Suspension question, searched w/o answer
- Thread starter MC97D1
- Start date
Don't we all, but if I wanted to upgrade from the 11 year old OME shocks, I was wondering how these compare.
I've seen your type before. You've got it in your head that you need some sort of remote reservoir shock because they look cool when in reality you would not know the difference between a those and some Gaberial Red Riders.
The shocks he linked are not reservoirs. And if he has them valved as heavy as Disco owners typically go, he'll notice a difference (if he loses the sway bars). Does he really need them? Probably not, if he keeps the sway bars.
OP - It's not hard to figure out what length shocks you need. First, you have to decide on what springs you're going to use and then install them. Then you have to (if it hasn't already been done) convert your shock mounts to eye style (like in the Fox shocks you linked) versus the stock pin style. Once you've done that, you will know what your eye-to-eye length is at rest and then you can flex the suspension to get an idea of what your compressed length is and your extended length is. That's how you will know which shock to buy.
There's quite a bit of learned knowledge all over the 'net from those who've done this before, and in general, a 12" Fox 2.0 in the rear and a 10" (best) or 11" (will work too) in the front for a Disco with 3" lift springs works.
If you're looking to stay 2-2.5" and keep the sway bars, then you won't need to go through the expense of new shock mounts and rebuildable shocks. It goes back to the snowball effect.
OP - It's not hard to figure out what length shocks you need. First, you have to decide on what springs you're going to use and then install them. Then you have to (if it hasn't already been done) convert your shock mounts to eye style (like in the Fox shocks you linked) versus the stock pin style. Once you've done that, you will know what your eye-to-eye length is at rest and then you can flex the suspension to get an idea of what your compressed length is and your extended length is. That's how you will know which shock to buy.
There's quite a bit of learned knowledge all over the 'net from those who've done this before, and in general, a 12" Fox 2.0 in the rear and a 10" (best) or 11" (will work too) in the front for a Disco with 3" lift springs works.
If you're looking to stay 2-2.5" and keep the sway bars, then you won't need to go through the expense of new shock mounts and rebuildable shocks. It goes back to the snowball effect.
Thank you. I was figuring that, but wanted to make sure. I've removed my sways on a D2 with a TF lift, and it was too floaty on the highway for me. I see most here run a 360/80 or 400/100 valving setup. Are both of those setups stiff enough for reasonably safe highway use without sways?
It's basically bc the shocks add rate, and a stiffer spring would add more lift that a softer spring. And yes, different pressure does change the way the shock behaves, probably just as minutely as the amount of lift added by a nitrogen charge.
Technically, any numerically lower gearset is stronger than a higher gearset, since there is is better pinion/ring gear engagement. But idk the quality of the OEM gears compared to Ashcroft.
Fox, IMHO, makes the best shocks. However, those are the lowest quality/cheapest shocks that they make. I'd get a full 2.0 emulsion shock over one of their bolt in IFPs. Side by side, I'd probably go with the OMEs over the ones in the link.
I think they compare, and they probably are a little better... though idk how much you'd notice.
Come on, I think anyone can feel the difference from a twin tube junker to a quality gas-charged monotube.
It's really your call. Put on the shocks, remove your sways. Do YOU think it is safe for YOU? Are YOU comfortable with it? Would YOU be ok if your wife/gf/whatever took the keys and drove it without sways? Who cares what someone else on the internet thinks? They aren't driving YOUR truck.
I've seen your type before. You've got it in your head that you are awesome because you know more about a certain vehicle than 99% of other people, and that gives you a license to be a dick. In reality, you merely just know more about a certain vehicle and were probably a dick to begin with.
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Right, I understand it's all subjective. I do appreciate the opinions though. It does help with making a more informed decision beforehand.
Negative. Every statement made here is wrong or incomplete.
It is such a stupid statement that it's hard to comment on.
What is a twin tube junker?
FWIW, a "twin tube junker" properly tuned to springs and weight of the vehicle is a lot better than a "quality gas-charged monotube" in a wrong application. Cheap-ass stock Woodheads in a Disco are better than a "quality" generic-use 5150.
You _may_ feel the difference after bombing several tens of miles on a bad washboard - monotubes are generally less likely to fade. But it doesn't mean "anyone can feel the difference." I seriously doubt you can.
You're wrong, Peter. They cost more. The more they cost the better they are. The more you pay the bigger difference you'll feel.
LOL, I know.
There's so much fun in the world. Come to think of it, nothing in the twin-tube design of conventional shock absorbers prevents them from being gas-charged and having remote reservoirs.
There's so much fun in the world. Come to think of it, nothing in the twin-tube design of conventional shock absorbers prevents them from being gas-charged and having remote reservoirs.
Do you really think people like Doestche Tech, Rancho, TF, etc are really making specific tunes for $25 shocks? They have a few off the shelf valves and they give you the "best" fit for your application. Monotubes aren't just "generally" less likely to fade, they actually are less likely to fade by design. If you put some cheap white body shocks on a Disco and drive 20-30 down a washboard road, then swap to your "generic-use"255/70 valve 5150 and you will feel a huge difference.
Well, yea, they make gas-charged twin tubes. But a twin tube, by design, cannot be remote resi.
OME shocks are all monotube.
Dude, I'm rarely like that - my apologies in advance.... You are an idiot.
I know exactly what fifty miles on a washboard feel like. And I've driven these miles with all sort of shocks. It doesn't necessarily mean I know a good from bad, but that I extrapolate my experience to what you _might_ eventually run into. A POS Woodhead will fade out in twenty miles ... just to match a 255/70 valved shock.
To make you feel better - what you _wanted_ to say but didn't know how was this: twin tube shocks, by design, can easily be built with remote reservoirs, but external bypass is difficult to build into them. Possible, but difficult.
I know exactly what fifty miles on a washboard feel like. And I've driven these miles with all sort of shocks. It doesn't necessarily mean I know a good from bad, but that I extrapolate my experience to what you _might_ eventually run into. A POS Woodhead will fade out in twenty miles ... just to match a 255/70 valved shock.
To make you feel better - what you _wanted_ to say but didn't know how was this: twin tube shocks, by design, can easily be built with remote reservoirs, but external bypass is difficult to build into them. Possible, but difficult.
I'll recant my twin tube remote resi argument.... I really cant believe people make those. It does make sense that the first page I saw with them was Profender...
And I didn't say cheap shocks will fade, if you are driving like a normal person they won't. But they will fade faster than, and you will feel the difference between a cheap shock, and a good shock. That's my experience. That's all.
Such Michelin offerings perform well in varied terrain, they are durable, and they can handle most environments without issue.
It's a great choice for a heavily loaded vehicle that's going to spend a few thousand miles or a few months in the middle of nowhere for general exploration or utility purposes. That's not why you get them, though.
You get them because that's what's available, and it's available because everyone has become tired of providing different options when the Michelin will almost always be sufficient. You either get the Michelin, or their favorite cheap option.
They just aren't as easily obtainable here, so it seems a bit of an extravagance to purchase a tire that's dead-set on being what amounts to an old hiking boot if all you plan to do is run a few trails and spend a lot of time on the road getting to them.
That doesn't mean they aren't good. It just means it's a fairly "dedicated" choice for something that's not off-pavement most of the time.
Now, that's discounting the sizes available. I'm just talking about the tires themselves.
Cheers,
Kennith