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Mojave with 1.5” all around?

Eherbaugh

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So I have a mojave and just preserved the teraflex 1.5” spacer I also ordered the Fat bobs garage 1.5” rear spacer. Since the Mojave sits 1” higher in the front I wanted to keep it the level it is. Has anyone done this?
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MoparToYou

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Keep in mind that the Fox 2.5 shocks on the Mojave are internal bypass shocks. That means there is a bypass zone in the mid-part of the shock travel, which is at the normal ride height, that has very little damping because there is a bypass around the piston valving. This is what gives the Mojave the super smooth plush ride over small chatter bumps. If a suspension lift causes the shock to be out of the bypass zone because the shock is extended more than it was designed to be at ride height, it will adversely impact ride quality. So if the top shock mount is raised 1 1/2", the bottom shock mount also needs to be raised 1 1/2". And ideally the bump stop needs to be extended 1 1/2". Although, if you compressed the shock fully, and confirmed that the shock did not bottom out before the bump stop was compressed, you might be able get by without extending the bump stop the full 1 1/2".

We saw this situation in top end sport UTVs that are running internal bypass shocks. An owner decides they want an even more soft and plush ride, so they back off the preload, and lower their UTV, thinking that with less preload the ride will get softer. But the lower ride height moves the shock out of its bypass zone, and the ride gets stiffer, not softer. Can Am designed their X3 UTV with internal bypass shocks, then their legal team decided the UTV was too high, as designed, and it would be safer to lower the suspension a few inches before they released the machine to the public. As it was delivered from the factory it had 14" of ground clearance. Fox reported that the shocks had been designed for a bypass zone at a ride height of 16" ground clearance. The suspension on this machine in stock form was harsh, and surprisingly rough riding for having such top end long travel suspension. Owners quickly found out that if they tightened shock preload to raise ride height up to a ground clearance of 16", as Fox recommended, that the suspension quality on their X3 suddenly got much much better. Now, a few years later, Can Am is delivering this machine with the correct ride height already dialed in.

AEV actually did this same thing on their ZR2 Bison truck. The ZR2 Chevy has fantastic internal bypass shocks from the factory, and ride quality and suspension performance are amazing. For the AEV Bison, AEV wanted to run 35" tires, so they use their cut-out fender flares, and add a 1" lift to the front suspension. The 1" lift only raises the top shock mount on this application, so it extends the shock just enough to raise it out of its bypass zone. The net effect of this, when the truck hits a bump, is that the initial shock travel is stiff, then it becomes soft as the shock goes through it bypass zone, then it get stiff again. Read Motor Trends review of the AEV Bison. They say that AEV ruined the suspension on the ZR2. Motor Trend had a normal ZR2 and an AEV Bison to compare, and they hated the AEV Bison suspension. They stated that it "Sea Sawed all over the place", and that they "almost couldn't keep it on the road.

Anyway, just something to keep in mind when lifting a vehicle with bypass shocks.
 
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Eherbaugh

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Keep in mind that the Fox 2.5 shocks on the Mojave are internal bypass shocks. That means there is a bypass zone in the mid-part of the shock travel, which is at the normal ride height, that has very little damping because there is a bypass around the piston valving. This is what gives the Mojave the super smooth plush ride over small chatter bumps. If a suspension lift causes the shock to be out of the bypass zone because the shock is extended more than it was designed to be at ride height, it will adversely impact ride quality. So if the top shock mount is raised 1 1/2", the bottom shock mount also needs to be raised 1 1/2". And ideally the bump stop needs to be extended 1 1/2". Although, if you compressed the shock fully, and confirmed that the shock did not bottom out before the bump stop was compressed, you might be able get by without extending the bump stop the full 1 1/2".

We saw this situation in top end sport UTVs that are running internal bypass shocks. An owner decides they want an even more soft and plush ride, so they back off the preload, and lower their UTV, thinking that with less preload the ride will get softer. But the lower ride height moves the shock out of its bypass zone, and the ride gets stiffer, not softer. Can Am designed their X3 UTV with internal bypass shocks, then their legal team decided the UTV was too high, as designed, and it would be safer to lower the suspension a few inches before they released the machine to the public. As it was delivered from the factory it had 14" of ground clearance. Fox reported that the shocks had been designed for a bypass zone at a ride height of 16" ground clearance. The suspension on this machine in stock form was harsh, and surprisingly rough riding for having such top end long travel suspension. Owners quickly found out that if they tightened shock preload to raise ride height up to a ground clearance of 16", as Fox recommended, that the suspension quality on their X3 suddenly got much much better. Now, a few years later, Can Am is delivering this machine with the correct ride height already dialed in.

AEV actually did this same thing on their ZR2 Bison truck. The ZR2 Chevy has fantastic internal bypass shocks from the factory, and ride quality and suspension performance are amazing. For the AEV Bison, AEV wanted to run 35" tires, so they use their cut-out fender flares, and add a 1" lift to the front suspension. The 1" lift only raises the top shock mount on this application, so it extends the shock just enough to raise it out of its bypass zone. The net effect of this, when the truck hits a bump, is that the initial shock travel is stiff, then it becomes soft as the shock goes through it bypass zone, then it get stiff again. Read Motor Trends review of the AEV Bison. They say that AEV ruined the suspension on the ZR2. Motor Trend had a normal ZR2 and an AEV Bison to compare, and they hated the AEV Bison suspension. They stated that it "Sea Sawed all over the place", and that they "almost couldn't keep it on the road.

Anyway, just something to keep in mind when lifting a vehicle with bypass shocks.
I’m have a hard time finding shock extensions and a rear bump stop. Will the JL extensions work?


https://www.quadratec.com/p/terafle...-cg6uBKGv2-04HzEBPIP9yH6TqWsAz3EaAuqSEALw_wcB
 

Redjk07

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If I do a lift on my Mojave I’m going with the AEV 2 inch spacer because it has the shock extensions with it.
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