Off Road Race Shocks Explained - What's Inside A Rebuildable Shock?
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A shim stack is made of thin, flexible washers of progressive diameters. King Shocks uses heat treated stainless steel to build its shim stacks. These shim stacks can handle inside shock temperatures up to 600 degrees Fahrenheit and only lose 2 percent of their strength. Lower-quality shim stacks will lose as much as eight percent of their strength at that temperature. These high-quality shims make King Shocks consistent over a greater range of internal shock temperatures. Brett King informed us that "Shocks are like engines. They need to run at around 200 degrees F to work properly. At that temperature, you can't touch the shock or it will burn you, but that doesn't mean it's overheated. At the same time, 300-degree shock oil is too hot. At that temperature the oil will break down. Besides overheating, another condition that degrades shock performance is cavitation. Cavitation can occur at any temperature, but is more likely to happen when the shocks are hot. During cavitation, the pressure inside the shock is greater than the pressure in the nitrogen reservoir. This collapses the nitrogen chamber, and no oil flows through the piston, so there's no damping control. The shock just bottoms out easily." If your shocks are heating up or are cavitating, you need to change your setup. A few options are available: (1) add a second in-line reservoir, (2) go to a larger-diameter shock, (3) add an additional shock per wheel, or (4) increase airflow around the shock. King can offer advice as to what course of action suits you best. View Related Article
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Ford F150 Research
Read the latest reviews of the new F150, including multi-vehicle comparisons, long-term tests, first rides or detailed new-car road tests. The F150 has comparable fuel economy to other vehicles in its class. It has had 1 vehicle recall, which can give you an idea about its reliability. Other similar vehicles are the Jeep Wrangler and the Dodge Dakota.
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