What length front and rear shock

**LowRanger** · 30th May 2012, 06:55 PM

As Simon mentioned,the best way to work out your shock lengths is to cycle your suspension through its full range of motion,this can be difficult in a static state,but is achievable.You then need to measure the distances from your prfered type of mounting point,paying special attention to the closed length required.
You can have very long shocks,but the drawback to most of these is that they have a large closed length,and therefore inhibit UP travel,unless you alter the mounting points.And with the standard L/R suspension setup,you can maximise the available travel on the front with much less extreme length shocks.
I run 3" springs in my 110 and am able to maximise the available travel in the front end, by raising the front turrets 2" and running longer shocks.In the rear I have 3" longer springs and the same shocks as in the front,and modified upper shock mounts.I find this setup allows the vehicle to be very stable offroad whilst allowing all the wheel travel that I require,and I do tend to wheel hard.
I am a believer in having the springs retained F&R to maintain stability,so having huge length shocks on the rear is in my thoughts overkill with the standard Rover A frame and balljoint.But that is just my thought and everyone is entitled to their opinion on the matter,which has been discussed many times before.
If the vehicle is being built with these sort of specs,I am assuming that it is being used as a hardcore weekend wheeler,and not a tourer or fast overland racer.And with that in mind,I find the use of remote reservoir shocks to be overkill,as slow cycling of the shocks,isn't going to get the shocks critically hot enough to reap the benefits of the remote reservoir.
What you will also find is that most of the long remote reservoir shocks are fairly large in diameter and will foul when run inside the front springs on a Rover front end,requiring modification to external mounting,and although not a big mod,it is just another thing that requires modification,for minimal gain.
All of these thoughts are in regards to keeping the vehicle roadworthy,if not being used on the road,it comes down to how deep your pockets are.

**c.h.i.e.f** · 30th May 2012, 08:10 PM

Originally Posted by Ausfender

Thanks for that Slunnie. I'll have a go at doing what you outlined and see how I get on.
c.h.i.e.f I actually live in Singleton at the moment so not to far away. Wouldn't mind catching up at some stage to talk tech and let you look at the rear end of my defender.

The reason I wanted to run the remote res setup was for the extra that they allow.

Thanks to all for the input. Greatly appreciated

wow even better i work up there so am up there almost everyday...cant say i have noticed you driving it around though!

sorry forgot to mention lowranger he loves suspension talk

sorry lowranger haha

if you are willing to spend the money on remote resivors like i was about go ahead i personally love the bilstein 7100series but as already mentioned they benefit more in higher speed scenarios where shocks are prone to "fade" due to high cycling rates...i was going to buy some 7100's but then told myself i do not need them at the moment and keep steering towards coilovers

with the suspension design i am struggeling to come up with ideas/designs that will be road registerable

bush65 posted up some good explinations to suspension design which helped me get my head around the reasoning behind everything...

**LowRanger** · 30th May 2012, 09:46 PM

Originally Posted by c.h.i.e.f

wow even better i work up there so am up there almost everyday...cant say i have noticed you driving it around though!

sorry forgot to mention lowranger he loves suspension talk

sorry lowranger haha

if you are willing to spend the money on remote resivors like i was about go ahead i personally love the bilstein 7100series but as already mentioned they benefit more in higher speed scenarios where shocks are prone to "fade" due to high cycling rates...i was going to buy some 7100's but then told myself i do not need them at the moment and keep steering towards coilovers

with the suspension design i am struggeling to come up with ideas/designs that will be road registerable

bush65 posted up some good explinations to suspension design which helped me get my head around the reasoning behind everything...

c.h.i.e.f The hardest part is settling on a solution that going to be road legal and still give good articulation.It is very difficult to make a multi purpose vehicle,that does everything very well.Because every time you make a compromise one way,it affects the vehicle in another.
I forgot to mention,if you are fitting bigger diameter wheels to a Defender,then it is quite easy for the tyres to hit the top of wheel wells,long before the axles hit the bumpstops,so this needs to be taken into account as well,when setting your suspension up.

**isuzutoo-eh** · 31st May 2012, 07:51 AM

Wayne are your bump stop extensions to stop your tyres hitting the wheel well or due to shock body length? The extensions are 1" longer than standard, correct?

**c.h.i.e.f** · 31st May 2012, 08:22 AM

Originally Posted by isuzutoo-eh

Wayne are your bump stop extensions to stop your tyres hitting the wheel well or due to shock body length? The extensions are 1" longer than standard, correct?

God forbid if us Isuzu owners need to extend our bumpstops we may as well get rid of up travel all together

**LowRanger** · 31st May 2012, 08:22 AM

Originally Posted by isuzutoo-eh

Wayne are your bump stop extensions to stop your tyres hitting the wheel well or due to shock body length? The extensions are 1" longer than standard, correct?

My rear bump stops are to allow maximum up travel with the modified rear mounts,and still just have clearance for my 35's under the rear wheel well

Sent from my Truck using Electrickery

**LowRanger** · 31st May 2012, 08:26 AM

Originally Posted by isuzutoo-eh

Wayne are your bump stop extensions to stop your tyres hitting the wheel well or due to shock body length? The extensions are 1" longer than standard, correct?

And you more than most,would know how well my suspension works now

Sent from my Truck using Electrickery

**c.h.i.e.f** · 31st May 2012, 08:48 AM

Originally Posted by LowRanger

And you more than most,would know how well my suspension works now

Sent from my Truck using Electrickery

Got any snap shots ??

**LowRanger** · 31st May 2012, 09:36 AM

Originally Posted by c.h.i.e.f

Got any snap shots ??

Do you want shots of the suspension working,or of the suspension?
There are a heap of photos and videos in the NSW trip section of my vehicle working its suspension

Sent from my Truck using Electrickery

**isuzutoo-eh** · 31st May 2012, 10:17 AM

Originally Posted by LowRanger

And you more than most,would know how well my suspension works now

Sent from my Truck using Electrickery

Yeah, I know it works, that's why i'm copying bits of it

Did you extend your front bump stops or just rears? As Chief implied, Isuzu owners already have extended front bump stops, I don't want to extend further as i'm going for a lower ride height to you. I reckon your shocks would work well for mine all the same. Unless they need extended front bumpstops of more than an inch...

I can't find much in the way of flexi pics of Wayne's truck, he never stops long enough to take poser shots

But Wayne's set up does work very well.

Thread: What length front and rear shock

Thread Tools

Bookmarks

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions