FOA Coilover Reservoir Shocks

The FOA shocks are as impressive-looking as other 2.5-inch coilover remote reservoir shocks but are available for a much lower cost. Performance is not sacrificed however, as the FOA shocks are more than capable of keeping up with the competition. The FOA 2.5 coilover is shown with Eibach springs with 200/250 and 250/250 spring rates.

The FOA shocks are as impressive-looking as other 2.5-inch coilover remote reservoir shock

Very rarely will you see "coil-over shock" and "economical" in the same sentence. Truthfully, we were pretty surprised to even be writing it just now. But after acquiring a set of FOA shocks and comparing the price tag to that of other popular coilover reservoir shocks, there was no denying that such a beast existed. Tantalizing not just for the price, however, the FOA shocks can also perform.

FOA gets its pricing edge from the manufacturing process of its shocks. The company uses a patent pending, high-pressure, die-casting process in the construction of its shocks and components. The process of die casting the aluminum shock components costs much less compared to when using wrought material. FOA then passes on the savings to its customers in the form of an affordable performance shock to suit a wide range of applications. Available FOA shock absorbers include 2.5-inch reservoir and piggyback reservoir units, coilover units, coil-over reservoir and coilover piggyback reservoir units, emulsion units, and double and triple bypass units. Most of the FOA shock models are available in a 2-inch body series as well. Both the 2.5 and 2.0 shocks are offered in 6-inch to 18-inch strokes. FOA also offers 2.0- and 2.5-inch bump stops as well.

FOA designs its shocks primarily for recreational use, but by upgrading to the available Viton seals and improved piston wear band we were able to create a shock capable of operating under the higher temperatures typically generated in racing situations. The standard seals can handle up to 250 degrees F but the Viton seals remain stable to 400 degrees F. In addition to the seals and wear band we also ordered the optional billet top cap and replaceable Heim joint ends. Compression and rebound valving is made to order to customer specifications, however, FOA can recommend and set up the shocks based on the vehicle weight, the amount of shocks per wheel, and type of terrain and speed the vehicle encounters. The shocks can also be re-valved after road testing to fine-tune the ride quality.

We decided to take a step away from our typical vehicle choices for this article and installed a set of FOA smooth body 2.5 reservoir shocks and a set of FOA 2.5 coil-over reservoir shocks on a Baja Bug. The Baja Bug allowed us to repeatedly run amok on a whooped out test course to test the shocks for heat fade and structural durability. We also ran across various terrains at different speeds to get a feel for the compression and rebound valving. The results were positive across the board, yet a slight change in valving to the rear smooth-body reservoirs would bring even greater results.

In addition to the 10-inch travel FOA 2.5 shocks, we also applied further improvements to the Baja Bug. Affordable Suspensions supplied a wider beam and new longer-travel arms to handle the larger and longer 2.5 body shocks. It was also necessary to create new front shock towers and rear upper mounts to accommodate the Heim shock ends.

FOA stands for First Over All. It rings true, too, since they surely are the first to offer this level of shock absorber at such an economical price.

FOA shocks are manufactured using a patent pending, high-pressure, die-casting process, which allows the company to keep production costs low and pass the savings on to the customer. We had the coilovers built using the optional billet top cap and replaceable Heim joint ends. We also opted for the Viton high-temp seals and improved piston wear band. The shocks use a hardened chrome 0.875-inch shaft and a floating piston. The large ACME thread along the shock body allows preload adjustment using the upper spring preload adjusters.
FOA shocks are manufactured using a patent pending, high-pressure, die-casting process, wh
The shock ends are made with a high-pressure cast system and feature cast-in spherical bearings to ensure solid and stable mounting. The shocks are shown with the optional dual rate spring hardware. The FOA website features a handy spring rate calculator to help you determine the proper spring rate for your vehicle application.
The shock ends are made with a high-pressure cast system and feature cast-in spherical bea
Affordable Suspensions supplied new long-travel arms and a wider beam to accommodate the coilover shocks. The longer arms are made from DOM thick wall tubing,....
Affordable Suspensions supplied new long-travel arms and a wider beam to accommodate the c

.....which helps us improve front-end strength along with increasing the suspension travel. The beam is 6 inches over stock and custom width beams are also offered.
.....which helps us improve front-end strength along with increasing the suspension travel
The FOA 10-inch travel, 2.5 coilover shocks were assembled using new Eibach springs in 250/250 spring rates. Each shock uses two springs and includes adjusters to set spring preload.
The FOA 10-inch travel, 2.5 coilover shocks were assembled using new Eibach springs in 250
We took the Baja Bug across a wide variety of terrain and beat the crud out of it over a whooped out section to test for heat fade. Overall we were very impressed with the FOA shock absorbers, not only in regards to performance but also for the quality in construction and durability. The FOA shocks would be a great fit on pretty much any desert rig and could easily be set up to perform well on 4x4 trails as well.
We took the Baja Bug across a wide variety of terrain and beat the crud out of it over a w

A set of 10-inch travel 2.5 smooth body reservoir shocks were installed at the rear of the Baja Bug. The shocks easily bolted to the lower mounts but we created a new upper mount and support since the FOA shocks were longer than the shocks previously installed.
A set of 10-inch travel 2.5 smooth body reservoir shocks were installed at the rear of the