Outer Limits 4x4 Board

gday guys ive got a 94 sierra and have a 2 inch ome shocks and leafs, and the front is starting to sag and pretty soon im getting some climax drop shackles and i think u have to extend the shocks due to the extra travel that the shackles will make and plus 32 simex centipedes. so im just wandering wat shocks ( and if i need leafs aswell )do u recomend i hear the ome long travels are good, yer so that be good cheers and prices would be beut !!!

do you have heavy bullbar,winch,lights etc up front causing it to sag quick?

Also the drop shakles up front if thats what you mean?or all round might not be the best idea,front will suk and they aren't that good in the bush to make up for it anyway.As for shocks i suggest wait until springs,shackles and LONGER BRAKE LINES are fitted then measure up what shock will suit both opened and closed.apart from that it should be a sweet car...enjoy

matt

yer thanks mate, i havent go much up the front there just getting old, ive only got a arb bar like last week and putting on some xgt's so wat shocks do u recomend? thanks alot for the reply aswell mate cheers !

i couldnt reccomend any,you would have to measure up the lengths while the cars flexed to get a idea i would say.

My zuk doesnt have drop shackles, i have vs commodore wagon rear shocks in the front,they are long,but had to make bump stop extensions for compression.There would have to be a better suited shock out there though,the commy shocks were just a cheap fix.

I really can't believe how often this comes up - It seems about once a week at the moment.

Plopper, yes, you will have to fit longer shocks to make up for the "flex" drop shackles give you.

Along with lowering your bumpstops, you will have to raise the chassis mounted shock mount. This is a task that involves cutting and welding to the chassis. As such, it is a modification that isn't to be undertaken lightly. There are some off-the-shelf mounts available, but you will have to weld them on and cut off your old shock mounts.

There are also no off the shelf shock absorbers that are designed for your application. (in fact, there's no such thing as a shock that "works" with a drop shackle- it's not possible) Most people just buy a shock that's "about long enough" and hope it works. It might, and it might not.

You could try a commodore rear shock. To fit them on stock mounts, you'll have to lower your bumpstops about 2.5", or raise the top shock mount the same amount (or some balance of both methods) These shocks are cheap, but I think they have quite harsh valving for a sierra and they aren't very durable - they were never designed for off road use. ( I know because I have these in the front of my current car)

There's a heap of possible Rancho RS9000 shocks, but don't believe that they are adjustable so you can make them work - some are way to stiff to work on a sierra, others are almost too soft to work, even once adjusted. We've used some part # 99112's in the past (from memory) and they were pretty good from a length and valving point of view, but they are poor value for money because the adjustability is a gimmick.

I use OME N76 shocks in my builds. These are nice and strong and softly valved. However, they are about 5" longer than stock fully compressed, so the bumpstops have to come down 2" and the mounts up 3" or so for them to work. They have about 11.5" of travel though, so about twice what's in a sierra stock.

In any case, you are going to have to do some fabrication to run longer shocks.

I will deal a little with drop shackles, although even the briefest of searches would bring up lots of information on them.

Drop shackles have nothing to do with "flex," or suspension. You are just "breaking" your suspension to make your car look cool. There is a good reason why no car manufacturer has ever, ever, used a design like this. They will make wheels hang all over place when parked on an obstacle, but when you put the power in an a scary hill, guess what - they let the wheels fall all over the place and make your car less stable and drivable.

This is even more of an issue in the front where their extra length when compressed will take caster out of the front, leading to poorer handling, and added bumpsteer, the added pivot increases steering play, and when open, the spring hanging down is a great big rock anchor.

All these disadvantages for a pose on a ramp? I don't get it. 100% they won't make your car more capable - you won't drive anything with them you couldn't drive without them.

In any case, if you are willing to accept you're going to cut your car to run longer shocks, then you might as well go to RUF and get real, balanced, stable travel, and enjoy the better ride, balance and handling RUF provides.

Personally, I wouldn't bother about the sag - lower is better in my book.

Steve.

gday mate, i thought i might of had to make longer shock mounts but youve really helped me out and given me some good tips mate cheers really appreciate it , will take note have a good one !