The shock towers were made of three pieces of metal that were formed (spot welded) together. The outer portion was attached to the frame
and apron area while the inside component that held the motor mounts attached to the frame. The middle portion of the tower was a 3/16" piece of steel that partially wrapped around the tower and was spot welded to both the inner and outer pieces. From the first S-Code model built in 1966 until spring of 1968, these two pieces were given extra ceremony by having their outer structures welded together as in the photo to the upper right (click for bigger view). In mid year of 1968, Ford began the production of the much revered 1968 1/2 R-Code CJ.
This boasted the 428CJ power plant. It is believed that with this introduction in the spring of 1968, the design for the big block shock tower changed. The middle piece of steel was now extended and wrapped completely around the shock tower to the front and rear apron. See photo to the left. With all of the twisting and torquing these big motors produced within the engine compartment, this was a necessary modification. The additional welding was no longer necessary from this point forward.I wrote this page in response to the questions that have come up with regard to different style shock tower reinforcements and when they were changed. With different factories and Ford being Ford, these dates may have differed slightly. The facts in the registry do seem to support this idea however. I'd like to see some more data in the Registry to try to pin down better dates for this change in production design. Any questions, please see the forums. I'm also looking for a better photo of the new style wrap around shock tower photo shown. Send to my email address