Control your truck…..shocks?

June 25, 2015

Are your Shocks working for you?

Shocks are an important part of your truck. They help keep your tires planted firmly on the ground and your truck heading in the direction you want. Without shock absorbers, it would be like driving a 1940s John Deere tractor.

coil springOf course, the shock isn’t doing all the work for the suspension, the trucks coil or leaf springs take the big hits. The shocks do the detail work. Every time you hit something on the ground, the wheels move UP to get out of its way. Each time your wheel moves up, there is potential that it is not getting the necessary traction to move you forward or steer the truck (especially if your front wheels are not touching).


A shock moves upleaf spring and down in controlled but quick movements. This helps keep the rubber on the road or dirt but also prevents the pogo stick action. If your shocks moved too fast, then in combination with the springs, they could cause your truck to bounce (you rarely have control when bouncing).max_Float_X_Shock_Diagram_834922


Shocks Get Hot Too!

Your shocks are actually experiencing significant movement every time your truck rolls. This creates a lot of heat and friction inside the shock. Since the shock is filled with oil, heat and friction change the way the oil flows and ultimately the effectiveness of the intended smooth operation.

Have you seen a shock reservoir and wondered what it does or think “That’s cool looking”?

reservior-bypass-shockThe shock reservoir is actual very functional; it helps improve and maintain the shocks performance. The extra oil and metal housing (cylinder component) help maintain the oil temperature, which in turn stabilizes the shocks operation. Good shocks will work great throughout whatever tough condition or duration you throw at them. Bad shocks will cause your truck to bounce, sway and overrev (this happens when your wheels leave the ground and your foot is still on the gas pedal) the longer you are driving. Have you noticed this? Some new shocks now have finned reservoirs which increase the total surface area and allow for increased cooling of the oil. Most high end shocks on prerunners are charged with nitrogen to the desired stiffness. Changing the PSI in the shock can be useful depending on the type of driving your are doing. Rock crawlers may keep a low psi while trophy trucks flying through baja may have a much higher PSI.

Finned reservoir to increase heat transfer and decrease oil temp.

Finned reservoir to increase heat transfer and decrease oil temp.

Do you want to learn more? Are you interested in figuring out the best way to dial your truck in? Let us know and we will keep the information coming…..!

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