AST dampers

[ShadowBolt]

Those of us that run AST shocks and struts have a big problem. As most of you know we tore up the right front of the car in R1 at Cresson. It broke the strut in half! Not in the shaft but in the thickest part of the body. I called Stuart at Maxcy and he said AST does not have a US distributor anymore. He is trying to get a price but AST said they have not made these units for so long they have to find the prints and get back to me with what it will cost to make just one strut. I'm guessing this will be at least a grand and I don't know what to do. I know Craig ran the JRI's that are in the Koni bodies but I don't see that on their web site. Anyone have an idea of a adjustable strut we can get for under the CMC dollar amount? I know Flying Bryan ran QA1's but I never had good luck with them on my old Lightning. They were not very robust.

JJ

[Pranav]

After getting burned by AST in a previous life, not surprised they don't have a US distributor any more.

Maybe talk to Vorshlag and see if they can set you up with a bilstein insert in a old housing, I guess Stuart can then service that moving forward.

I just started using a Camaro kit that is derived from the bilstein take-a-part shock kit, non adjustable, but it came way under the CMC limit. Guy is out of California and only does camaro stuff but maybe you can give him a ring:

http://www.unbalancedengineering.com/Camaro/Bilstein/

Camaro@UnbalancedEngineering.com

[BryanL]

http://usa.ast-suspension.com/webshop/shock-absorbers-by-make/ford/ford-mustang-sn95/ast-4100-cmc-spec-for-mustang-sn95-detail

[ShadowBolt]

http://usa.ast-suspension.com/webshop/shock-absorbers-by-make/ford/ford-mustang-sn95/ast-4100-cmc-spec-for-mustang-sn95-detail

I got that Bryan but I am told there is no US importer at this time. Also AST told Stuart that they have no stock and have not sold any of these in years.


JJ

[mach1]

I think they have a new US dist now, look at the 2017 AST contingency form for that info. Let me know if they can help.

[Supercharged111]

After getting burned by AST in a previous life, not surprised they don't have a US distributor any more.

Maybe talk to Vorshlag and see if they can set you up with a bilstein insert in a old housing, I guess Stuart can then service that moving forward.

I just started using a Camaro kit that is derived from the bilstein take-a-part shock kit, non adjustable, but it came way under the CMC limit. Guy is out of California and only does camaro stuff but maybe you can give him a ring:

http://www.unbalancedengineering.com/Camaro/Bilstein/

Camaro@UnbalancedEngineering.com

That's what my car has. Just know that they're valved for some 1000#+ springs. I run 900 now and they seem alright, but I know dick all about shocks. I can preach theory, but cannot apply it. Those particular shocks wouldn't drop into a mac strut housing, but they are pretty slick. Threaded collar dropped right on a basic Bilstein race shock. Easily revalved by anybody.

[ShadowBolt]

I think they have a new US dist now, look at the 2017 AST contingency form for that info. Let me know if they can help.

I just e-mailed them. I never registered for the contingency program of I would have $350.00 from the Hallett win.

JJ

[marshall_mosty]

I have JRI inserts in Koni DA bodies. HVT did the first set, but since Brian is out of the Biz, I reached to Angelo at Anze Suspension in New York.

Angelo did Bob Han's shocks (Cheryl Patterson's brother) when he won several SCCA A-Sedan titles in the late 80's and early 90's in a Mustang.

Angelo was a great guy to work with.
Work- (516) 671-3960
Cell- (516) 578-5181

[ShadowBolt]

I was just told that AST is discontinuing the 4100 series shocks and struts so they want to put me in a 5100 series. The price on the 5100 for a set of four is anywhere from $2100.00 to $3100.00 for a set of four.

JJ

[BryanL]

The distributor in Cali is still in business? They should know the CMC limit is $2,000 to see if they would do them for that-though you only need one shock. Well-you don't really need it when you almost set the record on a stock shock. How much are the JRI's installed in a set of Koni's?

[ShadowBolt]

The distributor in Cali is still in business? They should know the CMC limit is $2,000 to see if they would do them for that-though you only need one shock. Well-you don't really need it when you almost set the record on a stock shock. How much are the JRI's installed in a set of Koni's?

I'm waiting on a price from the place in Cali. They are giving me info. Stuart can't get any info out of AST at all.

What really sucks is them discontinuing the 4100 series. That means I have to purchase two struts and I will be out around a grand even using the $350.00 contingency for Jay winning R3. I guess if they will not sell them for a grand per axle we can't even use them. Not sure AST really wants to support CMC at that price.

Boy this contact is costing way more than it should have. I assumed a new fender, bumper cover, and strut and I would be good to go. I'm thinking $seven or eight hundred bucks but this damn strut deal is going to cost me more than that by itself.

JJ

[mach1]

I'm waiting on a price from the place in Cali. They are giving me info. Stuart can't get any info out of AST at all.

What really sucks is them discontinuing the 4100 series. That means I have to purchase two struts and I will be out around a grand even using the $350.00 contingency for Jay winning R3. I guess if they will not sell them for a grand per axle we can't even use them. Not sure AST really wants to support CMC at that price.

Boy this contact is costing way more than it should have. I assumed a new fender, bumper cover, and strut and I would be good to go. I'm thinking $seven or eight hundred bucks but this damn strut deal is going to cost me more than that by itself.

JJ

Maybe a set of autozone specials will serve you well based on MSRC?

[ShadowBolt]

Maybe a set of autozone specials will serve you well based on MSRC?


Maybe so. I have an old set of Koni SA's.

[drecords]

Interested to hear how this shakes out. I sent a set of Konis to Stuart at Maxcyspeed for a rebuild with JRZ inserts that was going to be very reasonably priced and fit within our budget rules, but it ended up not working. He's rebuilding my Konis and sending back but I'd like to get a nice SA monotubes under the car. I had AST 4100's on my E36 and they were great dampers for the money. I guess as of now for off the shelf packages it's DA/SA Konis or the non adjustable Bilstein monotubes. Our $2k budget seems to be a tight spot for most 'better' (which is relative) options.

[ShadowBolt]

Update.

The 4100 units we run are no longer available. Sean is trying to get me a set of fronts from a dealer that "thinks" he has a set. I have not found out yet what the cost of the 5100's will be. I'm not real happy to have to spend a grand for two struts when I only need one. I promise if I had thought this was going to be the case I would never have purchased AST's. For CMC we need a strut of shock that we can replace one at a time and will not be discontinued. What if we go to 5100's and they decide to discontinue them? My old Koni DA's are looking pretty damn good right now.

Jerry

[BryanL]

Update.

My old Koni DA's are looking pretty damn good right now.

Jerry
I thought your Monroe looked pretty damn good at Cresson.

[Wade]

In a previous life I ran Bilsteins, custom valved, from Maximum Motorsports. They work very well and are under the cost threshold. Face it, no one really knows which way to turn the knob anyway right?

[ShadowBolt]

In a previous life I ran Bilsteins, custom valved, from Maximum Motorsports. They work very well and are under the cost threshold. Face it, no one really knows which way to turn the knob anyway right?

If it were not for Hallett and the repave I would agree with you. We have to make a huge shock adjustment to make the car not push at Hallett.

JJ

[Trublu]

Just noticed this contingency which includes rebuilds. Pretty decent really:
https://nasa-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/document/document/9380/AST-NA_NASA_Regional_Contingency_2017.pdf

[AllZWay]

In a previous life I ran Bilsteins, custom valved, from Maximum Motorsports. They work very well and are under the cost threshold. Face it, no one really knows which way to turn the knob anyway right?

Lou Giggliotti used to tell us that adjustables just gave you more ways to be wrong. :D

[ShadowBolt]

Lou Giggliotti used to tell us that adjustables just gave you more ways to be wrong. :D

I agree and that's why I don't want dual adjustables.

JJ