Shock Rates and Lengths

[zhanx]

Ok the bilstein site recommends 360/80 shock rate.. for my x. (for the 7100 serise) for right now I am gonna go with a 5100 series Offroad (Part Numer BE5-6253-H5)shock that
has the following specs

Extend length 22.5" Collapsed Length 14.05, gonna use one per side for now. Wont hurt anything cause i need new shocks and I am in the planning stages of a SAS anyways. But till i get everything i need for the SAS i still need to drive it. Oh and i and i am useing the following conversion kit to put them on.. might make them a lillte longer tho.

any forseen problems besides the possibility of binding my cv's from to long a shock. unless you thnk that with the kit it will be super long.. just trying to get a little downward travel back for now. and maybe a better ride at the same time. If yuo suggest a shock make sure you put a part number on here so i can look it up not just a brand


Snagged and commented from and eariler thread

...front not so much since it doesnt flex anyway (and the balljoints stop it as well).......

we'll see about that

...
The rear however will be stopped much too short of its potential.

very very true.. need to mount mine in a different spot to help this. Any suggestions i was thing the weld on universal tabs that weld on the axle like this
http://www.tellico4x4.com/catalog/product_info.php/cPath/91_1790_3033/products_id/19234

 

[zhanx]

i forgot my main question.. what should i run for a shock rate for a good ride that is firm and absorbs most of the road (ie the daily driving stuff)

 

[BigDave!!!]

360 rebound seems kinda stiff for DD, i think when i had my bilsteins i had 255/70 and it was not too stiff on road but not too soft off road. personal prefernace though

if you get longer shocks the next thing to limit your travel will be the upper ball joints (assuming the cv's dont bind) i have never worked with a 4x4 X so i dont know which will stop first. the only thing you have to worry about with that drop down bracket for the shock is bottoming out the shock before you bottom out your susp., that site doesnt give you dimensions so it will be hard to tell

with the longer shock i dont think you will be able to get much more than an inch or two of wheel travel before the upper arm or cv's bind.

 

[zhanx]

when i disco my upper shock nut it drops that side an extra 2.75 inch on the passenger and about the same i would thin on the drivers. oh with the shock adpater my extended shock length should be about 24" - 24.5 the mount should give me 2 inches extra to play with.. ordering the mounts first tho.

 

[BigDave!!!]

oh ok then, im guessing the upper ball joint is limiting it at that point right? good call on getting those brackets first because that will increase your collapsed length to around 16" and i forget at what point the suspenision bottoms out but i think its close

 

[zhanx]

oh ok then, im guessing the upper ball joint is limiting it at that point right? good call on getting those brackets first because that will increase your collapsed length to around 16" and i forget at what point the suspenision bottoms out but i think its close

yep its the upper ball joint.. I am gonna have new uppers made with a hemi joint in them.. (Maybe lowers also if i can do something without the cv binding at that point)

 

[slravene]

keep me posted on this John. I just ordered some Uniball uppers (thanks boomin/bigdave) . Shocks are next on my list, and i need to find some that are longer and will also mount in that stoopid pin slot on the lower control arm. Is that what that kit changes? I couldnt really tell from the picture of it.

 

[nissanboy]

you will also need to either make some shock tabs of find a bar pin to fit the bottom mount. THe upper mount is only half the battle. I was reading on some ranger forums that if you make shock tabs ont he underside of the a-arm you will effectively lengthen the compressed length of the shock and have a longer shock life as it wont be bottom ing out all the time.

That kit changes teh upper mount to a shock eye mount, on the lower mount you either need a bar pin of some sort or have some shock tabs welded on.

 

[zhanx]

i ordered 10" travel 5100 series for right now.. no need to spend big bicks on shocks that wont work. thursday I am fabing some shock mounts out of 1/4 plate and will have them welded on the bottom of the a-arm. I will be cutting the mount to length and taking pictures of before and after travel.. lee you should let me hold on to those a-rms for you for a little while. (at least till i can get them copied)

 

[zhanx]

now thats fast service

Scheduled Delivery: 02-March-2006

Number of Packages: 1
UPS Service: GROUND
Weight: 11.2 LBS

so i should have updates soon

 

[BigDave!!!]

sounds like a plan, those new uppers with the heim joins are probably one of the best options for keeping a stock spindle. good luck and keep us updated

 

[zhanx]

firestone

i dropped my truck off this morning to get an alignment at firestones...said and i quote " i just need an alignment , dont waste the time on the inspection " dude said " no problem ". I leave.. I call back at lunch they tell me its ready, and i might need new shocks (duh one is noticably bent).. so i get there, wait in line 1/2 hour to get my truck cause of the 102 year old lady trying to have a car service, is in front of me and its lunch time :fire: . So after the wait the guy behind the counter says jensen.. oh yea no charge.. i am thinking sweet a freebie?!?!? then the dude pulls out a stack of papers :fire:, and says hold on a sec and leaves.. waiting waiting waiting.. i am wandering around staring at tires as the guy comes back and trys to ingore me and help the next guy in line. moron. i step back up to the counter and ask for my keys so i can get out of there.. he says oh yea and leaves again?!?!? i am like wtf the ####.. he comes back fast that time and gives me a set of papers with a quote on it. and asks me if i want the work done.. This is what it had on it :

both upper ball joints - 505.41
both lower ball joints - 441.56
both tie-rod ends - 226.50
shocks, camber kit (which i told them in the begining i need and they said they had on hand and didn't), air filter, etc.. it kept going. Totaled 1831.56.. i started laughing and asked politely "can i have my keys before i strangle you?" the guy tossed them and looked at me like hey thats a fair quote or something.. crazy *******s

 

[BigDave!!!]

HAHAHAHA now thats funny!!! i have the lifetime alignment to that place but they have never given me any crap like that before, so did they align it?

 

[slravene]

x2 on lifetime alignment....best money ever spent

 

[zhanx]

HAHAHAHA now thats funny!!! i have the lifetime alignment to that place but they have never given me any crap like that before, so did they align it?

no

 

[nissanboy]

The last alignment my truck had was when I was in school in Nashville almost 2 years ago now. Knock on wood. The tires are still wearing evenly and it steers straight.

 

[zhanx]

i fubar'd. Somehow i read what i wrote down and didn't realize that i was reading the stock rear shock length. nice ain't it? So now i have to remeasure and try this ordering thing again. the only good thing is that i have rear shocks. A bit on the stiff side tho.. but i'll have to see how it rides.

 

[TarHeel085]

im interested to see how this goes. in my dreaming of not having to do an SAS im going to ditch the tortion bars in favor of a RCD style front suspension with coilovers and support bars. maybe even the uniball UCA's. where did you get them anyway slravene? but damn i dont wanna put on new UCA's cause its a PITA on the drivers side with the fuel lines.

 

[slravene]

I got them from Boomin, who got them from BigDave, had them built by a place called The Lab out in California. I would try and find a shop in the area (CRS in charlotte, or Go Fer It in Gboro) and see what they can do. Fuel lines shouldnt be a problem...they go in the stock locations.

 

[TarHeel085]

damn, i always miss out on the good stuff! i think i might have down east offroad take a look and see what they can do. the fuel lines get in the way whe taking the eccentric bolts out. maybe thats just on the SOHC. btw guys, they make shock extenders for the top of the shocks that we have, not sure where to find them tho.