Are my shocks too short?

Rock Toy

Rock Toy

TJ Enthusiast
Joined
May 3, 2020
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Just installed a set of 3.5” MetalCloak springs and bought some FOX shocks from Savvy. Got the shorter ones. Threw them on the Jeep and it really looks like they are too long. I’m going to outboard when I eventually swap out the tank and do a stretch but plan on keeping these in place in the meantime. Thoughts? I did push the axle back as far as it would go with the four link and maybe that shortened up the distance between the shock mounts.

59412A35-FDD5-46AA-825E-801779DC2B25.jpeg
 
Yes, those are too long for that application. You will be bottoming them out when driving. Good chance you will damage them if you run it like that.
 
I wouldn't run those, they're too long. And how'd you get your Jeep to hang from the ceiling like that? :eek:
 
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Holy cow! Those things are way too long for that application indeed. You've maybe got 2" of up-travel on those things before the shock bottoms out.
 
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Chris said:
Holy cow! Those things are way too long for that application indeed. You've maybe got 2" of up-travel on those things before the shock bottoms out.
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yea, that’s what I though. Super weird...I have 3.5” springs and those shocks are made for a 2.5-3.5” lift. Do they even make a 10” smoothbody shock?
 
Rock Toy said:
yea, that’s what I though. Super weird...I have 3.5” springs and those shocks are made for a 2.5-3.5” lift. Do they even make a 10” smoothbody shock?
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If you outboarded those shocks you could make them work just fine. However, in the stock mounting position you just don’t have enough room.

Not sure about the 10” smooth body, I believe they make one though.
 
Chris said:
If you outboarded those shocks you could make them work just fine. However, in the stock mounting position you just don’t have enough room.

Not sure about the 10” smooth body, I believe they make one though.
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Looks like I’ll be out boarding sooner than later then. Glad I didn’t get rid of my 14” foxes....
 
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Rock Toy said:
Just installed a set of 3.5” MetalCloak springs and bought some FOX shocks from Savvy. Got the shorter ones. Threw them on the Jeep and it really looks like they are too long. I’m going to outboard when I eventually swap out the tank and do a stretch but plan on keeping these in place in the meantime. Thoughts? I did push the axle back as far as it would go with the four link and maybe that shortened up the distance between the shock mounts.

View attachment 178799
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Moving the axle back didn't do it, you fucked it by rotating the shock mounts up.
 
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Rock Toy said:
yea, that’s what I though. Super weird...I have 3.5” springs and those shocks are made for a 2.5-3.5” lift. Do they even make a 10” smoothbody shock?
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You can't go by any advertised lengths per lift height since you rotated the shock mounts up. You killed about 3" of uptravel.
 
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Oh shit, I didn’t even notice those weren’t the factory shock mounts until Blaine pointed it out. Damn, that screwed the pooch for sure. By moving them up you just lost all your up-travel.
 
Chris said:
Oh shit, I didn’t even notice those weren’t the factory shock mounts until Blaine pointed it out. Damn, that screwed the pooch for sure. By moving them up you just lost all your up-travel.
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But the clearance!
 
You may be able to pick up RS5000x for 0 lift to limp along until outboarding. RS55240

Assuming I'm looking at the correct fox shocks and the rears you have now have a compressed length of 14.55" the ranchos would give you and additional 1.8" of up travel. I would guess the amount of droop the fox shocks allow is way past the point the driveshaft will bind anyways.
 
jjvw said:
But the clearance!
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Yeah, I'm not sure how they sell so many people on that. Moving your rear shock mounts up and out of the way for what purpose? So you can lose up-travel at the expense of potentially not scraping the lower shock mount on a rock? :rolleyes:

This is one of those things that definitely makes me roll my eyes at Metalcloak.
 
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Chris said:
Yeah, I'm not sure how they sell so many people on that. Moving your rear shock mounts up and out of the way for what purpose? So you can lose up-travel at the expense of potentially not scraping the lower shock mount on a rock? :rolleyes:

This is one of those things that definitely makes me roll my eyes at Metalcloak.
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What does MetalCloak have to do with it? I bought the axle like that and didn’t even realize that the mounts were rotated up. Nothing back there is Metalcloak except he springs. Thanks for noticing, Blaine. I’m cutting them off and gluing in a new set 3”‘s lower. That’s the easiest and most reasonable solution.
 
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Rock Toy said:
What does MetalCloak have to do with it? I bought the axle like that and didn’t even realize that the mounts were rotated up. Nothing back there is Metalcloak except he springs. Thanks for noticing, Blaine. I’m cutting them off and gluing in a new set 3”‘s lower. That’s the easiest and most reasonable solution.
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Ahhh, I thought those were these:

https://metalcloak.com/bolt-on-shock-mount-kit-tj-lj-rear.html
You mentioned Metalcloak springs in the first post, so I thought that maybe these had something to do with it.

I guess it’s whoever made that axle that screwed it up!
 
Blain, you mind posting a picture of where I should mount the shocks on the axle? The most ideal spot and a bracket recommendation would be appreciated.

thanks for the help, btw.
 
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Rock Toy said:
Blain, you mind posting a picture of where I should mount the shocks on the axle? The most ideal spot and a bracket recommendation would be appreciated.

thanks for the help, btw.
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Wider is better. You'll need to bring the axle up to full bump/compressed shock and tack the mounts where they fit best. Then stuff/droop each side to double check the clearances. With the factory upper mounts, the shock body might contact the inside of the frame rail. Pay close attention to the drive shaft at droop.

When the outboard happens, everything will change again.
 
Rock Toy said:
Blain, you mind posting a picture of where I should mount the shocks on the axle? The most ideal spot and a bracket recommendation would be appreciated.

thanks for the help, btw.
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Just replicate stock but moved back a bit further to keep the body off of the spring perch. I don't really do or rework stock style mounts. All I do with them is hack them off with the plasma to make room for the new outboard lower mount. In fact, I think in all the time I've worked rear axles, I've never replaced a stock mount or done anything but repair one.
 
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