Air Shock Tech

lowbudgetjunk · Jul 11, 2015

Unloads like a mother. I almost did a front flip :****: Suck down winch helps a little, but I am going too with a little more oil per side and at a slightly heavier dose. Its scary how much it unloads and how fast. I did like the overall ride though. Pretty comfortable and as long as there is no side hilling, it was alright.

jta · Jul 11, 2015

lowbudgetjunk said:
Unloads like a mother. I almost did a front flip :****: Suck down winch helps a little, but I am going too with a little more oil per side and at a slightly heavier dose. Its scary how much it unloads and how fast. I did like the overall ride though. Pretty comfortable and as long as there is no side hilling, it was alright.

I was debating on just airing mine up and going to try it out or go with a heavier oil from the start. I think I'll go ahead and switch the oil.

al1tonyota · Jul 11, 2015

I assume you mean unloading when going strait up or down a hill? A suckdown winch or center limit strap is the only way to stop that, it's just simple physics 300psi equals ~5" or shaft showing with 700 lbs pushing down on it. When you break over a hill the rear weight transfers to the front because of gravity lessening the weight on the rear tires down to say 250 lbs now you got 12" or more of shaft showing. Changing valving and oil can prolong the extension cycle but can't stop it. Hope that helps and makes cents

infamous1 · Jul 11, 2015

Re:

I run a center strap on both ends, and it doesn't unload like it did before. I also run a limit strap on each shock b/c when I rolled it and landed very side hill after a hard hit it would overextend them and snatch the lower eye out.

Sent from my Z750C using Tapatalk

al1tonyota · Jul 11, 2015

Re:

infamous1 said:
I run a center strap on both ends, and it doesn't unload like it did before. I also run a limit strap on each shock b/c when I rolled it and landed very side hill after a hard hit it would overextend them and snatch the lower eye out.

Sent from my Z750C using Tapatalk

Yep that too everything except something leaf sprung should have those! A sway bar is very helpful on the side hills!

Grant117 · Jul 12, 2015

Sounds like you need more anti dive built into your front links. Frame end of the front links closer together, less vertical separation.

patooyee · Jul 12, 2015

fordcontraption01 said:
Also wondered about this coilover being ran upside down.

There was a previous discussion on that, I think they said he did it that way because the reservoir hit the chassis right side up. (They're integral reservoir shocks.) But on a reservoir shock it doesn't matter because the piston is always submerged. They did say that he did flip his shim stack over to accommodate it.

Timjus · Jul 12, 2015

compression is compression doesnt matter how you mount your shocks. flipping shims stacks when you flip your shocks is just.......... :rolf:

patooyee · Jul 12, 2015

NM. I was wrong. Maybe they didn't flip the stack. I recall talk of it in the thread somewhere.

Timjus · Jul 12, 2015

ok you got it

patooyee · Jul 12, 2015

Timjus said:
take your shock in hand and start compress it in. flip it over while compressin it. did it change the dirrection......................

No, you're right, I'm wrong. I just recall this being the topic of discussion in another thread in the past where someone mentioned it concerning that buggy specifically. Maybe my recollection is hazy and flipping the shim stack was simply discussed and not actually performed.

Neal3000 · Jul 12, 2015

Timjus said:
compression is compression doesnt matter how you mount your shocks. flipping shims stacks when you flip your shocks is just..........

Holy **** i got cornfused! Thanks for the clarification!

lowbudgetjunk · Jul 13, 2015

Re:

Gonna pull the shocks either this afternoon or tomorrow. I am going to change oil, adjust the Nitrogen accordingly and pull a little more tension with the front winch. I am guessing 2 inches makes a big difference on the suck down, dunno? I am going to measure my spot on the winch cable and inches of shaft showing on the airshocks and aim for just a inch or so less when the winch is applied.

Maybe the unloading issue will be resolved then.

Kel Lawrence

LightBnDr · Jul 13, 2015

Im gonna sound like that know at all kind of dude again but I figured in this group there is a lot of experience so I don't think my input is really needed.

Though I run air shocks all the way around and have learned in the past 5 years that my setup pretty much doesn't work for anyone but me. Lol

I run 2.5-3" of shaft showing on a cold day with about 160cc over stock with 125psi front and rear. I pretty much ride on bumps in the front.

I don't run any sway bars. This set up is freakin phenomenal while wheeling but on access roads and high speed I have chipped teeth its so rough.

Air shocks were really made just to spring a light rig for slow crawling and very tight packaging where there isn't any room for springs of any kind. Mainly for comp crawlers.

So to spring a heavy trail rig, the downfalls of an air shock show up.

Good luck to you. I suspect you will have a little more stability but may never be real happy with enough shaft showing to ride smooth.

I especially like al1tonyota and grant117 input. Those are great things to remember

lowbudgetjunk · Jul 14, 2015

I went back with Nick TBIToys suggestion. Its damn near full of ATF and I could barely squeeze half the nitrogen as before in there.

Test and Tune will continue this weekend on the same trails. I hope to have it dialed in now.

jta · Jul 14, 2015

lowbudgetjunk said:
I went back with Nick TBIToys suggestion. Its damn near full of ATF and I could barely squeeze half the nitrogen as before in there.

Test and Tune will continue this weekend on the same trails. I hope to have it dialed in now.

What kind of pressure were you running before and what did you use after you did it his way?

lowbudgetjunk · Jul 14, 2015

Re:

It was 300 driver side and 350 passenger. Down around 160 now.

Kel Lawrence

jta · Jul 15, 2015

Re:

lowbudgetjunk said:
It was 300 driver side and 350 passenger. Down around 160 now.

Kel Lawrence

that's a pretty big change.

LightBnDr · Jul 15, 2015

You may really like this setup. They really like high oil and low nitro levels.

The only thing I have never really tested is
"hydro locking" air shocks. I just have never been in a heavy rig with almost full max volume of oil. Plus that ATF is thicker than 10wt fork oil also depending on brand.

I would really like to know whether those babies will blow seals out or bend shim stacks etc.

I hope this works well for you. The numbers look great

Please touch base and update us. I'm curious

Timjus · Jul 15, 2015

i have 14" saw airs shocks in my buggy. weights ~4k

added 40cc over stock volume and have 6" shaft showing in front and 7" in rear.
i run 5w synthetic fork oil

its ok in the slow speeds but when i step on it rear is packing and comes bit hairy to drive fast.
i have to take some oil out and maybe do some valving to them.
i have bump stops so the bottoming isnt issue.

in the formula offroad if we dont have separate bump stops we fill the shock until they dont bottom.
but the drawback of this full fill method is you will loose your suspension,
suspension becomes very hard and any faster driving will be very hars.

i havent seen seals blow out but seen schrader valve failures. maybe they have been those shitty aluminium ones.