Need help figuring out shock set up

[castlewa]

I cannot find any information on what's going on with the rear shocks. That's a funky set up. Any help as to what I have here is appreciated. Thanks!

 

[SteveL]

Looks like a stock rear mount. Don't know what's up with the unistrut. Maybe some kind of redneck sway bar set up

 

[FordBronc]

An attempt of a sort of old kicker/traction shock set up. Remember the traction lift bars from long ago? Something along that idea...not a great idea, but an attempt to correct a problem.

Does the other end of the bracket go to your OEM shock mount?

 

[castlewa]

Yes. Question is do we remove it?

 

[bronkenn]

I cannot find any information on what's going on with the rear shocks. That's a funky set up. Any help as to what I have here is appreciated. Thanks!

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Holy erector set Batman! I would definitely remove all that hardware and put some good shocks back in the stock position. There are a lot of good reviews on the new shocks. Ken

 

[B RON CO]

Hi, as you know, it looks like someone modified the original design of the shocks. My feeling is if you don't know what the advantage of an engineering change is, keep it closer to original. I'd get rid of it. Good luck

 

[Crush]

Looks like it was designed to give more axel droop. As the axel drops out the lower hinge degree opene from 90* to closer to 180*. Essentially letting the axel drop farther without using longer shocks.

 

[bronconut73]

An attempt of a sort of old kicker/traction shock set up. Remember the traction lift bars from long ago? Something along that idea...not a great idea, but an attempt to correct a problem.

Does the other end of the bracket go to your OEM shock mount?

This/\/\

Trailmaster sold those traction bars you are referring to.

 

[castlewa]

Getting rid of these and going to an original shock. I will read the reviews and pick a set. What are you using or recommend? Thanks for the help!

 

[bronconut73]

Bilsteins are very popular right now and for good reason as they do all things well...

 

[castlewa]

Bilsteins are very popular right now and for good reason as they do all things well...

They are very popular and click all my boxes. Looks like Bilsteins 5100.

 

[Broncobowsher]

That looks like an attempt to make a long travel shock in the space of a stock shock. That is thinking outside the box. Looks like prototype version #1. It may have worked so well that they never got around to making a clean version. Or it may have been, squirrel...
There was really some thinking going on there. And a fairly tight budget from the looks of it. The one engineering part they screwed up on was the pivot on the lower shock mount. It looks like about a 2:1 ratio. Where the axle moves twice as far as it would normally go for the travel of the shock. Or the shocks are half strength.

No sway bar, no traction bars. You are thinking way too conventionally with those ideas.

 

[Cortez]

Thanks for sharing that is entertaining if nothing else.