Full size trucks need full size shocks

Madakira

Adventurist
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So I picked up these King Kong 4.0's and 3.0 quadruple bypass for the rear. Super excited to get them on and try them out.
 
Oh come on... lockers will get you farther out into the wilderness and stuck much more better! :rofl
 
I've considered bypass shocks for my Duramax over the years but I think the clicking from the valves would drive me crazy. With the air bags on the back of my truck I need to get some tunable shocks and dial in some more rebound.

Those sure are some good looking shocks. I can't understand why it took the shock designers so long to put fins on the reservoirs to help keep temps down. I've seen pics of some old school shocks with finned shock bodies, then the idea kind of faded away...and now the idea is back.
 
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I've considered bypass shocks for my Duramax over the years but I think the clicking from the valves would drive me crazy. With the air bags on the back of my truck I need to get some tunable shocks and dial in some more rebound.

Those sure are some good looking shocks. I can't understand why it took the shock designers so long to put fins on the reservoirs to help keep temps down. I've seen pics of some old school shocks with finned shock bodies, then the idea kind of faded away...and now the idea is back.
Probably a reason for it being "old school" and its disappearance. I'd hate to have finned shock bodies if there was a level of moisture anticipated. Collected mud will make for a nice insulating sleeve and oil cook-off. Probably very suitable for desert conditions in anything but Monsoon season.

From what I've witnessed on the East coast, the majority of enthusiasts who actually take their vehicles off road with aftermarket suspensions rarely have encounters with the concept of hose, water, soap and its application to basic preventive maintenance. Add that to the particularly sticky soil and clay typically encountered here and it would be a maintenance/warranty nightmare.
 
From what I've witnessed on the East coast, the majority of enthusiasts who actually take their vehicles off road with aftermarket suspensions rarely have encounters with the concept of hose, water, soap and its application to basic preventive maintenance. Add that to the particularly sticky soil and clay typically encountered here and it would be a maintenance/warranty nightmare.

I don't get it..... soap.. what even is that?
 
Are they really that much better? I could consider a set for my f450.... I have your basic 5100 bilstien now...
 
^^^^If yours overheat, leak or fade...maybe. I went to Bilstein 7100's with reservoirs on my '05 Wrangler. I had Rancho 5000's on it originally (against my better judgement). I could reduce those shocks to mush in about 30 minutes of hard driving/pre-running a race course. (Pre-running is usually low speed work, lots of note taking) I've been very happy with the 7100's over the last few years.
 
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I think one of the biggest reasons to get rid of the finned shock bodies, and place fins on a reservoir is that it is much easier to cool the fluid in a separate chamber with no moving parts. While in the shock body, the oil is heating up with every cycle of the shaft. If the oil is cycled out of the main body, and into a separate chamber, it can be allowed to cool without having to battle with the heat from a cycling shaft.
 
Are they really that much better? I could consider a set for my f450.... I have your basic 5100 bilstien now...
It all depends on what you plan to do. I used to run regular 5100's, but they just didn't cut it for desert runs. They were fine for putting around at 40mph, but once I started hitting bigger bumps at higher speeds, I needed something more. I built this truck for overlanding, and desert off roading. If your 5100's are working well, then stick with them. A nice set of 7100's would be a big difference if valved to your liking. I used to run the king 2.5's all around, and my truck took everything like a champ. From what I understand, the 4.0's will handle everything, and be that much of a smoother ride. Basically, to make end my long ramble, if you have the chance to get some bigger shocks valved to your needs, do it. It is like having a suit tailored to your measurements. You can wear an oversized suit like David Byrne from the Talking Heads, but you will look much better in a tailored suit like Connor McGregor.
 
I think one of the biggest reasons to get rid of the finned shock bodies, and place fins on a reservoir is that it is much easier to cool the fluid in a separate chamber with no moving parts. While in the shock body, the oil is heating up with every cycle of the shaft. If the oil is cycled out of the main body, and into a separate chamber, it can be allowed to cool without having to battle with the heat from a cycling shaft.

There's a piston in the reservoir, gas charge on one side, shock fluid on the other side.
 
There's a piston in the reservoir, gas charge on one side, shock fluid on the other side.
Do you know how to rebuild your own shocks? What does the piston in the reservoir do? Is it what helps pump the fluid from the main to the reservoir? I don't know too much about shocks, but I thought that was why the reservoirs are separate. I am just trying to understand a little bit more. I would like to learn how to rebuild a shock to help save some money. On my last truck I was running 2.5 Thuren valved Kings. I ran them for a year without a rebuild. Off roading about twice a month in the desert over a weekend. Probably about 15-20 times a year. I sold the truck shortly after. Now that I have these shocks, is there a recommended rebuild schedule?
 
^^^^I've helped rebuild them when we were running our Jeepspeed race Jeep. I can take them apart, change seals/fluid and put them back together. There is really not much too them...but there is a fine art in making them work correctly. I have ZERO shock tuning skills.
 
It all depends on what you plan to do. I used to run regular 5100's, but they just didn't cut it for desert runs. They were fine for putting around at 40mph, but once I started hitting bigger bumps at higher speeds, I needed something more. I built this truck for overlanding, and desert off roading. If your 5100's are working well, then stick with them. A nice set of 7100's would be a big difference if valved to your liking. I used to run the king 2.5's all around, and my truck took everything like a champ. From what I understand, the 4.0's will handle everything, and be that much of a smoother ride. Basically, to make end my long ramble, if you have the chance to get some bigger shocks valved to your needs, do it. It is like having a suit tailored to your measurements. You can wear an oversized suit like David Byrne from the Talking Heads, but you will look much better in a tailored suit like Connor McGregor.

Yeah mine is going SLOW. Like under 20 on dirt. Its just giant and heavy 14k lbs.... The 5100's are probably fine for now.
 
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