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Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!seismo!rlgvax!tom
From: tom@rlgvax.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.auto
Subject: (1) shock absorbers (2) when to shift
Message-ID: <818@rlgvax.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 11-Jul-83 19:47:39 EDT
Article-I.D.: rlgvax.818
Posted: Mon Jul 11 19:47:39 1983
Date-Received: Tue, 12-Jul-83 06:39:55 EDT
Organization: CCI Office Systems Group, Reston, VA
Lines: 22

2 questions, please:

(1)	The shocks on my Dodge Omni need replacing. they are just too
soft, both on turns and underneath a load.  I occasionally do a fair
amount of driving on barely-passable dirt roads, often with
a fairly heavy load, but the rest of my driving is "normal".  What shocks
would be best under these circumstances?  Would a good set of "normal"
shocks/McPhereson struts do the trick?  Which do y'all recommend?
I have heard of "air suspension" shocks which can be inflated/deflated
according to the load and amount of clearance desired. Is there any such
thing for McPhereson struts?

(2)	Could someone please discuss for me the pros and cons of
early shifting vs. late shifting on a standard transmission?  When
going up a long hill, and the car is sluggish, can't accelerate at all,
barely can keep up its current speed, etc., is this worse than downshifting
and having the engine doing high rpm's to maintain the same speed up the hill?
One way sounds like the car is being dragged to death, the other sounds
like the car is going to burst a blood vessel.

- Tom Beres
{sesimo, allegra, brl-bmd, mcnc}!rlgvax!tom