What shocks to use for 3/4 elliptic with custom mount?

[GRPABT1]

hey peoples, I did a search and looked in the bible and nobody seems to have covered this one yet.

After going 3/4 elliptic in the rear of my zook, my shocks are badly limiting travel. I was thinking of going with either the superior engineering top shock bar: http://www.superiorengineering.com.au/p ... cts_id=820

or the spidertrax one: http://www.spidertrax.com/Rear-Shock-Bar

The superior one is designed to run with Rancho RS55112 shocks for their drop shackle kit but after all the bad news I've heard on ranchoes I am unsure on them.

I run upside down calmini shocks atm (shaft at the bottom) but I plan to move the diff back a little and run the shocks in front of the diff. Would I still need to run a shock upside down now that I don't need to clear the brake line brackets and such?

So anyone in the know as to a good suitable shock and which mount I should use? I might fit a limiting strap if necessary too so I won't need the worlds loooooongest shock. would it be worth going something like fox or the like?

[GRPABT1]

Oh come on, 47 views and nobody has a comment? Anybody?

[zook4fun]

i had one from rocky road in my old car,set up on the 2nd hole in just used long hilux shocks they had plenty left in them. how long are you looking to go?

[just cruizin']

50x25 RHS about 600mm long bolts onto the crossmember, holes already there. A couple of 1/2" bolts 6" long from memory and some old shockie rubbers to space the shock off the crossmember.

Total cost about $20.

Booty fab it

[GRPABT1]

I was thinking of booty fabbing the mount after buying the shocks and making it to suit. just wanna know peoples opinion on what shocks to use mainly. I know alot of people on here swear buy OME shocks and some other's so if anyone has any part numbers in mind and opinions I'm all ears.

3/4 elliptic gives alot of droop, comparable to drop shackles so I would need a shock and mount somewhat more substantial that the usual 2 inch lift application. ATM I have bump stop spacers and long calmini shocks to suit the 5 inch lift on the stock mounts and they max out on droop waaaaay early.

[MART]

You need to ramp it , choose the shock positions and measure the lengths you will require , then look for a shock to suit your application , changing the angles of your shocks will also limit there travel but they must still be effective , also how much travel do you really want , you mkight have to put limiting straps to avoid falling over , Cheers Paul.

[GRPABT1]

Yeah I was waiting for someone to tell me to ramp and measure, I was just hoping someone had something in mind or had done this before. I'm aware of the "special needs" (read-softness) required of suspension components on zooks and didn't want to just buy a shock that measures right but is valved all wrong ie:a hilux shock.

And yes I will have to look into limiting straps if there is too much flex but the way I have the 3/4 setup with adustable clamps I should be able to dial in or out as much flex as I want.

[zook4fun]

hiluxshocks in the std mounts are to hard buy mounted inbourd they are right as it change the rate of compression.

[get it up there]

Heres my design... couple of bolts welded through RHS.. then re-located the fuel tank bracket onto the RHS

[MART]

Hey , Get it up there , your top shock bush is flogged out , better get a new one before the eye falls off , Cheers Paul.

[get it up there]

hehe, thanks champ.. already got onto that one

[GRPABT1]

How do you find the valving of those rancho's get it up there? And what part number are they?

[Kitika]

The hilux shocks I've put on my zook are valved about right because they are set up on the angle. I think it's because the amount the shocks travel is only half of what they are supposed to because they are angled. That's my understanding of it anyways someone else might have a better explanation.

[just cruizin']

The shock actually travels more but due to the angle the force applied by the shock acts down and out rather then just down, hence you need a harder valved shock to give the same effect. That's how you can get away with using Patrol/Cruiser shocks

[Kitika]

Cheers Just cruzin I knew the angle did something to the travel of the shock that affected its valving just didn't quite have the right science behind it

[GRPABT1]

Ok I did some measurements But don't have a ramp big enough to flex it up and CBF getting the High lift out, so I'm going to do some math.

The current shocks I have (eye to eye) measure as such:

600mm at full extension
390mm long at full compression
430mm long at ride high in stock mounting position.

Now I want at least another couple of inches down travel at the tyre so...

Where I want to mount them is about 520mm long at ride hight. So that means the new shocks need to be at least 90mm longer at full extension to get similar flex. But taking into account what just cruising said about the shock actually moving more it'd need to be perhaps another 20mm more? Add onto that the extra down travel I want about 50mm plus factoring in the angle so say 70mm?

So roughly I need a shock that is about (90mm+20mm+50mm+70mm) 230mm longer at full extension than the ones I have.

That's a whopping 830mm long! Does this sound right? What length are your shocks compressed and extended get it up there?

I will look for that rancho pdf on the net and see what the compressed and extended lengths of some shocks in that size range are and what they are valved for.

[GRPABT1]

Going buy the Rancho application guide the Rancho RS5112 shocks that superior sell with their drop shackle kit is only 666mm long at full extension and 406mm long at compression

[GRPABT1]

Going to a shock about 830mm long only gives me 482mm compressed length, this only gives me 40mm compression at ride hight!

This just will not do. Somehow I think i've got something wrong here, Just cruizin' are you sure the shock travels more when laid over? As in for each 1inch of wheel movement a laid over shock will move say 2inches while a verticle shock would only move 1inch???

[just cruizin']

Sorry, I was wrong no it doesn't compress more then a vertical shock. Yes, I'll admit it I made an error. Apologes.

[MART]

Here is a rancho guide , this will give you a guide on lengths and maybe there is the same in another brand , I run the RS91112 in the rear , 677 extended and 405 collapsed. If you can't find one to suit you will have to move your mounts to suit a shock. I had to move my lower rear mount down to make mine work , Cheers Paul.

http://www.outerlimits4x4.com/posting.php

[GRPABT1]

Sorry, I was wrong no it doesn't compress more then a vertical shock. Yes, I'll admit it I made an error. Apologes.

Aaaaaaahhhhhhhh that's where I think I got messed up.

In that case I should only need a shock about 700ish long

[GRPABT1]

4WD STUFF's new Boss 12 way adjustable shocks are available in 695mm, so I'm gonna try a set of those for $400 I think it's a good price. With 12 settings there is bound to be a good one for offroad and one for onroad.

[get it up there]

hey mate.. my rancho's are item #999202. They are 600 open, and 380 closed. And I have them mounted 6" apart at the top. They go pretty well.. havent had much of a chance to really try them out on different terrain yet.. my zook should be up and going again by the end of the week.. will test them out propaly then.