Hot Rods Rotoflo shocks 2014

Since 2014 the only thing I have done is add bushings to a pair of my shocks. I used bronze bushings I bought from McMaster-Carr and opened the egged out hole in the body up, then pressed them in. And I polished the housings since they were rather pitted. But there is still no goo inside them.

 

Did you need to somehow clamp the hex bar to the shock body, in other words did the hex bar stay put our try and lift out? i had planned on warming the shock up some .So Simon what the good oil on where to get unvulcanised rubber in NZ??

 

The insert on the backside that your socket fits into is nice and sharp so your tool should fit tightly. Those two nubs on the side of the body let you clamp it upside down in a vice firmly. Bottoms up and fit your socket on, then warm it up and remove the back.

 

Hi I am new to all of this but i have a question. Is there that much demand for these shocks? I've been looking at several threads that have been started and it seems a lot of people have these but just what the inside resistance materiel. So what if a new unit was available for purchase? This is what i'm thinking. Instead of a spline shaft for the arms making them square so Model A shock arms would fit on them. I'm not sure about making them with the rubber inside or redesigning them so they would have fluid on the inside. If we made them with the liquid on the inside I think they would have to be made so the location was tied to the Right Front/Left Rear, Left Front/Right Rear corner of the frame. I think originally they rotated all the way around in a circle so frame location didn't matter. Before I put too much time into development is this something where there would be a big demand?

 

You wouldn't sell a hundred sets.

 

They look ok but are not really traditional probably not really worth the money for development the price on the new reproduction shocks seems to be comeing down nowdays

 

Well I've gotten enough interest to go ahead and make a run of these shocks. Here are some pictures of the machining process. We have introduced some upgrades to the original design. These are all made of billet and machined, the rotor arms are designed to accept 28-32 shock arms, so there is no more hunting for original spline arms.

 

Good for you! I hope it works out well.

I just received a box full of original Roto-Flo arms in the mail this week. I've also found a torsion bar arm that fits. But putting old Ford arms on them will make it simpler for a lot of your buyers.

Can you tell us what you are using for the elastomer inside?

 

Got the shop to pull a couple apart last week , they used their 4 jaw chuck , and said it was relatively easy. As you can see one is dried right out and the other still very gooey.
Now to clean them up and find a suitable replacement goop.

 

Jeff, don't forget the little nub halfway between the mounting bosses. It's used to clamp the unit in a vise as you screw the back cover into the housing. Put the housing upside down between the jaws, and turn 45 degrees and the jaws will clamp against the nubs and the mounting ears. Won't spin, and minimal damage.

 

We are still working that out. I've talked to several different companies about uncured un-vulcanized rubber and most places don't sell it. The reason is as the rubber ages it gasses of some nasty chemicals. When the rubber is vulcanized that process is stopped and sealed.

I'm a novice at this and i'm trying to learn and do my due diligence because I want this to be a solid product that will last for years.

 

Thanks @alchemy , re the bumps on housing thats something I had not noticed. But from the ones i have it seems only the bigger A2 shocks have the bumps to locate in a vice . the two different design A1 shocks lack the bumps.

 

I have a complete set of four that Jeff made on my car now which is a 29 Roadster with no fenders and it's completely transformed the handling versus the stock reproduction shocks I had on it. I feel my car tracks better going down the road doesn't Dart around in the lane as much and actually find myself pushing it in the corners now wears before I used to be getting on the brakes. Never thought of side of shocks with make as much of a difference as these have . I imagine the original rotoflos would have the same results.

 

Any more progress on the new shocks @jeff kichline . Would be interested in an update.

 

development is complete and the first run is on the shelf ready to go. Here is a link to see the final product https://www.brattons.com/hot-rod-speed-parts/rotoflow-style-billet-shock.html

 

Neat, but are they Model-A only or can they be fitted to later Fords by using different arms.

I'm looking for shock options on a '32 roadster and can't decide on tube or lever style.
-Dave