Shock Help

[lmracer87]

Whats the best shocks going right now for Late Model ? And on the Ohlins which is better Piggy backs or the LMJs ? What about Afcos ? Just looking for opinons. Thanks Jeff C from MI

[hotshoe65s]

Integras are doing good. Ohlins are good, and the piggyback shocks seem to be the style of choice. Not too many big name guys run AFCO anymore, but that's not to say they couldn't work.

[zeroracing]

I just went to JRI shocks, have not even had them on the car. I was running integra but they seemed to bend shafts if you looked at them wrong, just could not afford to be rebuilding shocks every couple weeks. Ohlins are good, some cars will not fit the piggy back on the front mounts so check that before you order.

[Brian Gray]

Now that we have jerry link at afco you will start seeing more teams on them. Big changes in the shock world coming soon.

[grt74]

the name is not the factor anymore,its the service(tech dept) and parts availablity,most people miss this for the most part,the numbers and the curve are what is the factor for the most part,just because a shock has a name doesn't mean its going to perform better,it whats in the shock that matters for the most part,on todays level if you don't have an understanding about shocks and have a dyno,you are completely at the mercy of the shock builder,just saying
but with all of this said afcos are ok but you'll need to check them more often than the top brands which are,jri,ohlins,penske,integra,repeatability is what you want in a shock along with service and cost
and yes jerry will be a huge asset to afco with all of his years in the business,afco will soon have a top tier shock

[Brian Gray]

I think we have underestimated afco for years already. For the most cost effective part of their program is the piston options they have available. You can buy various parts to change the piston functions at a small fraction over Penske, integra ect.

For budget racers the afco should already be top on thier list. Simply because you can build the exact same profile out of an afco as you can with any other but do it with significantly less money.

[grt74]

I think we have underestimated afco for years already. For the most cost effective part of their program is the piston options they have available. You can buy various parts to change the piston functions at a small fraction over Penske, integra ect.

For budget racers the afco should already be top on thier list. Simply because you can build the exact same profile out of an afco as you can with any other but do it with significantly less money.

nothing wrong with afco,they just have to be checked more often

[save the racers]

If you want to rebuild them yourself look at bilstein.Parts are cheap and easy to get.The guys at BSB Have been very helpful for small amount of money I have spent with them.

[grt74]

If you want to rebuild them yourself look at bilstein.Parts are cheap and easy to get.The guys at BSB Have been very helpful for small amount of money I have spent with them.

don't know why i forgot about them but yes they will do the job too

[lrnvlFan1w]

We always have liked our Genesis shocks and get good service when they need repair or we need advice... Also ran Integra's which were good and got good service from Accu Force

[hucktyson]

Gray this is a serious question , since you consider yourself a foremost expert on shock design and function as well as race car engineering and vehicle dynamics why don't you start a consulting business like Ronnie Stuckey ??? Surely a man of your skill could charge a couple hundred a shock just to change shim stacks ...

[MasterSbilt_Racer]

nothing wrong with afco,they just have to be checked more often

Really? Some brands have adjuster shaft sticking issues. Really something with most of them. The M2 type shocks have always worked well as far as durability, IMO.

[powerslide]

Really? Some brands have adjuster shaft sticking issues. Really something with most of them. The M2 type shocks have always worked well as far as durability, IMO.

Hence the reason pretty much anyone without a shock dyno should not have them. Unless you are going to send them in every 10 races to get them checked then you might be ok. They are very fragile from what little we have seen of them.

[MasterSbilt_Racer]

Hence the reason pretty much anyone without a shock dyno should not have them. Unless you are going to send them in every 10 races to get them checked then you might be ok. They are very fragile from what little we have seen of them.

I was actually referring to the Ohlins, as HP was. I have had no issues with AFCO that were not a crash induced problem.

[powerslide]

I'm sorry I wasn't referring to any one brand. I think any double adjustable is fragile.

[Matt49]

Anything with small moving parts is fragile. More moving parts is more fragile (all else being equal in terms of material strength). I guess my question would be what are you guys finding needs to be replaced the most often when you get them "freshened" for dyno purposes. Obviously seals are one thing but shouldn't effect dyno numbers much. I would think that any shim is going to have a certain number of cycles it can go through before fatigue starts to set in. And fresh oil is required. What else would cause dyno numbers to significantly change on a mono-tube? I ask because I can't think of anything unless something is damaged from a wreck. Not a shock expert but I sure would like to be.

[Brian Gray]

heat is a big one, im not sure what alloys any mfg uses but i do see measurable changes between mfg as you let a shock heat up. another is the band, penske has went to a solid band where some others still use a split band .

on afco in particular if your running any bnc type compression the most wear i get is on the compression needle and bleed they do make a stainless one that seems to take the heat better.

most variance though with any of them is the mating surface of the piston they do distort over time and will cause the shock to change. specifically the powder metal pistons they need regular care.

[grt74]

im really not trying to start whos better or not,just my experience on a dyno,and no i dont claim to be any kind of expert,im a trail and error kind if guy,i work around engineers all day and have to fix there stuff all the time,i think its funny really(i love it when they have to pay me to fix it afterwards,most need to get real world experience) but anyways back to the subject,its all experience with me and if it works better i want to know why so i can repeat it and get better and better,

i do agree with b gray that heat is a huge factor along with cavitation

[grt74]

Really? Some brands have adjuster shaft sticking issues. Really something with most of them. The M2 type shocks have always worked well as far as durability, IMO.

if you over tighten the shock ends it will cause this,its an easy fix if that happens,

[dirtdiggerracing]

Just sent you a PM