bargan basement shock choice

[Boomer-61]

I appologize as this topic has been skirted around before.  The shocks I'd love to own for a two seater 27hp woods buggy is the Fox Emulsion 2.0's.  Having said that, my budget will not allow for them.  If you had limited funds but want to get on the road with your project until down the road when you can buy the real deal, what shocks would offer the best compromise for a low power 2 seater? 

[Voodoochikin04]

i just used some random atv shocks for mine.. seem ok. they are 13inches from eye center to eye center.  with a 2.5 inch diameter spring.

[Boomer-61]

I've got some shocks off of a Manco go kart that are 16" eye to eye.  The coil dia is about 2.5".  I put a pair on the front and I think they will do fine there but the rear end is carrying a lot more weight.  I haven't put any mounts of the buggy yet so I could go with just about any length. I don't have a final buggy weight yet but I'm getting there.  I realize it is hard to make recomendations with so little information.  I just need some general direction.
Boomer

[Nutz4sand]

http://www.autozone.com/autozone/catalog/parts/partsShelf.jsp?categoryDisplayName=Suspension+%26+Steering&fromType=parts&fromString=search&parentId=46-0&currentPage=1&filterByKeyWord=43181&isSearchByPartNumber=true&navValue=14600661&categoryNValue=14699999&fromWhere=&itemId=661-0&displayName=Shock/Strut+-+Rear&searchText=43181

Not sure of the load ratings. You might check it out at autozone or compare the number at your local fav. They SHOULD be bale to cross referce it. I got four here I bought for a kids kart. I do not think only one would hold the back end up though. (Especially for a two seater)

You might also check out this thread at "another site" on a guy who used air shocks. 
They were a tad stiff with just the shocks so I told him to add extra reservoirs to to give the air more room (Something I learned from expieremnts with my Airbag suspensions) He likes it now.

http://www.minibuggy.net/forum/show-off-your-toys-here/9796-750-virago-buggy.html

Might get away with a really large set of airshocks on the back or have to double them up but that gets away from bargain basement a bit! Maybve one of the spring shocks above and one airshock per side?

IF you decide to try the airshocks like Pvanheck look at older 80's dodge truck shocks. They are heavy duty and the dodge shocks have just over ten inches of shock travel. The longest stroke I found while searching.

This link below is the cheapest I ever found them too. I hate to use Ebay but the price cannot be beat. I have bought several sets of shocks off this seller and they are a great seller.

 http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Gabriel-Air-Shocks-Hi-Jackers-Chrysler-Dodge-Ply-149_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp3286Q2ec0Q2em14QQhashZitem518d0d2200QQitemZ350258799104QQptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories

In case you wish to look at the crazy prices others are asking for the similair shocks.

http://shop.ebay.com/i.html?_nkw=dodge+air+shocks&_sacat=0&_trksid=m270&_sop=10&_odkw=dodge+airshocks&_osacat=0
 

[Boomer-61]

Nutz, as always, you are a wealth of information.  These are both viable options.  I emailed the ebay guy about them.  We'll see what happens there.  I have those cheesey coil overs off the manco so I could match one air shock with one coil over.  That may give me the balance I'm looking for.  If I do get the air shocks, I may have to pick your brain about the piggy back reserviors.    Thanks for all your help.
Boomer

[Nutz4sand]

The extra air reservoirs for airshocks or airbags is a try it till you like it kind of thing. Being each setup is so different your reservoirs will be too.

The pressure they hold will determine the ride height for the most part.

The smaller the reservoir the firmer they will be as the air has less room to expand. The larger the reservoir the softer.

Most shock kits use tiny lines whcih is fine for the car setup hauling a trunk full of stuff or a heavy trailer tounge load.

Pvanheck (on the other thread mentioned above) got larger fittings so the shocks can breath eaiser. Then expiermented with different size reservoirs out of cheap stuff then made nice metal ones.

PVC tubing is NOT recommend. It WILL fail. When it does it can damage parts as the shock collapses hard and the schrapnel can hurt to maim you. Be warned. IF you HAVE to test it for ride with PVC till you find the size reservoir you need a couple hose clamps around the tube will help hold it together then if possible a piece or metal tin stove pipe around it will help contain the blast. This aint stuff to be toying with. Metal reservoirs for the tests are recommended to mandatory.

I have seen people use PVC for air lines for air compressors in garages and when they failed the pvc was stuck into drywall enough to need pliers to get some out. You are softer. Think about it. 

I favor air bags instead of the airshocks for buggys and they already have large fittings to help them breath. But they are more moola. I use airshocks on my bender... 

[Carlriddle]

I have the Autozone ones on the front of my buggy.  The springs still weren't stiff enough, so I bought new springs.  Keep the springs out as far as can on arms, keep it light they can work.  I have two small coilovers on ea side in rear.  I have about $400 in shocks and replacement springs.  Almost to Fox Air money now.

[Boomer-61]

Which do you think would work the best, the Gabriel Load Carriers and my cheesey shocks or the Gaibiel air shocks and my cheesey shocks?  Seems like having the adjustability of the air shock would be a good option.  I'm still digesting the reservior idea.
Boomer

[Boomer-61]

Carlriddle,

    I hear what you're saying.  By the time I fart around long enough I'll have invested a lot of money and time in a substandard suspension.  Gotta do what I can with what I have at hand for now though.   I'm thinking the heavy duty air's are the way to go as recommended by Nutz.  Thanks for your input.  Is it even necessary to put the cheesey shocks on with the air shocks?

[Nutz4sand]

Its not a bad idea to take what Carlriddle is saying to heart.

By the time you buy and add to and fart around with and maybe even double the shocks you might be pretty close to the price of just buying much nicer shocks. JSut food for thought.

Pvanheck claims to really like his setup.

There is a guy at Silver Lake sanddunes with a really short homemade coolish looking VW powered buggy with car airshocks on the front. Hes been driving it for a few years out there. I ALWAYS see him racing around in it. I have never seen it parked anywhere to go talk to him about how he likes it. I do not think he is using reservoirs and it looks like it rides a tad stiff. 

[Carlriddle]

For $30 those air shocks would be hard to beat on a tight budget.  Add res if you want.  Hell I used the on my old lowrider and could raise it like 12", sure made the bumps less painful.  There some video of that buggy on MBN running the airshock w/res looks pretty smooooth.

[SPEC]

There is always the option to going to 2 shocks with softer spring and mounting further in board...I personally a huge fan of this...but then again...all my buggies are duals over the 3 to 1 standard

[Boomer-61]

Spec,  I can do the two shocks thing easy enough.  The question is which two.  With all the above mentioned, which would be the best combo?  The three contenders are the Gabriel Load Carriers which have an eye to eye of 24.24 inches and a stroke of 9.36 inches according to AutoZone.  The second shock is the Gabriel air shocks mentioned above.  All I know about them is that the eye to eye is 17".  I'm told they're for a 1980 Dodge pickup so I'm thinking they can carry a bit of a load.  The final shocks are the ones that I own, the ones off the Manco two seat kart with an eye to eye of 16", the rate and stroke are unknown.  My budget can afford one more pair of shocks, which will it be and how do I run them? 

[Boostinjdm]

The load levelers and airshocks have the same problem....too much damping.  Been there, done that, more than once.  I would pick up some banshee or blaster shocks off ebay and double them up if you have to.  Used ones are cheap.

[SPEC]

Boost has a good point with the dampening issue, and with the yanie shocks...
What's you buggy going to weigh?
I prolly got a few...(4 matched sets) that are already spring rate and dampening set...That I'm no longer using
pix here
 http://dtsfab.com/index/index.php?topic=212.0

and here

http://dtsfab.com/index/index.php?topic=1213.0


Both of these buggies are no longer usable to me :-[