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Rock Krawler Rrd External Bypass Shocks - Photo 75662367

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  • Rock Krawler RRD external bypass shocks provide more volume for better heat dissipation, which the fluted aluminum bodies also help with, and the ability to offer a broader range of valving. The company custom builds every shock it sells, and the customer can get one revalving for free if they aren’t happy with the performance.
Rock Krawler RRD external bypass shocks provide more volume for better heat dissipation, which the fluted aluminum bodies also help with, and the ability to offer a broader range of valving. The company custom builds every shock it sells, and the customer can get one revalving for free if they aren’t happy with the performance.
Getting the correct shock and spring combination to provide the desired control and ride quality you want can be tricky business. Understanding what the key job of the spring, as well as the shock, in a suspension system is the first step. Most lift kits come with some combination that the manufacturer feels is matched. In this case, AEV Conversions provides custom-tuned Bilstein 5100 shocks with its Nth Degree suspension system for JKs. Spring rates for coil springs are determined primarily by the thickness of the steel. The larger the diameter of the wire, the higher the rate of the spring. In a coil spring, the length of the material also affects spring rate. The more length, the more coils, and the higher the rate. Most modern factory springs are progressive. By placing some coils closer together, they compress more easily to react to small changes. Many aftermarket companies now offer variable-rate springs as well to help maintain better on-road manners while retaining load-carrying capacity. In leaf springs, load-carrying capacity, and spring rate are determined by the thickness, width, and lengths of the leaves, as well as the number of leaves stacked together. Additionally, ride quality is affected by friction between the leaves. Higher quality springs, like these, will have nylon inserts at both ends of each leaf as well as the center section of the pack. There are also two types of leaf clamps: The through-bolt style shown in the previous photo (allows for some movement of the leaves) and the clamp style shown here. Clamp style, er, clamps, don’t allow much movement, and some people cut the outer ones to let the springs separate further for more extension. Rock Krawler RRD external bypass shocks provide more volume for better heat dissipation, which the fluted aluminum bodies also help with, and the ability to offer a broader range of valving. The company custom builds every shock it sells, and the customer can get one revalving for free if they aren’t happy with the performance. If you take one thing away from this article, it should be that knowing the weight of your vehicle at the front and rear axle and working with spring and shock manufacturers who can make custom components for your vehicle and how you use it will result in the best combination of off-road performance and on-road ride quality. There are also quite a few adjustable shocks available for off-road applications. This is the Rancho RS9000XL, which is the current version of one of the original adjustable shocks. The knob at the base of the shock adjusts both compression and rebound by restricting flow from the secondary tube into a reserve tube.
This cut-away of a Bilstein shock shows a typical monotube design. A high-pressure gas charge is held at the bottom of the shock under a floating piston. The piston attached to the rod moves up and down through hydraulic oil as the shock is extended and compressed. The Fox shock is a bit different for a monotube design. It has an outer tube which channels fluid to the remote reservoir. Adjustable models have the adjustment knob on the remote reservoir, which affects compression only. Fox also offers shocks with adjustable compression and rebound valving, as well as the ability to alter the nitrogen pressure charge. Coilovers are unique because they combine the shock and coil springs in one package. They are desirable because there is usually a very wide range of spring lengths and spring rates available, making it easy to swap springs to get exactly the combination of load-carrying capacity and ride quality that you want. A Bilstein shock like the one shown can also be ordered with custom valving to meet your needs, and some are rebuildable so the shock manufacturer can change the valving if needed.
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