Washboard roads
- Thread starter StG58
- Start date
Yup. It's imperative that the shocks match your lift. AND that the bump stops are adjusted correctly AFTER the new springs and shocks are installed. You can break stuff otherwise at just the wrong moment.
Correct. All of that is the reason to not select shocks based simply on lift height. Rancho, Bilstein, Fox, do not know if you have a body lift, highline fenders, too large or too small of tires, etc.
An easy way to do that is measure from the top shock mount to the bottom mount. Then measure the distance between the bumpstops, making sure to measure from the bump stop cup rather than the end of the soft jounce bumper. Write those numbers down, by subtracting the second number from the first, you have the compressed length of your shock.
An example-- your first number was 15" and your second was 5", you know your compressed shock length is 10". You can now either get shocks that fit that compressed length, or adjust your bumpstops with your new shocks in mind.
These measurements will help you get a shock that is perfect for your setup, not based on "X" inches of lift.
Max travel that is split roughly in half. I like to cycle the axles without the coils in place in order to measure the minimum and maximum distances between shock mounts.
The optimal shock's compressed and extended lengths will be somewhere between those measurements. The ideal shock might require some additional bump stop extension to prevent over compression.
What you will eventually discover is that the best lengths are actually determined by a combination of your lift height, bump stops extension, and body clearances. When that isn't good enough anymore, then you can cut and move the mounts around.
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