Purple TJ in AZ (just some of the stuff I've done thread)

That's the normal location for that derale setup.

I'm aware - but if you wheel that's a horrible location if it is not protected. I ran one for years, but tucked up to the bed, and even there I built a heavy guard for the thing.
 
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Release set screw

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Spanner wrench

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Snap ring

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Pop the shaft out
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Drain main body

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Push reservoir seal cap in and remove snap ring

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Remove seal cap and floating piston

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Drain the whole thing

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Disassemble the main shaft remove seals and zip tie the valve stack

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Looks to be the same as rebuilding a hydro cylinder, which seems intimidating until you do it once. (y) Are these shocks not gas charged? If they are, how will you be repressurizing them?
 
I'm aware - but if you wheel that's a horrible location if it is not protected. I ran one for years, but tucked up to the bed, and even there I built a heavy guard for the thing.

I had an airtank in that spot so I didn't use the kit. Mine is tucked way up behind the footwell. I have no guard though.
 
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Looks to be the same as rebuilding a hydro cylinder, which seems intimidating until you do it once. (y) Are these shocks not gas charged? If they are, how will you be repressurizing them?

They are pretty easy to pull apart and rebuilt. Less easy to bleed the air from the oil. Refilling is fairly straightforward too, with a 200 dollar kit (lots of possibilites here). Nitrogen is available at any welding supply store.
 
Looks to be the same as rebuilding a hydro cylinder, which seems intimidating until you do it once. (y) Are these shocks not gas charged? If they are, how will you be repressurizing them?

I have a friend that builds custom dirt bike suspension systems that will charge them for me. Most ATV shops will charge them for about $5.00 each also.
 
I just raised the skid 1 inch so it’s probably time to rotate the fan so it’s flat.

Unless I'm not understanding what you mean, that won't help. The issue is that if you come down on a pointed rock, or even a stick, it will easily poke a hole in the cooler and the tranny will quickly pump out all of its fluid.
 
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Unless I'm not understanding what you mean, that won't help. The issue is that if you come down on a pointed rock, or even a stick, it will easily poke a hole in the cooler and the tranny will quickly pump out all of its fluid.

Any rock that "could" hit the cooler will probably hit the belly skid first. Now that the skid is higher it provides slightly less protection to the cooler.

I've never seen any pointed rock that I said I should driver over. The rocks here in AZ are mostly boulders. Plenty of other parts of the jeep, namely anything at the skid level or lower is catching rocks.

I'm not concerned.
 
You spelled rock crawling wrong

I have not as of yet pushed the Easy Button.
easy GIF
 
Now back to the shock rebuild.
Replace all the seals and O-rings on the main shaft making sure to orientate the shim stack and piston the same way they came apart and tighten the nut.


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Wipe out the shock body and reservoir .

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I filled the reservoir with oil and let it flow into the shock pushing the air out.
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I inserted the IFP into the full reservoir and the used my IFP tool (1/4-20 all thread) to cycle the IFP in and out several times to purge all the air out of the hose.
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when I was confident I had all the air out I set the IFP depth. The Spec on an 11" Reservoir is 8" deep. I found if you set it to 9" when you do the main shaft seal insertion it will push it back just a little.

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Then I added more oil to the main shock body, just about 3" from the top.

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Then inserted the main shaft and let it sink into the oil.

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I cycled the shaft in and out to bleed any air out.

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Once the air was out.

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I slid the bottom bushing/seal housing into place.

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I made sure the shock housing was completely full of oil. There is a hole in the lower bushing/seal housing that as you insert it will bleed any remaining air and excess oil out. In my case, right down the front of me and all over my bench. This will assure the system has no air in it. Push the housing in until you get it past the snap ring groove. This is where it pushed my IFP back to the 8" line. Then I inserted the snap ring.

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Next I threaded the bottom wiper seal housing on and tightened with a spanner and retightened the set screw.

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Then I inserted the reservoir cap.

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Pushed it in far enough to fit the snap ring.


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Pulled the cap back against the snap ring and put the schrader valve back in.

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And Bamm! One down and three more to go.

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I am no expert by any means but they took me about an hour to do each one after the first. I learned a lot and the process got smoother as I went.
Just learning about where to set the IFP and how much fluid to put in and not end up wearing half of it was huge. This can be a very messy project .

I took them over and had 200 p.s.i. nitrogen charge put in them and back on the TJ.
 
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Now back to the shock rebuild.
Replace all the seals and O-rings on the main shaft making sure to orientate the shim stack and piston the same way they came apart and tighten the nut.


View attachment 491762

Wipe out the shock body and reservoir .

View attachment 491763

I filled the reservoir with oil and let it flow into the shock pushing the air out.
View attachment 491764

I inserted the IFP into the full reservoir and the used my IFP tool (1/4-20 all thread) to cycle the IFP in and out several times to purge all the air out of the hose.
View attachment 491768


View attachment 491769

View attachment 491770
when I was confident I had all the air out I set the IFP depth. The Spec on an 11" Reservoir is 8" deep. I found if you set it to 9" when you do the main shaft seal insertion it will push it back just a little.

View attachment 491771

Then I added more oil to the main shock body, just about 3" from the top.

View attachment 491772

Then inserted the main shaft and let it sink into the oil.

View attachment 491773

I cycled the shaft in and out to bleed any air out.

View attachment 491774



Once the air was out.

View attachment 491791

I slid the bottom bushing/seal housing into place.

View attachment 491778

I made sure the shock housing was completely full of oil. There is a hole in the lower bushing/seal housing that as you insert it will bleed any remaining air and excess oil out. In my case, right down the front of me and all over my bench. This will assure the system has no air in it. Push the housing in until you get it past the snap ring groove. This is where it pushed my IFP back to the 8" line. Then I inserted the snap ring.

View attachment 491796

Next I threaded the bottom wiper seal housing on and tightened with a spanner and retightened the set screw.

View attachment 491798

Then I inserted the reservoir cap.

View attachment 491795

Pushed it in far enough to fit the snap ring.


View attachment 491787

Pulled the cap back against the snap ring and put the schrader valve back in.

View attachment 491788

And Bamm! One down and three more to go.

View attachment 491789

I am no expert by any means but they took me about an hour to do each one after the first. I learned a lot and the process got smoother as I went.
Just learning about where to set the IFP and how much fluid to put in and not end up wearing half of it was huge. This can be a very messy project .

I took them over and had 200 p.s.i. nitrogen charge put in them and back on the TJ.

I’d be wise to refer to this if I get another leak. Thanks for sharing the helpful info.