Point taken again. I'd suggest buying an extra front & rear while you're at it, though, for when they do crap out.
Super VXer
Point taken again. I'd suggest buying an extra front & rear while you're at it, though, for when they do crap out.
Super VXer
I have to disagree with you there, Vehigaz - the OEMs aren't "crappy" - they're actually very decent dampers. It's just that they have a floating piston instead of a bladder to contain the nitrogen so it's inevitable that a little N2 is going to escape past the seal over the course of thousands of miles. And it will get worse over time as the nitrogen piston seal wears. That doesn't mean it's a bad design. Some of the best shocks in the world utilize it. Look how many top racers run Ohlins on their bike. It does mean you'll probably have to give your shocks a shot of N2 every now and then. If N2 pressure gets too low you get cavitation which creates lots of bubbles. Bubble-filled shock fluid causes loss of damping just like old, sheared, thinned-out shock fluid. Only difference is tired shock fluid is tired all the time - so you can do the "bounce test" with the vehicle sitting in the driveway and tell something's not right - but bubbles separate out after a few minutes of sitting - so when you walk out and do the "bounce test" in the driveway it feels good - then you head down the road and after the first bump you're driving around in BoingBoing City. Try the bounce test immediately AFTER you've driven the vehicle over a good set of bumps or if you're not off-road at least find a dirt road with some washboard or some braking bumps right before an intersection. And bounce the back - the rear overhang accentuates the effect of shocks gone soft. If it's bouncy, your shocks are in BAD shape. I've found that the ride and handling suffer long before the thing fails the bounce test. When I feel the rear compression damping starting to go away, I know it's time for a nitrogen fix. If you wait until your rebound damping is gone (bounce test failure) then you've been riding around on bad suspension needlessly.
Killinformula, if you like the original ride, you might want to try pumping up the OEMs before installing a set of aftermarkets. You might be able to revive them and restore your original ride quality pretty cheap. The bike shop up the road from me charges $10 to do all four. I've been surprised at how long the original shock fluid has held up - 85K miles and still damping well. If a N2 recharge doesn't do it and your OEMs are just plain worn out or they're leaking, you still don't need to pay $2000 for a set of new ones - all wear items can be replaced. They are totally rebuildable unless you have a bent or dinged-up shaft. And it doesn't cost much more than a set of aftermarket, non-reservoir shocks. Actually, if you wanted to buy the parts (sealhead, piston seals, various o-rings) and do it yourself, it would be cheaper than the Bilsteins but it would cost you in time. From what I hear, the fronts with their upside down reservoir are a PITA to bleed. I know when it comes time to rebuild mine I'm calling The Shock Doc, aka Bruce Triplett.
Life's too short to to rebuild shocks...
Super VXer
To add to this thread; from an RV perspective, many owners are unhappy w/the ride/handling characteristics of their stock RV shocks. The "big news" in that arena is Koni FSD Shocks; those folks that have found/installed them for their particular application are universally happy! I can say from experience that a motorhome shares most of the same ride/handling foibles as an SUV; you want 'em firm when you DO - the whole REST of the time, you want a compliant ride with good rebound and handling characteristics. If someone wants to do some checking to see if the VX is covered by Koni FSD's yet, it might be worthwhile; I'll do it myself if I remember:
http://www.shox.com/koni/koni-shocks/koni
Ask for Mark...
Super VXer
Originally Posted by SlowPro48
I am going to read up on the rebuild for the shocks, it seems like a fun project... I have been so busy at work lately that i havent had any time to work on a car, so hopefully i will have time this break to look into doing something like that... the ride of the car is stiff, it almost feels like my trans am (lowered and on 315' tires and i feel everything)... it doesnt seem to bounce on me at all, just seem like the body is one solid piece and the tires just ride over the bumps... from what i have been reading it seems like it should be that way...
how comfortable should it be for people to ride in the back? when i hit a bump, it seems like it is a rough ride back there
Super VXer
It sounds like your shocks are fine then. The VehiCross with OEM suspension is a stiff riding vehicle - no getting around that. And yeah - passengers in the back take a beating. I sometimes wonder if Isuzu left out cupholders on purpose to discourage beverages in the back. Some of the bigger hits would toss a drink right out of a cupholder and into the floor.
Ganzman that's an interesting find there. Looks a lot like Edelbrock's IAS shock.
http://www.edelbrock.com/automotive_...cks_main.shtml
We've got shim stacks which are inherently speed sensitive so not sure how much of an advantage these inertia controlled gizmos would be. Looks like a nice, simple idea to vary damping though. And even though we've got speed sensitive damping, the flow is ultimately limited by port size so who knows - maybe the Konis or Edelbrocks would be a better real world compromise between comfort and handling.
Then again... we can always re-valve our shocks. Anybody got the cajones to drill bigger holes in their pistons and re-shim?
Super VXer
Addendum: I heard back from Mark @ shox.com - no application for the VX yet, and he doubts they'll make 'em for us; I DO have the name of the guy at Koni though, so I'm gonna "pitch" him on making 'em. Seems like a worthwhile application, since the OEM's are a bit steep pricewise; plus they'll be more & more VX's that will be needing shock replacement(s) as time goes by. Add to the mix this very Forum of enthusiasts, and maybe they'll judge it to be a good idea...
Super VXer
dont forget to mention they will fit troopers too!
Super VXer
That is 100% normal. Make sure any back seat passengers put their seat belts on nice and tight. :-)
Super VXer
I think the design is great, SlowPro. But I think they are not very well built. In the 4 years I've been on this board I have heard about waaaay too many failures to consider it a quality part. And they don't go bad from loss of nitrogen - they leak fluid and die.
Super VXer
i looked at all my shocks, and they look good, i didnt see any leaks or oil coming out... i think i will keep them, they are quiet and good still, so no need to change!
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