Airshocks unloading...question????

[NOVI FED COUPE]

So I just bought another XJ and it had airshocks on the front. Well sitting at ride height it has about 6-7in of shaft showing(shocks are 18" racerunners). Once you put it in gear and start to move foward the whole front end unloads, lifts whatever you want to call it. I dont mean lifts an inch I mean lifts the remaining part of the shaft until the limit strap grabs it. It has a suck down winch in the front and Im sure thats why its there, but there has to be a reason to why there doing this. Too much nitrogen??? Any help or ideas...throw it at me.

 

[crawl59]

We had a similar issue on dads cj7 that we put coilovers on and we installed a rear sway bar and it made it go away.

 

[patooyee]

Assuming we're talking 2" shocks, full body XJ with 6-cyl engine or equivalent in weight. Too much air, not enough oil. Add LOTS of oil. Look up max oil volume on SAW's site, put that in, and go down from there until you get it where you want it. (You won't have to go down far, if any.) Once you dial that in running the center limit strap almost taught at ride height will help with side to side stability. Also mounting the tops of the shocks slightly inward toward vehicle center line as compared to the bottoms will help greatly with side to side stability.

Most importantly, more oil. It sounds like the previous owner just got the shocks and charged them until he got the ride height he wanted, didn't even mess with oil volume. That vehicle is WAY too heavy in the front for that.

Report back.

J. J.

 

[NOVI FED COUPE]

Assuming we're talking 2" shocks, full body XJ with 6-cyl engine or equivalent in weight. Too much air, not enough oil. Add LOTS of oil. Look up max oil volume on SAW's site, put that in, and go down from there until you get it where you want it. (You won't have to go down far, if any.) Once you dial that in running the center limit strap almost taught at ride height will help with side to side stability. Also mounting the tops of the shocks slightly inward toward vehicle center line as compared to the bottoms will help greatly with side to side stability.

Most importantly, more oil. It sounds like the previous owner just got the shocks and charged them until he got the ride height he wanted, didn't even mess with oil volume. That vehicle is WAY too heavy in the front for that.

Report back.

J. J.

Thanks a lot for the response.

Would you say take them off vehicle and empty everything and start new?

 

[NOVI FED COUPE]

Yes they are 2" shocks and not quite full bodied XJ but yes its nose heavy.

 

[patooyee]

Would you say take them off vehicle and empty everything and start new?

ABSOLUTELY. I'm glad you mentioned that because it shows you are willing to do what it takes to get them working. The easiest way to get that much oil into them is going to be to just remove the top with the shaft fully extended, pour the correct / max amount in, reinstall the top, and slowly bleed any air out by SLOWLY compressing the shaft back in with the shock standing up schrader valve at the top. It takes a long time for the oil to bleed down past the piston and not spray out as you do this but not as long as trying to force it all through the schrader hole with a syringe. What I used to do is go through above procedure but before I compress the shaft again I just sat it in the corner with the schrader up while I did the next shock. Normally by the time you're done with the other the first one is good to slowly compress again.

I can't stress enough how important spending time tuning airshocks is. They can actually be really good and stable if you do. They'll never be coilovers, especially on a rig that heavy, but they can be the next best thing.

J. J.

 

[NOVI FED COUPE]

Thanks again man. I will let you know how it goes.

 

[Do Work 93YJ]

Great info patooyee I'm currently linking and installing air shocks on the front of my YJ and am going to use this info to get mine setup.

 

[tbs]

do u know what the compression and rebound is? I gust done a jeep and thay where fox and set the comp at 80 and the rebound at 60 and filled the shocks whit max oil and it work really good.

 

[race10]

I was told it is best to charge them with the shock fully extended and then lower the vehicle down on them. Dose that sound right?

 

[patooyee]

I was told it is best to charge them with the shock fully extended and then lower the vehicle down on them. Dose that sound right?

Yes. That is the only way to get a perfectly equal amount of pressure in each side.

J. J.

 

[suzyq]

patooyee's info is bible. i run the same shocks on a zuk buggy and run them at what fox calls "max overfill". adding oil does wonders for slowing down the action of the shock. i also run a center limit strap that is almost tight at ride height. u are definately pushing the limits of those on an XJ but if u take the time to learn how they work and dial them in, they work great for trail rigs. i love mine. good luck

 

[CheapJ7]

There is a suspension tuning sticky in the tech and fab section. I posted up Some Airshocks info when I was tuning my saws.

 

[NOVI FED COUPE]

There is a suspension tuning sticky in the tech and fab section. I posted up Some Airshocks info when I was tuning my saws.

Yes I remember that thread...but I dont see it now.

 

[CheapJ7]

Yes I remember that thread...but I dont see it now.

True that its gone...

I found the max oil fill on sway a way's website. I also stepped up to i believe 7wt oil. 5w was too thin for my full bodied rig, and I was told 10w is bad all together.
They take regular motorcyle fork oil that you buy at the motorcycle shops.

 

[NOVI FED COUPE]

Yea I ran 7wt oil in my shocks that I had on the back of my old XJ. I will run it again. Thanks for the info!

 

[patooyee]

The shock companies do not say one way or the other if it was bad but I ran ATF for years in mine and it never seemed to affect anything.

J. J.