Diff Shocks and their uses.

[Silverblade]

Ok heres the deal, I need to know the different types of shocks, for offroad use, and what they are used for.

Like there is coilovers, leafs, shackles, etc.

List all of those and then tell me what they are best for(for what categorey of offraoding, whether it be mudding, rock crawling, trails on mountains, or pre running)

And if you can you can even tell me what diff kinds of trucks they came on

Kind of a lot to ask but it woudl be greatly appreciated.

 

[CoryL]

This is like asking to list all the different knives in the world, which is the best for every application, and where you can buy them.

I could write a 5 page paper about this for you and it would still not be complete.

Coilovers, coils, leafs, and torsion bars are the four types of suspension systems. Struts fall into the coilover genre.

Now, are you asking about shocks or suspension setups? None of the above are shocks. A coilover utilizes a shock, but it is more than just a shock.

Technically shocks don't even exist as they are really called dampeners.

So is it suspensions or dampeners?

 

[Fischer]

Spring=lift
Shock=Damping

Coil Spring: Discoverys (front and rear), Front of Broncos, Rangers, and 1st Gen Explorers.
With these you need a Radius Arm to locate the Axle. Damper is located outside or inside of the spring. Nice for most off-roading use.

Coil Over Spring: This is where the damper is located within the actual Spring.
ie: CoryL's truck above. or a RockShox Deluxe seen on DH bikes as a Rear Shock. Good for as in longer shocks you can have 2 different spring rates, one say at 500lbs and another at say 300 lbs. The 300 will compress first then begin to compress the 500lb spring, you see this on Pre-Runner styles as well, the heavier spring may be a "bottom out" spring. Also you need some form of Axle location. As you can see from CoryL's truck these can have some great articulaton and travel.
Often they have a remote reservoir, as on a DH bike to increase the travel as there is just so much Oil a self contained shock/spring combo can displace without exploding.

Leaf Springs: What we have on the Rear of our Explorers. Provide spring as well as Axle Location. Here the damper is located near the spring then spanning and connecting to the frame somewhere.
A shackle is what holds the actual 'leaf' to the frame and allows it to move laterally as well as sag or comperss without binding. ie. take a bent straw and lay it flat, it will span a wider lentgh than when it is bent. The shackles provide thie pivot to lengthen and shorten.
Generally Leaf Springs are cheaper and easier to set up, still provide good articulation (flatter spring better flex). Also good for heavier duty applicatons in general.

There is a lot I am breezing over. Does that help?

 

[CoryL]

Originally posted by Fischer
It's dampers. Dampen is what they do. Dampening isn't a word. ie. Damper Assembly. Had that pointed out to me many times working at RockShox...

Dampener is actually a word. A variation of dampen, which is a variation of damp. Damper also comes from damp.

Dampener has as one of its meanings: "To deaden, restrain, or depress."

What a dampener, damper, shock, whatever the fawk you want to call it, does is restrain the suspension. It prevents it from springing up and down like you would see on a 1984 LTD with original parts.

 

[Fischer]

****e Okay. In-Correction removed.

 

[Silverblade]

Thanx guys thats all I need.