School me on shocks....

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SleeperScamp

SleeperScamp

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Looking on Summit's website for new shocks for my 81 W150. What is difference/advantage between single tube vs. double tube ???? Difference/advantage between gas charged vs. non gas ???? Any help and recommendations is appreciated. Truck will be daily driver..:cheers:
 
SleeperScamp said:
Looking on Summit's website for new shocks for my 81 W150. What is difference/advantage between single tube vs. double tube ???? Difference/advantage between gas charged vs. non gas ???? Any help and recommendations is appreciated. Truck will be daily driver..:cheers:
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Gas charged shocks recover/hold up to bouncing /recovery situations, better than hydraulic fluid shocks. Single tube,is cheaper rides rougher,twin tube costs more,rides /handles better.... KYB is a really nice shock,Sensa Trac /Reflex (the Reflex,more heavy duty here). A basic 20 .00 Monroe/Gabriel gas shock,works great for a daily driver /mild towing. The OReillys/Auto zone stuff is Monroe reboxed,IIRC....
 
Well with this being a SWB 4X4 truck with an already stiff suspension is it going to make much difference in the ride quality?? Will a better shock help any with bouncing on a rub-board road???
 
SleeperScamp said:
Well with this being a SWB 4X4 truck with an already stiff suspension is it going to make much difference in the ride quality?? Will a better shock help any with bouncing on a rub-board road???
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Yes... A lift kit,stiffer aftermarket springs involved?
 
Abodybomber said:
Gas charged shocks recover/hold up to bouncing /recovery situations, better than hydraulic fluid shocks. Single tube,is cheaper rides rougher,twin tube costs more,rides /handles better.... KYB is a really nice shock,Sensa Trac /Reflex (the Reflex,more heavy duty here). A basic 20 .00 Monroe/Gabriel gas shock,works great for a daily driver /mild towing. The OReillys/Auto zone stuff is Monroe reboxed,IIRC....
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the oreillys shocks say monroe no rebox the zone shocks are gaberial
go with a rancho shock
 
I say pick the cheapest ones and go. Ain't like you're runnin the Baja 1000.
 
Sold on Summitt? Dealt with these guys,15 years plus....
http://www.google.com/aclk?sa=l&ai=...p://www.4wheelparts.com/?ppcfon=1&emlprox=out
RRR ,made a great comment about money spent. I went through all the affordable options here(being relative....). I looked at thd Skyjacker NS 7000 twin tube shocks. (Less than 45 a corner). The Ranchos are cool,don't seem to last all that long. Removed a few sets of RS 5000 series used,seemed dead upon removal most times. RS 9000 series is awesome,at 110 a corner. Check out the website I posted,they are legitimate.
 
Abodybomber said:
Sold on Summitt? Dealt with these guys,15 years plus....
http://www.google.com/aclk?sa=l&ai=...p://www.4wheelparts.com/?ppcfon=1&emlprox=out
RRR ,made a great comment about money spent. I went through all the affordable options here(being relative....). I looked at thd Skyjacker NS 7000 twin tube shocks. (Less than 45 a corner). The Ranchos are cool,don't seem to last all that long. Removed a few sets of RS 5000 series used,seemed dead upon removal most times. RS 9000 series is awesome,at 110 a corner. Check out the website I posted,they are legitimate.
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I can probably do 4 Wheel Parts also. My employer lets me order through certain companies and payroll deduct it. I'll check them out.. Thanks for all the help...:cheers:
 
oh boy.....
I've been crewing off road races for almost 15 years. Been to Baja twice (don't go any more due to their internal issues being taken out on Norte's), Vegas to Reno 5 times, too many local races in the Mojave Desert to list.

If mono-tube "single tube" damper is riding rough it's not the fault of the design, it's the fault of the damping put in them. Saying that "Single tubes ride rough" is a gross misstatement. Especially when KYB's are mentioned in the same post. Their premium product is also a single tube design. They may work OK in street cars (I"m not impressed so far with mine), but I can't say that I've ever seen a set off road. Likely the reason is that they aren't designed to be user tunable, and tuning the damping is at the core of off road performance. Mostly I use them to low buck convert mono-tubes w/o reservoirs to mono-tubes with reservoirs using the KYB body and divider piston as the reservoir.

Twin-tube shocks can't deal with the heat of high speed off road use and will fade. Not might fade, will fade. The better brands will recover when cooled back down, a few times then they're done. The cheaper twin-tubes once faded are junk, they won't recover.

Both of the common Rancho products are made by Tenneco, who owns them. Tenneco also owns at least one other shock mfg. I think that it's Monroe, but I'm not certain.

I run Bilsteins on my off road capable vehicles. I'm doubting that those are in the budget. Even generic 5100's gotta be $100 each or more.

Many years ago, before I got involved in off road racing, I put a set of Monroe Gas Magnums on a truck that I had. I thought for mostly pavement pounder that saw some dirt roads that they worked extremely well.
 
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