Reaching out to those doing their own shock tuning?

[JT1]

I haven't done anything to the truck yet in regards to the suspension. It's here for a gear swap, but he mentioned at check in that his wife wasn't happy with the rocking on the highway.

I noted on the roadtest how rough it felt on the small square edged bumps and the rebound was a bit lacking, but the rocking wasn't as bad as I expected. The shocks are all set to #1 (soft) so I know there is improvement in the rocking to be had, but the question will be how much rougher it will make the small bump comfort/compliance?

When it hits the ground, I will try other settings and see if I can come up with a middle ground. If not, maybe we pull them apart and work some magic?

Right on. Keep us updated on the 2.0 resi shocks. That might be something I'd consider. Still trying to decide if I want to keep the Clayton 3.5s or move over to a softer front spring like the metalcloak 4.5s.

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[CrazyCooter]

Right on. Keep us updated on the 2.0 resi shocks. That might be something I'd consider. Still trying to decide if I want to keep the Clayton 3.5s or move over to a softer front spring like the metalcloak 4.5s.

Are you talking Fox, King, or Icon, 2.0's?

I could buy a set of 2.0's (Fox) anytime and tune them, but you would be the first to inquire about them to date. Which variation are you interested in? IFP or Resi? Would you be interested in adding the CD adjuster?

This whole thing is frustrating to me in that I spend a lot of time getting the perfect dial in for the JT's especially. Then much of what I see on the forum is recommendations for buying product from the competition who just shuffles some shims around and sends it. I do see some positive feedback from people I have tuned for, but it's probably less than 25% report back publicly? What ends up happening on my end is the spinning my wheels going nowhere. I have other people who need me, willing to pay what it takes, and require A LOT less consult to sell the job.

How do you know the MC springs would be any softer than Clayton? MC doesn't publish and won't share any info on the springs.....I have pressed Will HARD many times in the past without luck. This is why I just hard pass on selling their products. It's a shame because they are semi local just south of us 160 miles and shipping charges could me much less for me.

 

[JT1]

Are you talking Fox, King, or Icon, 2.0's?

I could buy a set of 2.0's (Fox) anytime and tune them, but you would be the first to inquire about them to date. Which variation are you interested in? IFP or Resi? Would you be interested in adding the CD adjuster?

This whole thing is frustrating to me in that I spend a lot of time getting the perfect dial in for the JT's especially. Then much of what I see on the forum is recommendations for buying product from the competition who just shuffles some shims around and sends it. I do see some positive feedback from people I have tuned for, but it's probably less than 25% report back publicly? What ends up happening on my end is the spinning my wheels going nowhere. I have other people who need me, willing to pay what it takes, and require A LOT less consult to sell the job.

How do you know the MC springs would be any softer than Clayton? MC doesn't publish and won't share any info on the springs.....I have pressed Will HARD many times in the past without luck. This is why I just hard pass on selling their products. It's a shame because they are semi local just south of us 160 miles and shipping charges could me much less for me.

No real facts, but one of my wheeling buddies has 3.5" metalcloak springs and they are noticeably softer up front (on a wrangler however)

A fox 2.0resi with an adjuster was what I was considering. I don't mind the 2.0s I have now, but know they could easily be improved, the rebound is soft and late. I don't drive fast off road anymore and spend most of my time in the rocks. I don't think I need the heat shedding of a 2.5 elite or anything bigger.

 

[CrazyCooter]

No real facts, but one of my wheeling buddies has 3.5" metalcloak springs and they are noticeably softer up front (on a wrangler however)

A fox 2.0resi with an adjuster was what I was considering. I don't mind the 2.0s I have now, but know they could easily be improved, the rebound is soft and late. I don't drive fast off road anymore and spend most of my time in the rocks. I don't think I need the heat shedding of a 2.5 elite or anything bigger.

You would be the perfect candidate for the 2.0 if you aren't going to get them warm! The problem is that Fox does not offer the resi with CD clicker for the JT's and they are even discontinuing them for many other applications. I have been just stocking the CD clicker and adding to the resi's for those who want them.

Working on a heavy custom 4x4 Sprinter 3500 setup this week with 2.5 Elite rears and dual 2.0 resi's up front because space doesn't allow a the 2.5's diameter, but the client needs the service interval to make it at least a year?

 

[CrazyCooter]

Well.....30 mile roadtest this morning to do my normal gear break in combined with playing with shock settings on the Falcons.

As posted up before, the truck came in with the shocks set on #1 (softest) so I would expect some body roll, but the small bump compliance was pretty rough. I wrote this off to the tire pressure being set to 37psi.

On the roadtest I dropped the tire pressure to 32psi per client request (35x12.50 Patagonia MT02's) and tried all settings #1, #3, and finally #2 and playing with the fine tuning dial. As expected, the rocking diminished as I turned the black dial in , but the high speed damping increased as well........this was expected, but I hoped for better. I left the settings at Front 2.5/Rear 2.6 as I felt it was the best for the road. It appears his choice is rocking and rough OR more controlled rocking and rougher over the chop? Not really what I consider acceptable.........

No doubt something could be done with the Falcons, but it would take likely 100's of hours between R&R, testing, and swapping tunes to get where I'd be happy with it enough to offer it up for sale to people out of the area. A damper dyno could certainly speed this up a fair bit being able to bench test, but I'm thinking the ROI on tuning these shocks isn't worth it for me at this time?

I'll put together a proposal for a re-valve to see if I can make a huge difference in one shot, but honestly.......I'm going to steer him to an already proven badass combination that he can have in 2 days? Fox 2.5's with our "Performance Overland" tuning.......40k miles of testing and proven track record.

 

[CrazyCooter]

Figured i might bump the thread since I have seen a sizable ourpouring from users and supporters tagging us recently which has alerted me to continued interest in what we do. Also people reaching out because I've been a bit on the quieter side.........

Yes, we're still doing Jeep stuff and builds at the shop, but recreationally we have been doing mostly moto stuff since my wife now is riding a Can Am. In Dec we picked up a Can Am Canyon Red Rock which is off pavement capable so we do much of our traveling on bikes. This has allowed us to take a break and recharge.........The Jeep/truck stuff is fun and rewarding, BUT many times when we are out on the road in the Gladiator, it just feels like work to me. I noted upon return from our week long Oct trip in the Jeep, I just felt like I didn't get a break and didn't feel like returning to work on Monday signaling that I really needed to walk away from 4 wheeled things for a bit.

Anyway, I get updates from Fox and was reminded that there is a newer 2.5" product available to the aftermarket for many applications I have tuned for, but only with the more expensive shock platforms because they weret serviceable! Most of the economical options like the Fox 2.0 didn't have service ports, so I couldn't do much with them. The past couple of years, service ports/charging bolts have been added so that we can rebuild/revalve with the right tool........Which I ordered and have obtained after a LONG wait!

So.....with that, any interest in Fox's newer 2.5" Performance Series HTO shock as a more economical solution for those who would never play with the clickers, but still have a heavier build that really needs the control and longer life the 2.5" body would provide over a 2.0" having 23% more surface area to reject generated heat? They also feature Hydraulic Top Out (HTO) which I haven't found to be much of an issue since I spec out the longest shock possible for max droop already, but it is a cool feature none the less.

I'm starting to see part numbers for the JT, JLs, 2500s, etc.....hit the warehouses and can't help but wonder if I could reach more people who need/desire my custom tuning without the $1600pr 2.5 Performance Elite price tag?

IF they happen to use the same piston as the Elites, development time could be much quicker and I wouldn't feel the need to recoup R&D costs associated a testing a whole new platform.

Obviously, I'd have to aquire and test a set on my truck for a bit, but that shouldn't be rocket science after all I've been through already? My thought would be to soften the base tune to something in the middle of what I currently valve for so that it would appeal to a wider crowd out of the box since they arent adjustable to the end user. Of course things could be custom tailored for say gas vs diesel where there is a 300lb steer axle weight difference.

I've also acquired a list of spring rates for Metal Cloak springs so I can remotely tune for those guys as well! In the past I had flat out refused to buy/or install any springs from them because I wouldn't know what I was selling? Really excited about them sharing those numbers finally!

I've already rebuild and revalved a set of Fox Commercial 2.5s for a Sprinter motorhome, so these HTOs should be very similar.

Anyway........thoughts on any of this would be appreciated!

Edit with a few bike travel pics:

 

[Bandit’s Lair]

So it’s a 2.5” shock with res but without the adjustability? And all that still tunable to get the best all around performance? That sounds interesting.

 

[RudeJeepin]

@CrazyCooter are you talking a out the new 2.5 HTO shocks?
I've kinda been interested in them, but it will be awhile before I buy new shocks for my JTRD.

As a side note do you tune and or sell shocks for older RZRs? I have a 2013 Polaris RZR S 800 that will need new shocks soon.

 

[CrazyCooter]

So it’s a 2.5” shock with res but without the adjustability? And all that still tunable to get the best all around performance? That sounds interesting.

No resi on these!

I won't be able to confirm without acquiring a set and testing, but yes....I think this is what could be possible. Maybe get a full set of (4) shocks for the price of a single pair of 2.5 elites?

Think of a regular smooth bodied 2.0 on steroids! Have a look here: https://ridefox.com/products/jeep-g...ries-9e77069f?year=2021&make=Jeep&model=Model

The newer 2.0s also have service ports and I have revalved them for the rear of a Tacoma, but it's my opinion that any live axle truck over 5,000 lb and sees any off road should jump up to a 2.5" body for best results and service life.

 

[CrazyCooter]

@CrazyCooter are you talking a out the new 2.5 HTO shocks?
I've kinda been interested in them, but it will be awhile before I buy new shocks for my JTRD.

As a side note do you tune and or sell shocks for older RZRs? I have a 2013 Polaris RZR S 800 that will need new shocks soon.

Yes, the HTOs are the shock I'm thinking about.

For your RZR, the short answer is "Yes I can" tune them but without really good feedback or testing the car myself, it's not going to be the polished product I want to put out. If you want to replace them, I could certainly drop ship you a set once we know what you want.

I had a 2012 800S that I told to a buddy 10 years ago and just rebuilt his shocks. They were so clapped out that there was no way I could have made any recommendations to him other than make them healthy and report back what he doesn't like. The little 1.75 podium shocks use a different 3/8" ID shim that i don't have in stock either.

Just got the tools and rebuilt a set of Fox 2.5' IBPs for a RZR 1000 last week. Not super excited about that one, but handled it nonetheless less!

 

[RudeJeepin]

Yes, the HTOs are the shock I'm thinking about.

For your RZR, the short answer is "Yes I can" tune them but without really good feedback or testing the car myself, it's not going to be the polished product I want to put out. If you want to replace them, I could certainly drop ship you a set once we know what you want.

I had a 2012 800S that I told to a buddy 10 years ago and just rebuilt his shocks. They were so clapped out that there was no way I could have made any recommendations to him other than make them healthy and report back what he doesn't like. The little 1.75 podium shocks use a different 3/8" ID shim that i don't have in stock either.

Just got the tools and rebuilt a set of Fox 2.5' IBPs for a RZR 1000 last week. Not super excited about that one, but handled it nonetheless less!

The RZR was my father in law's. He gave it to us before he passed away. As such we'll probably keep it in the family more or less forever. It's got ridiculously low hours/miles on it.
Still have original tires that have 70% tread or so. We mostly have used it in the sand. It has the plain non-resi red Sachs shocks. They suck at just about anything over golf ball size bumps.

Probably wouldn't be for awhile before we replace the shocks.


Having options is nice. I enjoy some throttle therapy from time to time. We get the RZR out probably twice a year. Hit the Oregon Dunes mostly.
Then I have my Honda CRF450RL dualsport motorcycle. Love to blast gravel roads in the National Forest and find trails to explore.

 

[RickelPickel]

As usual......Im killing myself knowing how good a vehicle can drive if set up properly!

Started with a 2021 JTRD last year and tossed on 1.75 front .75 rear spacers/shock extensions and 37s at 30 miles the day before a 2500 mile overland desert trip.

My vehicle was plagued with the annoying front suspension bottoming out of the box, but the spring spacer combined with the Metalcloak Durosprings got me through till my Fox Elite 2.5s and airbumps showed up........At the time of install, I swapped a pair of front Evo 4" JK coils which netted 2" total lift on my truck with a Warn Zeon 10s in the factory steel bumper. I have since installed Airlift rear bags to help when I tow my 19' RV and motorcycle in the bed.

I'm still waiting for the correct spring solution to be brought to market from a manufacturer that I want to buy from. I know I need a much higher front spring rate and 10-20% more in the rear would be welcomed.

I'm almost 17,000 miles deep into this and I'm not happy. The front 2.5s out of the box do not have enough compression adjustment and more rebound damping is needed all the way around.

I reached out to Fox and got the standard corporate "We have never had anyone complain" response, but I did get to communicate with the service dept a bit. Of course they wanted me to sent them in........$35 per shock(Which is totally reasonable), but the insured shipping 2 ways would have brought the cost to about $400 and they advised it might take 3 times to get it perfect! Then add in 1-3 week turn around time plus a week each way in shipping? 6 weeks possibly? Doesn't work for me.........

I then asked for them to just sell me the parts and bill me for the tune time.......Long story short, I got a tune and I ordered a master shim kit......of course it was short many of the sizes in the tune!

I finally ended up with 95% of what I needed after 2 months waiting, so I had a go last week and did some driving today. Its much better, but still not great.

I've been researching this for months and watching videos. I'm a serious off road enthusiast, own an undercar repair shop that specializes in truck/Jeep drivetrain and suspension mods, but this is one discipline I lack experience in.........

Looking for others with the same truck that maybe has played with this a little to compare notes and can save me from pulling these things apart 10 times.....Maybe come up with the perfect solution for us JT guys.

I’ve been running the Fox 3”factory racing shocks for about 4 years now. I adjust the high and low speed settings as needed. I’m running kind of a Frankenstein lift. AEV HD 3” lift kit with the mopar 2 inch factory lift kit. AEv springs front and back. Front LCA brackets. With a camper shell and RTT and all the camping equipment. There is NO sag no swaying etc. I just make adjustments to the shocks to soften or stiffen as needed. Truck is also a 21 Rubicon diesel with warn winch “factory steel from bumper on 37’s”

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