Technical Has anyone removed the dust shields from modern shocks to look more traditional?

Just curious. I don’t see why not. Opinions?

 

Go for it.

 

I have done it on 4wd trucks no problems

 

I've done it. No problems at all. The one's on the front of my Roadster had the dust covers removed. I built it in 94 and they're still on it.

 

Aren’t the dust shields the way to go? I don’t remember many shocks without the shields till the 70’s

 

I think shocks look more traditional with the dust covers, like they were years ago.

 

With our race cars 60's/70's before we bought custom race shocks, started in late 70's we always cut covers off so we could put on tie wraps to watch shock travel. On my Roadster had chrome Carrera, 32 had chrome PRO shocks, no dust covers. IMO on Hot Rods, shocks look better without covers.

 

More history being re-written.

 

DUST COVERS....very traditional for me back in 1951

 

I couldn’t begin to tell you how long I spent looking, specifically for shocks with dust covers, - hard to find at times down here !
All because I thought that they looked more traditional.

 

Do one of each. Make everybody happy.

 

Took them off the front shocks on the roadster. I got to thinking about shock travel so did what we used to do on the sprint car. I took tie wraps and put them on the shafts and slid them down to the body, pulled them tight and didn't cut the tails off. I for got about them but I got reminded at every show and cruise in I went to by people trying to figure out why I had untrimmediately tie wraps 2" up the shaft from the body. I have over 20k miles and no leakage or road rash on the exposed shafts so far.

 

The only new shocks I found for my application had dust covers, but I had to machine the weld off to remove the cover, as the cover was too big to fit through the hole in the bottom "A" arm (the original shocks had no dust covers)

 

I just went through some pictures I had really quick, I didn't see a single old photo with uncovered shocks unless you count lever shocks.

 

I cut the covers off of my 32 coupe in '78. Later replaced them with cover on shocks. Don't remember why.As far as I know the same shocks are still on it.

 

In my mind's eye, no dust cover shocks make the front end of a fenderless car look lighter/cleaner.

 

I ordered SoCal s for my project, dust covers are very traditional.

 

Obviously, this is one of those details that can flop either way. Just do what appeals to you most and no one is going to give you any grief about it.
Photos of the vehicle are expected, however.