What Are QA1 Ultra Ride Shocks? The Smooth Ride Solution for Street Rods & Classic Builds
If you’ve ever driven a classic car or street rod with a stiff, unforgiving suspension, you know the struggle. Traditional shocks can be too firm for lightweight vehicles, leaving you with a jarring ride. That’s where QA1’s Ultra Ride shocks come in—a purpose-built solution designed for those with lighter cars and trucks who want modern ride quality without sacrificing comfort or the character of their car.
At its core, the Ultra Ride is built on QA1’s Proma Star shock body, but with a fundamental difference—it’s tuned for even greater comfort. With a fixed, soft compression setting and adjustable rebound damping, it’s designed to smooth out rough roads, eliminate float, and provide an extra-plush ride. It’s an ideal option for everything from T-buckets and street rods to classic muscle cars and even lightweight trucks, providing a smooth ride with simple bolt-on installation and made-in-the-USA quality you can depend on.
What Makes the QA1 Ultra Ride Different?
The Ultra Ride may look like a standard QA1 Proma Star single-adjustable shock, but the magic happens internally. Here’s what sets it apart:
Super Soft Compression – The compression damping is preset to be exceptionally soft, making the ride more comfortable and forgiving, especially on lightweight vehicles.
Adjustable Rebound Damping – You control how quickly the shock returns to ride height after compression, eliminating that classic “floaty” feel while keeping the suspension compliant.
High-Quality Construction – Like all QA1 shocks, it features a machined aluminum body, anodized finish, and rebuildable internals for long-term durability.
Designed for Comfort, Tuned for the Street
This isn’t a shock designed for hardcore performance driving or track days. Instead, it’s built specifically for street-driven hot rods, muscle cars, and cruisers where ride comfort is a priority.
Here’s how it works:
Ultra-Soft Compression for a Smooth Ride
Compression damping controls how much force it takes to compress the shock. In a typical adjustable shock, turning up the compression makes the ride stiffer. The Ultra Ride takes a different approach—QA1 has carefully engineered the compression valving to be soft without introducing that less-than-desirable “float” feeling. This allows the springs to do most of the work absorbing bumps, preventing a stiff, choppy ride.
This is especially beneficial for lightweight cars like T-buckets, early street rods, and fiberglass-bodied builds, where traditional shocks with stiffer compression settings can feel overly harsh. Instead of fighting the suspension, the Ultra Ride lets the chassis settle into the road naturally, making for a more relaxed driving experience.
Rebound Adjustability: The Key to a Balanced Ride
If you’ve ever driven an old Cadillac or Lincoln with worn-out shocks, you know the feeling—hit a bump, and the car just keeps bouncing. That’s a result of insufficient rebound damping.
The Ultra Ride gives you full control over rebound, meaning you can dial in how the suspension settles after a bump. A few clicks up on the adjuster will eliminate excessive float, keeping the car stable and controlled without stiffening up the ride.
For example:
Soft rebound settings allow the suspension to move freely, great for ultra-lightweight vehicles. Higher rebound settings help heavier cars settle quickly, preventing excessive body motion.
The key takeaway? You get a soft ride without sacrificing control.
Perfect for Lightweight and Custom Builds
Not every car needs a shock designed for aggressive handling. If you’re building a street rod, custom hot rod, or classic cruiser, chances are you care more about ride quality than lap times. That’s exactly where the Ultra Ride shines.
It’s a great fit for:
T-Buckets and Roadsters – These ultra-light cars benefit from soft compression damping, preventing a bouncy, overly stiff ride.
Classic Street Rods – Whether it’s a ‘32 Ford or a post-war cruiser, these shocks smooth out rough roads without making the car feel disconnected.
Lightweight Classic Trucks – Coilover-equipped street trucks can benefit from a more forgiving suspension, especially when running a light front end.
Restomods and Lowriders – Ultra Ride shocks aren’t just for lightweight vehicles – they’re great for cars and trucks where the priority is ride comfort without sacrificing adjustability.
Easy to Set Up, Easy to Adjust
Unlike double-adjustable shocks that require fine-tuning both compression and rebound, the Ultra Ride keeps it simple. You set the rebound to adjust any float out of the suspension’s characteristics, and that’s it—no need to mess with compression settings. This makes it ideal for builders who want modern suspension performance with minimal set-up. Plus, the bolt-in design makes installation straightforward on most applications.
The Suspension Philosophy Behind Ultra Ride
QA1 developed the Ultra Ride in response to real-world feedback—enthusiasts wanted a coilover that didn’t ride too stiff, especially in lightweight builds.
Here’s the logic:
A stiff compression setting on a lightweight car makes the ride rough and jarring.
A soft compression setting allows the suspension to absorb bumps without transferring harshness to the chassis.
Rebound control keeps the car from floating, ensuring it remains stable at highway speeds and over bumps.
By removing compression adjustability and fine-tuning the rebound, QA1 made a shock that just works—no guesswork, no frustration, just a great ride so that you can get out on the road and enjoy your vehicle to its fullest.
The Right Shock for the Right Job
The QA1 Ultra Ride shock is about making your classic car, street rod, or cruiser drive like a dream.
With ultra-soft compression damping, 18-position rebound adjustability, and an easy bolt-in installation, it delivers modern ride quality while keeping things simple. Whether you’re running a lightweight hot rod or a classic muscle car, this shock offers a perfect balance of comfort and control.
If you’re tired of your suspension feeling too stiff—or you just want a smoother ride without losing adjustability—the Ultra Ride is the perfect solution.
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