delco units. These are late-'30s Chevy pickup and they work well in many applications. These units operate on the same basic principle as their Ford brethren but are a bit different in design.
The Houdailles shown are of...
The Houdailles shown are of `40s Ford vintage and are also the type frequently seen on many traditional hot rods. As you may gather, the one on the left is representative of the typical shock Five Points rebuilds. On the right is the finished product, like new, in fact possibly better.
Lever-action shocks are simple...
Lever-action shocks are simple in design but labor intensive to rebuild due to never receiving any type of maintenance during their working lives. Plus they're a bear to disassemble even with specialized tools.
Proper sealing is one of the...
Proper sealing is one of the most important aspects of correctly-working shocks. Leaks, even small ones, will eventually lead to them running dry, and that's when they stop doing their job and severe internal damage arises. Five Points has invested in the mold needed to reproduce the beveled seal shown in the center. They were obsolete and unavailable from OEM sources for years.
One cool thing about using...
One cool thing about using lever-action shocks on a traditional hot rod is the fact that there are countless lever lengths and designs that can be substituted if and when needed.....
......The only drawbacks being...
......The only drawbacks being the early Model As square shanks relative to the later year's splined shanks which allow more locating options. Shown here is just a small representation of lengths and designs.
Five Points has a storage...
Five Points has a storage area filled with shelving, which are in turn filled with hundreds of shock cores of every description. Many are rebuildable in their own right, and many un-rebuildable units are used as sources for spare components for those that are.
Getting back to levers for...
Getting back to levers for a moment--for some applications shock levers can be heated and bent, allowing for some unique installations. One thing to keep in mind in regards to these levers is length; longer arms usually provide a softer ride and conversely, shorter ones a stiffer ride.