Bkennedy's SAS and Rebuild Thread

[BKennedy]

Wonder if they use it as a support for the shims rather than a valve that actually moves? Or as like a washer of sorts? I'll look closer next time I have them off.

Mine have two heavy washers on the rebound side and one on the compression side. I will post a pic of the internals of the shocks when I get them all torn down. The machining does not appear to be nearly as clean as the Kings, Foxes or Ballistic.

 

[sirhk100]

Man, you want to see some nice machining work on shocks... ADS and radflo always look great!!! Or if you want to go super baller, look up RICOR!!! LOL Those will hurt you though if you found out the price on them. I'm picking up a full set of coilovers and bypasses for my current project truck and well, I knew they were pricy but didn't know they were that pricy! They were included with a "deal" of sorts otherwise there's NO WAY they'd be coming my way to live life on my truck in my garage. LOL

 

[BKennedy]

I had to limit the compression travel a little more (another 1/2") due to contact marks I found while changing out the wedgie bushings. On driver side, tie rod is slightly contacting the track bar frame mount. On passenger side, axle track bar mount is contacting frame. They are just little scrape marks, but when I figured out where they were coming from, I added spacers to the bump stops.

The problem with all this limiting compression is when I feel like tearing down a dirt road, the front suspension will be bouncing off the bump stops. The contact is only when one side is stuffed and the other hanging on the limit straps.

I am now thinking that air bumps might actually allow me to have more straight up travel and help to limit the crawl stuff travel just due to the speed differential (I know, I previously said there was no reason for air bumps on a trail rig, but hey...). I asked Dave at davesoffroadsupply.com, and he says that they sponsor a race team that does go fast and crawl competitions with the same rig. He says they have bumps that are charged at maximum pressure. They let the suspension work on the fast stuff and keep it off the frame on the slow stuff. I really don't want to spend that kind of money right now, so it will have to wait. Besides, the only bumps I can afford right now would be F-O-A's and I am a little annoyed at them. I guess if I purchased them with a seal kit.................

 

[sirhk100]

I crawl with 2" stroke air bumps and don't feel they limit me. I picked them up for dirt cheap at the offroad swap meet last year though so it was kind of a no brainer. Talking like $100 for the pair...

I think you'll see benefit from the bumps and for the contact issues they may help for sure. They just won't be a cure all for poorly valved shocks is what I initially kinda chimed in with. They should compliment the shock, not be a bandaid for it.

 

[turboexplorer]

Mine have two heavy washers on the rebound side and one on the compression side. I will post a pic of the internals of the shocks when I get them all torn down. The machining does not appear to be nearly as clean as the Kings, Foxes or Ballistic.

They must just be washers then, seeing as they don't change on any of their settings on comp or rebound. Also they aren't included in the valving packs either. So doesn't look like you would ever change them to change valving at all.

 

[sirhk100]

Posted on another forum at 8:30 this morning fyi...

Bilstein Hydro Bump Stops 2.0 dia 4" travel $50 each

I have total of 4 each Bilstein bump stops all in good shape. asking $50 each

toyrunner909@yahoo.com
626-789-6543

 

[BKennedy]

I sent him an email. Got one of the shocks pulled apart this morning. Everywhere you look, you can find aluminum slivers and other debris. The seal kit arrived this morning also, but I don't have anymore time to get them together due to the amount of cleaning they need before re-assembly. The seal kit came loose in a box with the 1 gal oil bottle.
I was surprised to see it included new wiper caps and seal heads. I must admit the prices are very reasonable, and they ship super fast. Communication leaves a lot to be desired. I think they should up their prices a little, up their warranty time and hire a customer service rep.
Shaft Internals:

Piston:

See the aluminum shavings?

Dirty:

Seal Kit:

 

[sirhk100]

Man, you're not joking about literally shavings!!! Like left over from the machining process basically? I've read/heard that's insanely common which I seriously don't understand why! It seems like just simply having a better cleanup stage between manufacturing and assembly would make a world of difference in the product they're putting out! I was expecting like aluminum shavings from use or something, not flat out burrs and left over manufacturing debris basically!

 

[turboexplorer]

Crazy!!! Glad I didn't have to deal with that. Clean well, new seals, ready to ride! Nothing that can't be fixed though is the good thing. Agree with Khris wouldn't take that much more effort to clean well before assembly. Seams like a no brainer if you owned the company. Small effort at a small price tha would go a long ways with customers and product quality.

 

[mounty71]

Posted on another forum at 8:30 this morning fyi...

Ah I saw those, I was so tempted to buy them! What a deal!

 

[BKennedy]

Ah I saw those, I was so tempted to buy them! What a deal!

He still has them. He sent me a pic of a pair of what I am assuming are the best two and they look beat. Labels gone, all black with corrosion, and the end cap is missing on one.

 

[sirhk100]

Good call! He just posted pictures of them on the thread overnight and yeah, I'd probably pass on them. Hard to tell but the shafts look pitted basically which means new seals as well along with new shafts. Not sure this picture will work as it's an attachment to another forum that you probably have to be a member of to view but I'll try it anyways...

I wouldn't be too concerned with the bodies, that's just cosmetic and once they're slid into mounting cans you won't see them anyways but the shafts are pretty hammered looking.

 

[BKennedy]

Got the shocks rebuilt today. Out of time so I will hopefully get them charged tomorrow to see how they work. As I was cleaning them, I noticed the old oil looked like it has aluminum swimming in it. I saved some in a water bottle and am going to let it settle for several days to see if I can get some recycle money. Here is a pic of the inside of the reservoir. The other one was not quite as scored but they only have about a thousand miles on them. Wonder what they are going to look like in a few more years? This has to be from the manufacturing process, right? As I understand it, there is very little movement of the piston inside the reservoir.

The inside of the shock body's looked nice and shiny.

 

[sirhk100]

I'd have to do some math to see how much oil the shock shaft displaces and then how much volume that oil takes up inside the reservoir to really answer how much the dividing disc moves but yes, it shouldn't be moving too much inside there in reality.

 

[BKennedy]

Got the Explorer all back on it's feet today. Need to adjust the spring stops up slightly, but that seems to be about it. Hopefully, I will get it out soon and find a bumpy road, and some rocks, to try it out.
I looked up several shock manufacturing companies shim valving spec sheets. None of them had shims like I was planning on doing; .015 .010 .015 .008 .008. All, including FOA, used two thinner shims on the bottom or wider shims, then the rest thicker, to get different valving. For the rebound, I ended up going with; .010 .010 .015 .015 .015, from largest diameter to smallest. Compression is all .015's.

 

[sirhk100]

Should be interesting and noticeable!

 

[BKennedy]

That is what FOA had listed as their "medium" rebound setup.

 

[BKennedy]

I got it out of the garage today, and adjusted the spring stops so they are an inch above the top of the dividers. I drove it around the block and through a few dips, but there is a fire burning nearby so I wanted to stay home today in case we need to move the horses. It drove fine and did not lean so much on the turns.

We have had so many fires around here in the past ten years I am kind of meh about it. Its like earthquakes; if the house is still standing when its over, its all good.

 

[BKennedy]

I was cleaning out my shed today. I have for FREE, the following;

HP Dana 44 open carrier with 3:50 gears. All appear to be in working condition.

Dana 44 F-150 long side axle shaft. Appears to be original equipment, and in decent condition.

1994 stock Explorer intake. Has a bunch of large, neatly drilled holes in the sides and bottom you can't see when its installed. Has passed smog for at least ten years that way. Includes K&N filter.

No, I will not ship. You will have to meet up with me sometime in the future, preferably, on a run.

 

[BKennedy]

Some A&*hole set fires all over the county today, so I stayed at home. The canyon where the horses are boarded is a preserve and is ripe for burning. I stayed close in case I needed to move them.
Rewired the stereo and the 12 volt receptacles so they run off the secondary battery. Welded some rock light tabs on the underside of the body. Should be able to wire them up tomorrow.