Shock Recommendations Please
Post Fiend
Joined: Mar 2009
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From: Mt. Shasta California
Posting Guru
Joined: Sep 2008
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Gentelmen,
Any time you lift a truck and the lift extends the shock mounting points you will loose shock travel.
To compsate for this one must first measure how much shock travel you have lost by raising the truck and:
(A) get a shock that that is the correct hight for the mounting points.
(B) get or make shock extentions.
If you chose (B) then there is no need to buy shocks, providing you have good shocks. This is cheapest way out and you will lose no shock action.
I have not seen any Ford shock extentions lately, but they are around. The Chevy and Jeep shock extentions are more common. But on the other hand I have had no reason to look.
Any time you lift a truck and the lift extends the shock mounting points you will loose shock travel.
To compsate for this one must first measure how much shock travel you have lost by raising the truck and:
(A) get a shock that that is the correct hight for the mounting points.
(B) get or make shock extentions.
If you chose (B) then there is no need to buy shocks, providing you have good shocks. This is cheapest way out and you will lose no shock action.
I have not seen any Ford shock extentions lately, but they are around. The Chevy and Jeep shock extentions are more common. But on the other hand I have had no reason to look.
Posting Guru
Joined: Sep 2008
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If you raise a truck 3 inches above the shock mount you will lose 3 inches of shock action.
If you raise the shock mounting point 3 inches which will bring the shock back to the orginial mounting height then you will once again have full shock action.
Thats about as plain as I can describe it.
Just think, a shock is useless if there's no shock action, in order for a shock to work it needs compressed action.
If you raise the shock mounting point 3 inches which will bring the shock back to the orginial mounting height then you will once again have full shock action.
Thats about as plain as I can describe it.
Just think, a shock is useless if there's no shock action, in order for a shock to work it needs compressed action.
Posting Guru
Joined: Sep 2008
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If the shock mounting points are raised by the lift, thats exactly what I am saying.
If a shock is fully extended all time it serves no purpose, the shock must compress to function when you hit a bump and etc.
If a shock is fully extended all time it serves no purpose, the shock must compress to function when you hit a bump and etc.
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Posting Guru
Joined: Oct 2009
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From: AZ
I have no clue what you are saying and honestly this thread has worn me out with the plethora of misinformation
a true suspension lift if made properly will increase travel .. if not accommodated with longer travel shock you will either gain nothing and if the shock extensions are implemented you will likely over extend or compress you stock shocks and damage them ..
how about this analogy Bigfoot has what ? a 24-36 inch lift ..
could they just put shock extensions on the stock length shock to the same result in travel ??
a true suspension lift if made properly will increase travel .. if not accommodated with longer travel shock you will either gain nothing and if the shock extensions are implemented you will likely over extend or compress you stock shocks and damage them ..
how about this analogy Bigfoot has what ? a 24-36 inch lift ..
could they just put shock extensions on the stock length shock to the same result in travel ??
Posting Guru
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 2,498
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I have no clue what you are saying and honestly this thread has worn me out with the plethora of misinformation
a true suspension lift if made properly will increase travel .. if not accommodated with longer travel shock you will either gain nothing and if the shock extensions are implemented you will likely over extend or compress you stock shocks and damage them ..
how about this analogy Bigfoot has what ? a 24-36 inch lift ..
could they just put shock extensions on the stock length shock to the same result in travel ??
a true suspension lift if made properly will increase travel .. if not accommodated with longer travel shock you will either gain nothing and if the shock extensions are implemented you will likely over extend or compress you stock shocks and damage them ..
how about this analogy Bigfoot has what ? a 24-36 inch lift ..
could they just put shock extensions on the stock length shock to the same result in travel ??
Just because you lift a truck you don't need to increase shock travel especially for highway use.
You just add the difference in hight from the orginial mounting point of the shocks. If its 3 inches add 3 inches to the bottom of the shock with an extention, if its 6 inches add a 3 inch extention to the top and 3 inches to the bottom.
Draw this out on paper and you will see what I'm saying. Also remember just because a truck has a lift kit does not mean it has to have a heavier shock. The weight of the truck has changed very little.
Now its a different story with BIG FOOT, its about 16,000 pounds and they jump cars flying up to 10-20 feet in the air.
Posting Guru
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From: AZ
even your reasoning is off
do you think your stock shock is going to know if it has 3 inches of spacer on top and three on the bottom? or 6 inches on top on a 6 inch lift .. it doesn't know ,, and you still gain no travel over your stock suspension travel ,, this is called a poser lift and is for looks only .. if you were doing a 2 inch level kit a shock extension to save some coin would be ok // do to the fact the stockers weren't at their limit in the first place (maybe) after that it's a waste of money for a decent lift just to gain height and not travel
do you think your stock shock is going to know if it has 3 inches of spacer on top and three on the bottom? or 6 inches on top on a 6 inch lift .. it doesn't know ,, and you still gain no travel over your stock suspension travel ,, this is called a poser lift and is for looks only .. if you were doing a 2 inch level kit a shock extension to save some coin would be ok // do to the fact the stockers weren't at their limit in the first place (maybe) after that it's a waste of money for a decent lift just to gain height and not travel
Posting Guru
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Well..............
My "reasoning my be off" as you put it.
But you have just agreed with what I said when you asked "if I think a shock knows if it has a 3 inch extention or a 6 inch extention...it dosent know". You Sir are correct.
The length of a shock does not nessarely mean a long shock has more compressed travel that a short shock.
My "reasoning my be off" as you put it.
But you have just agreed with what I said when you asked "if I think a shock knows if it has a 3 inch extention or a 6 inch extention...it dosent know". You Sir are correct.
The length of a shock does not nessarely mean a long shock has more compressed travel that a short shock.
Post Fiend
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 11,798
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From: Mt. Shasta California
Run that by me again? A lift is not going to give you any more travel unless you were bottoming out regularly in the first place, in fact you would probably have less travel since you probably added some stiffer springs as part of the lift. The shock needs to return to that range of action it had prior to the lift (in the stock position) which is attained with an extension either at the bottom or top if the shock unless someone is making shocks that has a longer shaft which would take place of the extensions.
Cargo Master
Joined: Apr 2010
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From: Shelbyville, Indiana
Let's sum this up...at the end of the day I have a stock truck with old shocks whose bushings have worn to the point of not existing anymore.
So for now all I need to do is install a set of basic direct OEM replacement shocks, correct?
Now in the future I intend to do a spring swap which should net me about a 2 inch lift. So at that time the I can either do a shock swap for shocks with about 2 inches additional travel OR add a 2 inch shock extension. I probably will use an extension as it is cheaper than new shocks at this point in the trucks transformation process.
Then, when I determine that it is time to install the 4 inch lift I will remove the 2 inch shock spacer and purchase a set of shocks designed for a truck wtih a lift...but what lift? 4 inch or 6 inch? For my scenario I think I will need to purchase shocks for a 6 inch lift.
So for now all I need to do is install a set of basic direct OEM replacement shocks, correct?
Now in the future I intend to do a spring swap which should net me about a 2 inch lift. So at that time the I can either do a shock swap for shocks with about 2 inches additional travel OR add a 2 inch shock extension. I probably will use an extension as it is cheaper than new shocks at this point in the trucks transformation process.
Then, when I determine that it is time to install the 4 inch lift I will remove the 2 inch shock spacer and purchase a set of shocks designed for a truck wtih a lift...but what lift? 4 inch or 6 inch? For my scenario I think I will need to purchase shocks for a 6 inch lift.