Reaching out to those doing their own shock tuning?

[CrazyCooter]

maybe you can find some helpful info here. There are some shock tuning and valving guides that maybe helpful to read through
https://www.crawlpedia.com/

I've read all of that on Crawlpedia and found it helpful!

Also watched this video many times

I feel like I'm ready to dive in to the rear shocks and make one change each to the rebound and compression stacks even though I think I'll be going in 3+ times before I'm ready to hit the road for some long term testing. One change at a time till I have the experience to know for sure how things will react.

I have a 1500 mile desert over landing trip in 4 weeks and another 2000+ miles in 8 weeks, so I'd like for it to be much better than the stock 2.0's before I leave!

Once this is all over, I may have a good tune for another member with the similar truck!

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[Rusty PW]

https://accutuneoffroad.com/
Obviously off the shelf shocks are not tuned to your vehicle, even if they are priced as premium.

Give Accu tune a call. They can tune them or maybe get you the right piston, and shims to properly valve them for your set up and needs.

I am looking to get this done as well or I may just have a set built from King, but I’m still debating on which route I’m taking. Covid is screwing up the build times so to get a set from King right now is a long wait.

I ordered a set of King 3" shocks for my Power Wagon in 11/20. They showed up 6/21. I heard it's even worse now. The wait is over 200 days.

 

[CrazyCooter]

I'm so glad we are beginning to have a technical discussion! This can benefit all of us.

 

[Rusty PW]

I'm so glad we are beginning to have a technical discussion! This can benefit all of us.

Getting shocks took forever. Getting parts to do the valving may be in the same boat. I'm hoping can get everything needed for this.

 

[MPMB]

We spent a year building our own race shocks in circle track racing. Never got close to a decent long-running setup.

Afterward, we had a guy out of CA tune our shocks. Much better.

There are so many things that go into shock development, it's easy to get lost. If you have time and $ to get all the tools and parts (a shock dyno would be highly useful) and go testing w/ every build, go for it. Or save time and buy a build from a shop tuner.

Adjustable shocks are for fine-tuning. They won't drastically alter the ride. Finding the right shim stack and piston combo is elusive. In my experience, unless you have all the tools and resources, you'll be struggling to find the best setup.

 

[CrazyCooter]

Getting shocks took forever. Getting parts to do the valving may be in the same boat. I'm hoping can get everything needed for this.

Took 3 months for the shocks at the beginning of 2021 and about 3 months to get most of the shims I needed ordered later 2021, but still short one size. I need .0700 x 0.020's, but I installed .0800 x 0.020's since that's all I had.

 

[CrazyCooter]

We spent a year building our own race shocks in circle track racing. Never got close to a decent long-running setup.

Afterward, we had a guy out of CA tune our shocks. Much better.

There are so many things that go into shock development, it's easy to get lost. If you have time and $ to get all the tools and parts (a shock dyno would be highly useful) and go testing w/ every build, go for it. Or save time and buy a build from a shop tuner.

Adjustable shocks are for fine-tuning. They won't drastically alter the ride. Finding the right shim stack and piston combo is elusive. In my experience, unless you have all the tools and resources, you'll be struggling to find the best setup.

I have what I need to perform the valve changes, I looked at shock dynos..... $10K and up. Just a little more than I can justify for my use. If I could find decent help for the shop, I'd consider investing and offering the service as nobody in NorCal is doing a professional shock service locally that I'm aware of.

 

[kgc]

I've been pretty pleased with my 2.5s so far - but I have a 3.6L and have kept things fairly light. I did buy the rears 'tuned' from accutune. The fronts I did not as they quoted me up to 6 months to get in stock; the fronts are the base tune. I do have both high and low speed clickers at least 75% closed at all times though, so I'd love a retune with more compression damping. I do think that the biggest weakness with my current setup is too soft of front spring (Synergy). Getting a spring with enough free length and high enough spring rate has proven elusive - maybe I need to look at diesel springs. I actually think I'd prefer a lighter rebound tune, but could also see stiffer springs changing my thoughts there. The rear of my truck seems really, really good (newest model rock jock springs)

I've reshimmed mountain bike dampers before as well as played with different weight oils in mtb forks, but always with a recommended tune. I'd love to learn the basics and try some different things on the truck, so I'm stoked for this thread and the links above.

 

[Rusty PW]

Took 3 months for the shocks at the beginning of 2021 and about 3 months to get most of the shims I needed ordered later 2021, but still short one size. I need .0700 x 0.020's, but I installed .0800 x 0.020's since that's all I had.

I had Thuren valve my King shocks. One of the things they offered was a different shock oil for cold climates. Since you are NorCal. It might be something to think about. The regular oil King uses, thickens up when the temps drop too far. I'm just uses this as an example.

 

[rharr]

https://www.suspensiondirect.com/shop/contact/index/
is one of the places tuners get their parts, they sell all sorts of shims and pistons. You just need to to know the measurements you want. They also seem to have a Jeep product line to.

 

[CrazyCooter]

I had Thuren valve my King shocks. One of the things they offered was a different shock oil for cold climates. Since you are NorCal. It might be something to think about. The regular oil King uses, thickens up when the temps drop too far. I'm just uses this as an example.

I am actually a Thuren dealer....... Servicing and owning Rams. Don actually tuned my SXS shocks back in 2014. I spoke with Andrew (Thuren's tuner) through email at the start of this looking for those 0.700" shims. I think things are so busy for them that they don't want to take on anything out of what they are doing right now. I've been dealing with them long enough to see the transition and growth of the business.

Oil weights are huge! I'm running 50/50 5w/10w in the Bilstein 5165 on my YJ. Couldn't get Bilstein to answer the phone and they wanted $170 per to re-valve a $150 shock? I drilled the resi caps to bleed the nitrogen so I could machine for the schrader valves to make the shock serviceable. The fronts feel pretty good now, but the rear comp is too stiff and the reb needs more.......Best I can do with oil. They also swedge the shaft end so you cant remove the valving nut.........Ive had half a mind to pull them back apart and try to cut the swedge off in the lathe so I can play with them.......

 

[CrazyCooter]

https://www.suspensiondirect.com/shop/contact/index/
is one of the places tuners get their parts, they sell all sorts of shims and pistons. You just need to to know the measurements you want. They also seem to have a Jeep product line to.

That could be a great resource! I see they have an assortment of .504" shims, but none in the 0.020" variety listed. Everyone I talked to in the tuning parts industry told me the 0.700's arent something they use a lot.

 

[rharr]

I am actually a Thuren dealer....... Servicing and owning Rams. Don actually tuned my SXS shocks back in 2014. I spoke with Andrew (Thuren's tuner) through email at the start of this looking for those 0.700" shims. I think things are so busy for them that they don't want to take on anything out of what they are doing right now. I've been dealing with them long enough to see the transition and growth of the business.

Oil weights are huge! I'm running 50/50 5w/10w in the Bilstein 5165 on my YJ. Couldn't get Bilstein to answer the phone and they wanted $170 per to re-valve a $150 shock? I drilled the resi caps to bleed the nitrogen so I could machine for the schrader valves to make the shock serviceable. The fronts feel pretty good now, but the rear comp is too stiff and the reb needs more.......Best I can do with oil. They also swedge the shaft end so you cant remove the valving nut.........Ive had half a mind to pull them back apart and try to cut the swedge off in the lathe so I can play with them.......

If it's anything like a rear shock on a dirt bike where the valve piston is clamped to the shaft by a nut then swedged. Standard practice is to file the swedge off and then use red locktite on assembly.

 

[CrazyCooter]

If it's anything like a rear shock on a dirt bike where the valve piston is clamped to the shaft by a nut then swedged. Standard practice is to file the swedge off and then use red locktite on assembly.

Yep, figured I'd just cut it in the lathe......Of course this is after everything else in my life is done and I have spare time. That might never happen.......

 

[CrazyCooter]

After watching vids and reading a ton of stuff, I'm going back into the rear shocks tomorrow at least one time........

I'll report back good or bad.

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