KYB Gas-A-Just vs KYB Excel-G Comparison
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 23 ก.ค. 2022
- After a few weeks of driving I'm finally ready to give my opinion of KYB's Gas A Just Shock and the ExcelG shock. I ran the Gas-A-Just shocks for about a thousand miles and then decided to swap over to the ExcelG.
The reason why I switched was because with my car, it was much lighter than stock and the stiffness of the Gas-A-Just was too much for the bumpy roads out where I live. In this video I walk through the decision criteria I would go through when making a decision between these two shocks (or any high pressure and low pressure shock).
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#mach1
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Which shocks are you going to go with?
Bilstein B8 :-D
I'm going with the kyb gas adjust my car has a very soft suspension and would like a little firmer ride. This has helped me make a decision. Thank you
Bilstein
I have an suspension guy that specializes in older cars and muscle cars. I did something a little different on his suggestion and have been well pleased. KYB gas adjust on the front, and the KYB ExcelG on the rear of my 85 Monte Carlo SS. I still have a comfortable ride while not having the body roll, that most Gbodies normally have on stock shocks.
@@mypointofview6056 that’s a pretty good idea. I might try that out at some point and see how it works. Thanks!
Excellent video and audio Smackey, man that car sounds sweet. It does look like the roads in your area are a little messed up but those shocks seem to take the bumps pretty well. Thanks for the ride along and your opinion on those shocks.
Thanks Robbie for watching! Yea the North East doesn’t have the greatest roads. Winters do a number on them.
Thanks for the real world review and comparison of both kyb shocks types
No problem Shane! Glad you found it helpful!
Nuff said man 👏👍 that cruise and testimony was what I was needing, I don't have a fantastic classic muscle car like you but my car is sporty Kool and I am not a grasshopper I can appreciate a smooth compressioned ride. Thanks...
Thanks! All unique cars are cool no matter what you have!
Great video. And the video within the video was pretty cool.
Thanks Bar D Stables! Glad to hear you liked it.
I have a 1969 mach one 351 W. It was originally a 390 cid. I had Koni reds on it after I rebuilt the suspension in the late 1980's. I have done a rethink on the suspension as I am going to get rid of the original steering setup and go with rack and pinion.
I think at least the small block Mustang that have subframe connectors and the export brace could go with a softer spring rate! Modern gas charged shocks, modern radial tires polymer suspension bushings have really changed the game of what will be needed to get good handling and a decent ride.
Cool comparison! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks Mitch!
Great content, that sure is a beautiful car and I love the way it sounds. I been thinking about installing the kyb excel g’s on my fairlane.
Thanks FastFords. You won't be disappointed with them.
Awesome comparison and video with an awesome classic 😎
Thanks Yellow Hammer Garage!
I was actually just looking at the excel Gs and then came across this video... as in just looked at them this morning!
That's quite a coincidence! Which car are you looking for them for?
@@SmackeysGarage I’m doing some special things for the 63 Pontiac Grand Prix.. so I felt like these might give me a nice ride.
They most likely will. Looking forward to seeing it!
Trying to decide between the 2 myself. thanks.
Great News! Found a place, local, tucked away that does restoration work. Dude has several classics in various stages of finish and it all looks solid. Found him through other hobby guys that told me he was the man. Cars going in tonight and tomorrow I’m starting to haul all the pieces over. Best part is he does it all and since the body is done it’s all assembly at this point. I’m so happy I’m sure you get it but it was frustrating the hell out of me not finding anyone with space or the workers to get it done. Anyways just thought I’d share as you’ve been a real bro through the whole thing.😎👍might get a Chevy C20 from him once it’s done as he’s got a couple he’s working on that he’d be willing to sell.
I'm really happy for you. So is he going to take it to the fully complete stage? I hope you get it fully finished and you can finally enjoy it! Seems like things are starting to go your way with the car and a possible C20!
@@SmackeysGarage yep he’s doing it bumper to bumper complete. He’s slow but I’m not in a rush as he’s an old timer and all the local car guys swear by him. He got excited about it once he came to pick it up and saw how far along it was. We couldn’t stop talking about all the different options and ideas for stuff before it’s finished.
Thanks for making this. I often wondered about the two. I installed KYB gas adjusts in my first 69 Mach 1 20 years ago. The 69 Mach 1 I have now came with the KYB Excel-G’s. I took them out when I converted the front suspension to coil overs. When I replaced the rear leafs, I installed Bilsteins. They’re crazy stiff.
Thanks for tuning in! I have heard the same thing about the Bilsteins. Definitely more on the stiff side like the Gas Adjusts. Adjustable might be the way to go.
I've always found Bilsteins replacement shocks too stiff.
@@edjackson4389it's stiff due to the monotube design and has high pressure gas charge. It's better for spirited driving conditions, and not as "street friendly"
Thank you!!! This is exactly what I was looking for. I have a 78 Vette with leaky air shocks and leaning towards the Gas-A-Just, but my gut kept telling me they might be to harsh. I just ordered the Excel-G's and will be putting them on next week.
You’re welcome! I’m glad I could help with my thoughts. Let me know how you like them after you get them installed.
@@SmackeysGarage Will do!
Hi, I am also in the process of changing shocks. How did these work out for you? I also want something soft and not so firm.@@loffy742
Hey smacky good video thank you for the ride car sounds good
Thanks Terry!
Hey just found your channel and I think your channel will grow a lot in the next few months. I feel like you were kind of sick in this video thats why you seemed a little low energy at times. But i think it would be more helpful if you can be more concise with your explanations. Try to clarify what shocks you are currently using and how it feels, then try some pros and cons then do comparisons to sum things up. Throughout the video you’re kind of going back and forth with different thoughts and while those are your reactions, it’s hard for the viewer to keep up. Thank you though, very informative video and its exactly what I needed.
Thanks. I appreciate it. You actually nailed it. I was really sick for two weeks at the time that I filmed it. My mind was in a fog especially for the drive.
Great video and great content as other have said. I had kyb gas adjust shocks in other cars. I never tried them in my 69 Mach 1. Back in the 80's I don't know what shocks I had in it. I remember pulling out the air shocks.
I have seen several videos of yours. Car sounds great. Is it a 428 CJ or 351?
Thanks Craig! It seems everyone has had these shocks at one point or another.
The car has a 390 FE in it. Thank you!
Great info, I'm in Mass too near Lowell.
Very cool! We did a cruise through Newburyport a few weekends ago.
Thanks very useful
You are welcome!
Sorry you're under the weather brother, I feel your pain when trying to maintain the content and getting in front of the camera when it would be more fun to be on the couch. :)
Yep! I had a good backlog of evergreen videos I was able to get out but I blew through them all in that period of two weeks. Finally back to semi normal now. Time to build back up the back log of videos.
@Smackeysgarage do u have any idea, why KYB doesn’t make gas-a-just monotube shocks and struts for economy cars?
Like for my 2015 Scion xB. They only offer KYB - Excel-G shocks and struts. Which is a great oem replacement.
But what if someone like us wants to remain the same stock ride height with better performance like Gas-A-Just?
Any thoughts about that?
Hey Toyota Brony, I don't really know.
My guess is the demand for that specific car isn't there for a next level performance shock.
I took a quick look and couldn't find anything really available to do that. Even all the coil overs are drop only. None at the stock height.
You could do the lowering coil over and then add a coiler spacer above it to get the room you need. I'd see if anyone else is running a setup on that on the car. I'm not familiar with it.
@@SmackeysGarage hey thank u for the response.
Would it be weird if we run front excel-G’s and rear gas a just?
I can use the 2nd/3rd gen Toyota Tacoma rear monotube shocks. They are an inch and a quarter shorter than mine.
They have the same bottom bolt of the rear shocks. Except it’s 12x60. So it’s 30 in length more than the Tacoma.
Do the excel G’s ride just as soft as OEM shocks? I’m having trouble finding true hydraulic shocks for my 71 Chevelle. I’m considering buying new old stock GM Pleasurizer hydraulic shocks but would prefer to have something newer. Any advice on where to purchase hydraulic shocks would be appreciated. Thanks!!
They ride similar to OE shocks. I have never run hydraulic shocks, but if I was in your position I would call KYB / Kona / Bilstein and ask for their recommendation if that is what you are looking for. I've found many of the suspension companies are just looking to help you out finding what you want rather than just selling you their product.
Thanks for this vid! The Gas-A-Just are to soft for me in the 70 so I'm going Koni or just dealing with it.
Your roads must be better down there! I could deal with the stiffer shocks if the roads I like were better paved.
@@SmackeysGarage I would like it to handle a little better is all.
Thanks, you just talked me out of the Gas A Just shocks I was going to put in my Jeep Wrangler. I'm tired of the front end feeling like someone's hitting it with a sledge hammer just because I'm pulling into a parking lot at normal speed. It's currently got Rancho shocks and I think some of the issue is the front shocks are for a 2.5" lift when I have no lift and it may be bottoming them. They ride fine other than potholes and mini curbs into parking lots. But if I want smoother, I think the ExcelG are probably going to make me happiest. I have Bilstein 4600 on my 1989 Chevy Silverado and it rides pretty rough for what it is. Back when I was younger I liked a Bilstein on my Volvo 240s that we autocrossed with, but they rode rougher than something like a factory replacement Sachs shock. With my Jeep I don't offroad it and I can live with a bit of body roll if it means the fillings don't fall out of my teeth when entering a parking lot, so I think you just helped me make up my mind.
I'm sure you will enjoy the ExcelG shocks. They will definitely help smooth things out. I was shocked at how much of a difference I was feeling in my car. It didn't go to the point where there was a ton of body roll but it just felt better and smoother.
I'm similar.. I liked the stiff stocks back on my 1994 Mustang for corners and auto crossing but I won't be using them on a daily car again. Also, love those Volvo 240s.
Enjoy them on your Jeep!
@@SmackeysGarage So far the only negative is on wavy pavement the jeep gets bouncy. Otherwise, everything else is an improvement. My front shocks from the previous owner were 4" too long, which was the whole problem. The Rancho shocks rode great as long as you didn't need to compress more than 2", at which point it was metal on metal. Meanwhile, I had like 10" of rebound, ha! These are going to work for my needs, but I question if I'd liked the Gas A Just or the Bilstein 5100 just because the Wrangler is heavy enough to maybe beat them into submission vs the other way around.
@@421CentralIowa what did you end up going with ?
@@fmjjr339 I went with the Excel G and it was the right choice for me. It makes my Jeep ride like it would have when new. You can drive down a washboarded gravel road now and it doesn't bounce around and lose traction like it did prior. I think the Gas A Just would have been too stiff.
@@421CentralIowa did you just put that in front ?
Thank you. Is an oil-only shock absorber more comfortable?
Yes it definitely is more of a comfortable ride when comparing it to a gas shock.
nice Mustang man , i have a '73 Charger SE with a big block ( heavy front end ) and one of the heaviest car , my roads are mostly mountain roads with a lots of curves and not perfect roads , looking to improve the handling of the car which one do you suggest ?
Must be fun to have that car with curvy mountain roads. I guess it’s a tradeoff between do you like having a stiff front end and having it be great at corners, or more comfortable of a ride. Next week I’m putting qa1 coilovers on to check out the ride. You might want to check out some adjustable shocks to be able to dial it in the way you want.
I have bought the Koni shocks. I haven’t got the car back on the road yet. I’m curious to how they’ll feel. Anyone have any experience with Koni on a 69 Mach1?
After you install them, let me know how you like them.
Seems like kyb is a very Ruff Design Shock several years ago. I had the same Nissan max , and I had kyb struts, and it felt real ruff, and I removed the install factory. Genuine shocks and feels excellent definitely worth assurance reliability of Genuine oem parts way Go..
It depends on which model you get. The KYB Gas-A-Just are definitely more firm than the KYB Excel-G. The Excel-G would be considered more of a stock performance or stock replacement.
For cornering, which is better in cornering, bilstein b4 black or kyb excel g????

I don't have any experience with the b4 black. Seeing they are both OEM replacements and "exceed manufacturers oem parts" I'd say if you are looking for stock replacement they are probably similar to each other. If you were looking for better cornering I'd consider the next level up.
Try a softer spring with the Gas-a-Just
That would have definitely helped.
Gas A Just feels firmer more responsive compared to EXCEL G on my Aussie Ford Falcon (4L Barra). I use Aussie King Springs. I can corner much better compared to Excel G and not as much body roll.
You nailed it there. The Gas A Just are definitely firmer and more responsive. If I had better roads around here I'd probably be running the Gas-A-Just on my 69.
Love your car 🫠
Thanks John!
I enjoyed watching the video.
Is the KYB JUST-A-GAS suitable for sports driving? Do you want me to make a quick turn and hang in there.
Thank you! Take that quick turn and hang in there! Definitely suitable
@@SmackeysGarage Thank you for your answer. Actually, three years ago, I put just-a-gas on a 140,000-mile Lexus IS250, but it was soft because I didn't change the spring. The car has been sold. I'm going to install it in another car now, but the price of just-a-gas is so low that I'm considering buying it again, but I'm worried if it's really hard. I want a really hard strut, and TEIN is also considering it. thanks
Picking suspension components IMO you need to consider where you drive/live. Up here in the rust belt and like this person Ma... Roads are crappy but we do have some but overall, not like the south and West states. Not to mention wheels and tires also.
Dennis, that is a great point. Our road conditions up here in MA are completely different than the roads you will have in the South and West States. Thanks for bringing this up!
I have them on my mk6 golf but the ride is very stiff on bad roads
The gas a justs or the excelG?
@@SmackeysGarage excel g
Ive always like the Gs but i decided to go up a brand and go with KONIs
How do you like them? I haven’t tried them on any of my vehicles.
@@SmackeysGarage I only got the rears on before taking the car down so TBD. Everyone does seem to rave about them though
I bought Excel-Gs for better tire contact on rough roads.
They definitely help with that. I’ve noticed it on my Mustang.
Lol awesome I just switched from Gas Adjust to the Excel not even a month ago and couldn't be happier. The Excels are just more forgiving. I'm not road racing just roasting the tires usually in a straight line so the Excels work great for me. I even got the new style where it says KYB in big red letters down the side of the black shock.
That’s funny we went down the same path. I didn’t know there was a new style out! The packaging mine came in looked straight from the 80s… but they work awesome.
@@SmackeysGarage Can I pick your brain for a second? Got a feeling you're like me and love this type of stuff. So my car is "pretty loud" I'm running two and a half inch pipe all the way out the back. I have an h pipe it's about 4" long with classic flowmaster 40s. I'm considering adding glass packs as a resonator between the rear axle and the h pipe. I'm hoping that on the freeway at cruising speed it will quiet it down noticeably and probably a little bit idle. Oh I also have hooker long tube headers
Of course. Your set up sounds similar to mine. I'm running a 390, Hooker LT Headers, through a pypes 2.5" exhaust front to back.
Why not change out the mufflers rather then add the glasspacks? I originally had Pypes StreetPro on my car and it was WAY too loud. I then switched over to the same size/shape RacePro and they were significantly quieter. It made driving the car much better. (Mine is still loud though)
Are you open to swapping out the flowmaster 40s for something else?
@@SmackeysGarage maybe, kinda, I don't know lol. I do like the sound at idle and WOT but it's the cruising at 2500 and up RPMs it's real loud. I've always heard that resonators can quiet down drone at cruising speeds. I figure it would also take it down a little bit at all other times. If I do decide to keep the flowmasters and go resonators worst case scenario would be I cut the resonators out and go with a different muffler. I already have a joint for the h-pipe and before the axle over so I could just replace that whole piece so I don't have a bunch of weld seams. At any rate we had puppies 8 days ago so I won't be doing much of anything on the car for another 7 weeks lol.
The excel g. You need to complain to the public works dept on those streets, it looked bad.
Yea I’ll see what they will do. A lot of the roads out here have potholes and damage.