Original Shocks?

[Cash]

Hi ya'll. Just got finished cleaning off the shocks that came off my Hawk. As a parts man, i usually like to get numbers off of old parts to cross reference them in case I need that part again. I had already changed shocks on Pretty, but I thought I'd get the numbers off the old shocks anyway. Don't know how old the shocks are, but they are stamped "Studebaker" with a part number of 1545053 or 1515053, best I can tell. Under that they have "made by Gabriel, Cleaveland, Ohio, USA" and then 'Serial # 662".
No way these were the ORIGINAL shocks, can't see this car being nearly 50 years old without a shock change..
Cash

[jclary]

No way these were the ORIGINAL shocks, can't see this car being nearly 50 years old without a shock change..
Cash

Don't bet your life on that being a true statement. Many of us that have been around for a long time have seen that and more!

[53k]

Hi ya'll. Just got finished cleaning off the shocks that came off my Hawk. As a parts man, i usually like to get numbers off of old parts to cross reference them in case I need that part again. I had already changed shocks on Pretty, but I thought I'd get the numbers off the old shocks anyway. Don't know how old the shocks are, but they are stamped "Studebaker" with a part number of 1545053 or 1515053, best I can tell. Under that they have "made by Gabriel, Cleaveland, Ohio, USA" and then 'Serial # 662".
No way these were the ORIGINAL shocks, can't see this car being nearly 50 years old without a shock change..
Cash

I ordered my '64 Daytona Wagonaire with heavy duty shocks which were Gabriel adjustables. 46 years and 130,000 miles later they are still on it. Not only that, but they haven't leaked and they still control the jounce just fine.

[N8N]

alternately, they may be service replacements for the originals.

However, there's no reason QUALITY shocks can't last 100K miles or more. I expect that kind of service out of even current production Konis or Bilsteins. (now Boges... that's another story.)

nate

[StudeRich]

That is very true, all of us "Lifer" Studebaker guys have had at least one or more Studes. with the high quality Original Studebaker/Gabriel Shocks still intact after many, many years and still worked fine, that usually happens on the REARS, as they are single action with leaf springs, and do not get the workout that the front dual action shocks with coils get.

[jclary]

Well...in my first reply, I certainly didn't mean to imply that 50 year old shocks would be "working properly." Its just that I have seen them still on after all these years. Worn shocks is something that will "sneak" up on you. Usually it is after you replace them that you realize how bad they really were. Two things that will improve a ride immediately...new shocks and new tires.

[Carl Purdy]

My 1956 Wagon had the original shocks on the back. 72K miles
Houdaille
Studebaker
537998
10-5

[studegary]

We were still using original replacement shocks labelled Studebaker in the 1980s, so I expect that some may have had a stock that they used later, like to this day.

Your shocks may have been original to the car or replacements that were the same as the originals.

[53k]

We were still using original replacement shocks labelled Studebaker in the 1980s, so I expect that some may have had a stock that they used later, like to this day.
Your shocks may have been original to the car or replacements that were the same as the originals.

I have a set of NOS HD Gabriels- figured on using them on the wagon if I ever needed them.