Topic: ? for guys with Air Shocks

[Shamb]

Question for all you guys running Air Shocks.

I'm buying a set of 16" Fox air shocks for the rear end. Curious if i'll need alot of weight in the back to make them work properly?

I'm gonna link the back for stabilty and build a new crossbar inbetween the frame rails to mount them.

Any input would be great with your experiances?  I'm just worried that i'm not gonna have enough weight in the back.

Also how'd you go about mounting them?  Any pictures?   i'd imagine the weight of the vehicle is the only thing that makes them sag a little so i'll just have to hook 'em up and adjust to comensate for the sag so the lift stays the same.

[Ramrod]

I'd say you look more around on pirate for info on those, but I do know that they are totally adjustable so your weight doesn't matter.  All the buggies run them

[alwaysbroken]

I'm running 2.5x14 in front with no problems at all.. Ride height is adjusted by how much Nitrogen pressure you put in

[Shamb [OP]]

ahhh.. so that's it.. nitrogen pressure.. makes sense.. so I suppose I just have to mount them and just pump them up to the desired ride height?

What would you recommend alwaysbroken, Should I mount them half way extended, fully extended or... ?

I've noticed that everyone seems to mount them about 6" from being completely colapsed.. that doesn't make much sense to me because i'd imagine you'd want maximum up and down travel thus mounting them at full stroke and then pumping the nitrogen in until they're about half way.

Any suggestions!  I'm a complete newb when it comes to Air Shocks   

[alwaysbroken]

I'm still learning about air shocks, but with any shock i set my trucks up with more down travel then up..I would have to look but think i set it up with 5" up travel, and the last inch is used as a air bump..

[Ramrod]

check out the tread on pirate called commited now that is a sick ass truggy running airshocks in the back and it works good

[Shamb [OP]]

I suppose what I should do is flex it to full potential "until it starts to really rub bad"  and mark the shock there... that'll be my up travel spot and that'll be what i'll go off of for mounting them and adjusting the nitrogen for ride height.

Im still a bit confused.. because obviously I have to mount them to check for maximum up/down travel... but where?!  I was thinking of just tacking my crossbar by eye balling it. and them trying it.. if its not right bust the tacks off and move it up or down until I get it right.. There's gotta be a better way to do it but im drawling a blank here..

Essentially you need to know exactly how far up to mount them before hand... dont really see how thats possible unless you take it up on a RTI or equivelent to make measurements...

 

[Ramrod]

Just let all the nitrogen out of them, set your truck on jack stands at ride height and then mount them with the amount of travel you want.  I'd say a little more than half in it so like 10" in 6" out.  From the stuff i've heard the middle portion of there travel is the softest and the farther in/ out they go the softer they get.  All the trucks i've seen run them go either 50/50 in/out 60/40 which is the way i've seen almost any type of shock setup.  Search the general 4x4 section of pirate for tons of info on that stuff

[Shamb [OP]]

Very good idea, thanks Pat.. thats exactly what i'm going to do. Set it on jack stands and then go from there. I'll probbaly go 6" out and go from there.. thats about a 60/40 ratio... I havn't checked Pirate yet. I dont have a red star so no search function for me.

Can't remember how to do it on google.. lol...

[Ramrod]

on google just go to where it says advanced search and make it only search in pirate4x4.com