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The Ultimate Off-Road Shock Guide for Trails, Dunes, and Deserts

Posted by Sean Reyes on

Off-Roading Nuances

A soft plushy system will lack control.

High speed shocks may rattle your teeth out on easier terrain.

An overlanding/overloaded vehicle will fatigue a shock not properly valved for heavier weight, too much body roll and sloppy feel coming off bumps.

We look at terrains the driver finds themselves in mostly, and how spirited or chill their attitude is behind the wheel.

  • Forest Service Roads - easy, graded, usually driven at a slower pace due to visibility, stock shocks can handle these no problem.
  • Rocky Mountain Trails - can range from easy to hard, depending on location and trail health. Lots of mountain trails are factory-vehicle accessible, lots require 4x4 for that added traction, some require higher clearance due to large boulders.
  • Open Desert - unpredictable, littered with washes, if you want to travel at higher speeds then you need a thicker shock damper to accommodate and maintain vehicle composure when the unexpected happens. Or, you know… just drive slower.

Most drivers want a smooth, soft, compliant ride with as little harshness as possible on their daily drive. These same drivers are using their daily driven vehicle as the adventure rig and weekend trail vehicle. Good news, the staff at Shock Surplus are in the same boat; we daily commute our vehicles and also weekend-wheel them in the mountains and deserts around southern California.

Here are some recent reviews of shocks we’ve put on our own vehicles to get real world feedback and results. We’re not sharing borrowed knowledge, we’re installing these shocks ourselves, and putting them to the test in all the same environments as our customers.

Definitions

  • Ride Zone - the main zone of shock travel, where the main piston sits in the middle of the shock on flat ground
  • Compression - the force from the terrain upon the suspension
  • Rebound - the reaction force from the suspension back to the terrain
  • Internal Bypass - the allowance of oil flow around the main shock piston through ports (bypasses) in the shock body
  • Low Speed Compression - slow shaft speeds, think riding on pavement and highways, the shock and suspension aren’t moving that far
  • Medium Speed Compression - the suspension is starting to work, think 10-20mph on a rutted and unpredictable jeep trail, forest service road, or dune riding
  • High Speed Compression - large actions and inputs that maximize suspension travel and shock stroke. This is where you’re hitting bumpstops at full bottom-out from hard hits, whoops in the desert, or an unexpected obstacle on a trail going too fast
  • Bump Compliance - how the shocks and suspension feel over bumps and potholes and rocky trails

Trail Shocks

With the enormous variation in shock designs, sizes, and features on the market today, its difficult to understand what may be best for your vehicle. Don't fret too hard, there’s a ton of overlap between brands and types, and all of them will handle the toughest trails - the kind of shocks we sell for off-roading don't buckle under pressure.

Where the differences come from are in features like adjustability, internal bypass, twin tube design vs monotube design. These give the shocks a specific feel under your vehicle. Unlock your vision with expert printing design.

  • Twin Tube vs Monotube - A lot (not all) of twin tube shocks, such as Old Man Emu Nitrochargers or Rancho RS5000X may feel softer (vs monotube) on rocky trails or washboard roads, due to rebound valving in the twin tube; lighter rebound valving since there’s less high pressure gas acting on the main piston in the shock, thus less downward force after compression. If you are considering replacing the shocks on your 4x4, Old Man Emu Shock are a great option. They are a bit more expensive than some other brands, but they are worth the investment.
  • Adjustability - having compression or rebound adjustability can help the suspension accommodate heavier loads from camping gear, bikes/motos, etc. By firming up compression settings you can bottom-out less on rocks/curbs, less squishy and more controlled. Fox DSC & Icon CDCV are popular options.
  • Internal Bypass - This feature allows the piston in the main ride zone to have much less resistance than usual, giving a more plush feel in the ride zone. Old Man Emu BP51 & Fox 3.0 IBP are standouts here.

Can trail shocks cut it in high speed environments like the desert? Absolutely, especially because the capabilities of these high end shocks exceed driver skill and/or will. When we’re recommending shocks to customers, we quickly distinguish the driver’s need or desire to perform in high speed environments or everywhere else in the world.

Race Series Shocks

A lot of the shocks that people know in the off-road industry are considered race shocks. Even those completely new to modifying their vehicle may only know the distinct blue of King Shocks. Race shocks are 2.5 inches in diameter (or more), which means a larger piston (60mm+). A larger piston gives an edge over smaller pistons by having to do less work to eat-up the same terrain. Most OE-replacement high performance shocks start at the 2.5 range, like Fox Performance Elite, King Shocks, Icon Vehicle Dynamics.

A lot of misunderstanding comes from new off-road drivers expecting a pillowy ride from their $3000 suspension - but performance suspension on an OE application isn’t valved that way out of the box. Is a race car going to be tight, or squishy?

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Performance / Race Suspension Purpose

  • Valved to improve handling on a slightly lifted vehicle, with larger wheels and tires (additional unsprung mass).
  • Aiming to give damping support at low / medium shaft speeds; such as when you’re hitting desert terrain at 20-50mph and the suspension is articulating up to 60-80% of its maximum travel.
  • High end materials meant for race applications; long term durability is a factor. These materials and internals need to be taken care of, and often replaced. King Shocks, Fox Shocks, Icon Shocks, Radflo Shocks, ADS Shocks, all recommend to service their shocks between 20-50k miles, depending on use and abuse.

The above is paraphrasing for those new to the space. There’s a lot more details on the above information, and many ways to skin the cat when it comes to shock valving. If you’ve got contributions or need clarification, hit up the comments section below.

What’s Right for Your Vehicle?

Like we said above, there’s huge overlap in capabilities between trail shocks and race series shocks - while they’re all categorized as ‘off-road shocks.’

Do you mind having to service your suspension every 50k miles? That’ll be mandatory if you want a race series shock from the big names like Fox, King, Icon, Radflo, Sway Away, ADS, etc.

If you want max comfort out of the box without a custom tune, then internal bypass or adjustable shocks are probably the best bet.

We dive into all these questions when recommending shocks to our customers. Shock Surplus sells everything you see in the video, and everything in the below shock summaries.


FOX - 2.0 Performance IFP

Daily Driver, Off-Road

$$$$

The Fox 2.0 IFP high performance shocks are for a go-fast attitude off-road, providing significant handling improvement on & off-road over typical street-shocks. These shocks excel in aggressive terrain and the dirt, and are a great performance upgrade over factory or Bilstein.

Pros

  • Coilovers provide Leveling-kit ability
  • Excellent High Performance entry level shock
  • Handles hard hits well
  • Improves handling and traction in all terrains
  • Rebuildable / Serviceable

Cons

  • Higher price point compared to similar offerings
  • Requires servicing for optimal performance
  • Firmer than factory and other factory-like upgrades

FOX - 2.5 Factory Series

Off-Road, Tow/Haul

$$$$

Stepping up to the Fox 2.5 Factory Race series shocks brings significant improvements in both comfort and ride control. The increased size of the 2.5” shock offers increased shock oil, lower operating pressures, and allows high speed driving on aggressive terrain while maintaining great control of the vehicle through race-level tuning.

Pros

  • Huge improvement to road comfort and off-road handling in one package
  • Adjustable & Reservoir options
  • Serviceable, Rebuildable, Custom Tuning Available
  • Excellent handling in high speed environments

Cons

  • Requires servicing between 30-50k miles for optimum performance

ICON Vehicle Dynamics - 2.5 VS Series Remote Reservoir

Off-Road, Tow/Haul

$$$$

ICON’s unique approach to valving mixes digressive tuning for improved handling on and off-road, while achieving linear response in the end ranges of shock performance for high speed action. As of 2020, we put 60k miles on the ICON CDCV Remote Reservoir coilovers and shocks, with lots of hard miles, lots of fast miles, lots of mountainous terrain with varying degrees of equipment loadout.

Pros

  • Excellent control and handling improvement both on and off-road
  • Adjustable options provide increased tuning ability
  • All-in-one kits provide a total package approach
  • Unique features, such as Delta Joints for control arms, or RXT leaf and bump stop systems

Cons

  • Exceptional build quality comes with a cost

ICON Vehicle Dynamics - 2.5 EXP

Off-Road, Tow/Haul

$$$$

Icon's newer EXP 2.5 shocks bring both ride height adjustment and high-speed off-road performance to your vehicle. The 2.5 shock body matched with Icon's performance oriented shock tuning gives a substantial control & handling boost to your truck, both on-road and off-road. These shocks are also serviceable, and retain use of the truck's factory springs.

Pros

  • Uses factory springs to achieve added right height
  • High speed performance oriented, the faster you go the smoother they get
  • Serviceable and rebuildable
  • Aluminum body for sustained off-road use

Cons

  • We blew one up during testing
  • Requires factory shock tower disassembly & coil spring compressor to install

SDI - E-CLIK

Off-Road, Tow/Haul

$$$$

Electronic Shocks are making their way into more and more applications, on the race course and the trails. SDI's E-CLIK system gives unlimited potential to your vehicle; giving comfort without sacrificing control, providing high speed performance without sacrificing daily driven comfort - no compromises on ride quality. One of our favorite systems so far, the SDI E-CLIK system is well worth the price tag. You can also find SD shocks in our catalog.

Pros

  • Best of all worlds
  • The most versatile suspension system on the market
  • On the fly adjustability between full comfort or full control
  • Removes the need for external bumpstops through bottom-out control

Cons

  • Limited applications
  • Price
  • Electronics being a possible failure point in high heat environments

King - 2.5 OEM Performance Series

Off-Road, Tow/Haul

$$$$

King’s tried and true off-road shocks for your application are unmatched in ride comfort and performance, offering legendary tuning out of the box. These shocks really excel in high speed environments and aggressive terrain, for serious off-road enthusiasts.

Pros

  • One of the highest performing shocks available for OE apps
  • Serviceable, Rebuildable, Custom Tuning Available
  • Compression adjustment and reservoir options
  • Badass Blue color

Cons

  • Lacking on features from competitors
  • Requires servicing between 30-50k miles for optimum performance

Bilstein - 6112 Series, 60mm Piston

Daily Driver, Off-Road

$$$$

A new addition to Bilstein’s arsenal, the 6112 shock is equipped with a massive 60mm active piston and 2.6” shock body, providing exceptional off-road capability and handling. This shock is aimed solely at the adventurer, off-roader, and overlander that sees a lot of dirt, but also doesn’t want to sacrifice daily driver comfort.

Pros

  • Leveling Height Adjustments
  • 60mm piston, “best in class”
  • Price-to-Shock ratio through the roof, 2.6” shock & spring less expensive than 2” coilovers
  • Massive off-road ride upgrade, improved road handling and comfort
  • Long lasting, durable, serviceable

Cons

  • Does not come pre-assembled from Bilstein
  • Requires coil-spring compressor for installation

Bilstein - 8112 Series Zone Control

Off-Road, Tow/Haul

$$$$

The newest damper from Bilstein has arrived to challenge the top race companies in the off-road space. These coilovers feature high tech internals such as jounce cutoff and rebound stops within the primary coilovers, giving a huge improvement to all forms of ride control needs on the trail or in the desert.

Pros

  • Premium german engineering, USA manufacturing
  • 60mm piston with high tech internals
  • Height adjustment up to 3.5”
  • Top of the line off-road ride control
  • Class-leading performance

Cons

  • Limited applications

Bilstein - 8100 External Bypass

Off-Road, Tow/Haul

$$$$

The Bilstein 8100 series external bypass shocks are amongst the most advanced shock on the market for the given OE replacement application. Utilizing bypass technology with compression and rebound damping adjustment makes these shocks infinitely adjustable for your ride control needs.

Pros

  • Highest level of adjustment, compression & rebound
  • Can achieve both ultimate in comfort or high speed control
  • Rebuildable, serviceable, custom tuning available
  • 60mm piston

Cons

  • Highly technical, only for high performance vehicles

Eibach - Pro-Truck

Daily Driver, Off-Road

$$$$

Eibach has unmatched capabilities in the light truck and Jeep market, providing exact matches of dampers and springs for many applications. Designing and manufacturing both the shocks and coil springs for these kits in house, gives Eibach the edge by perfectly matching spring rates and damping requirements for a given application.

Pros

  • Height adjustable shocks allow for leveling your truck
  • Monotube design provides consistent fade free performance
  • Perfectly matched springs and shocks in a single package

Cons

  • Still requires coil spring compressor

Old Man Emu - BP-51

Off-Road, Tow/Haul

$$$$

The rebound and compression adjustment is already class-leading features for OE fitted shocks. Add in the internal bypass ports of these shocks and coilovers, and you can see why these are some of our new favorite shocks. The BP51 achieves the ultimate in both comfort and off-road control through the massive amount of ride control tuning.

Pros

  • Compression adjustment to handle varying vehicle loads or tough terrain
  • Rebound adjustment to pair against compression for comfort control
  • Internal Bypass addresses comfort in every-day driving conditions

Cons

  • Compression/Rebound Adjustment is slightly tougher to change than competitors

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