Nothing can be more essential than shock maintenance to your vehicle’s longevity and ride quality. With just a little effort after every ride, you can potentially save yourself from the costly expense of having to get your shocks repaired or replaced.
The plastic spring divider that helps keep your springs aligned and away from the shock body, for example, wears down over time. Any debris that gets in between the divider and the shock body acts like sandpaper, further accelerating the degradation of the divider and grinding away at the shock body.
Because of the additional debris, mud riding becomes even more of a challenge than riding in the drier Southwest climate. Nevertheless, after every ride, it is important to wash away any debris from your shock bodies, paying special attention between the shock and the divider. You should also inspect your spring dividers for wear.
Also push up the bump stop and make sure the shaft is free of debris and corrosion. The photo above shows what can happen under your bump stop.
If your dividers are showing significant wear, they should be replaced. Shock Therapy has upgraded spring dividers if you need new ones.
Ignoring these simple tips can eventually lead to catastrophic damage of the shock itself, and will often necessitate complete shock replacement.
The shock in this photo had factory springs and a worn out divider. Worn out and uneven dividers allow the springs to rub against the shock body
In addition, look for signs of oil and dust accumulation on the shocks, which can be a sign that your shock seal has become damaged and needs to be replaced.
We recommend that you service your shocks at least every 2,500 miles for normal conditions. If you race or generally drive more aggressively, the service interval should be shortened.
Shock service/rebuild includes the replacement of all seals.
In addition, Shock Therapy can not only service your shocks on a regular basis, but also repair and upgrade (revalve and/or dual-rate springs) shocks.