I finally got around to exchanging the defective Monroe shocks I had for good ones through Advance Auto today. The old ones had inconsistent damping and general poor performance. I think it was maybe caused by a bad seal or valve in one or both of the shocks. When the rear end would go over a speed bump, it would come down off the bump with a bang and a thud...and seemingly no suspension action at all (like the shocks were bound up).
The ones I received today seem to be 100% better so far, although I haven't had the chance to drive over a speed bump yet, which is my personal measure of whether or not it's really fixed. Even the new ones seem soft until after the back of the truck is bounced a few times -- like they get pumped up and finally work after a few good bounces. Even then, though, they're much better than the old ones and not nearly as "loose".
Maybe this is just an effect of the suspension geometry on the rear end of a Nissan 4x4 truck? The shocks are splayed, the left one pointing toward the front and the right one pointing toward the rear; and they both seem to be at different angles off vertical (the left one at about 50 degrees and the right one at maybe 35 or 40 degrees. Maybe these weird angles make them act differently? Because the shocks are not mounted vertical, but the axle movement is (vertical), that puts a natural binding pressure on the shock shaft. But I doubt this is a real problem, since shocks on any given vehicle are rarely mounted at the exact same angle to the suspension movement.
I hope these work out good. I'm still 110% satisfied with the Ranchos on the front. If I'm half as happy with these new Monroes as I am with the Ranchos, I'll leave 'em on there.
I have a similar situation with my PU (bang over speeed bumps), but it is more due to a 700 lb rear end set up with a suspension to hold 1000 lbs. There is too little unsprung weight to keep it from being too stiff. The angled shocks are actually designed for a different purpose. The angled shocks are supposed to prevent axle wrap during acceleration/braking. They are also angled to increase suspension travel while compacting the space the suspension takes up. As the shocks move proportionally less than the rear end due to the angle, they need to be stiffer to accomplish the same task a vertical shock would. Mine rides much better with a little weight in the back. Snowmobile, dirt bike, or anything will make it much more comfortable. But, in a nutshell, when you design something to handle 130% of its own weight, its gotta be stiff.
__________________
Aaron Ford
95 2WD Nissan PU E
2002 Oldsmobile Intrigue GX
"The hard part about playing chicken is knowing when to flinch" Scott Glenn in The Hunt for Red October
Aaron, yes, concur on all points made. I do wish that the shocks were mounted vertically, as they'd have better control over the movement of the axle than they do at an angle (even if they are stiffer). But I agree that Nissan did the best they could with what they had to work with.
Drove the truck around a lot today and it seems much better...consistent with yesterday. I think I've found a good set of shocks this time.
Originally posted by aaronford I have a similar situation with my PU (bang over speeed bumps), but it is more due to a 700 lb rear end set up with a suspension to hold 1000 lbs. There is too little unsprung weight to keep it from being too stiff. The angled shocks are actually designed for a different purpose. The angled shocks are supposed to prevent axle wrap during acceleration/braking. They are also angled to increase suspension travel while compacting the space the suspension takes up. As the shocks move proportionally less than the rear end due to the angle, they need to be stiffer to accomplish the same task a vertical shock would. Mine rides much better with a little weight in the back. Snowmobile, dirt bike, or anything will make it much more comfortable. But, in a nutshell, when you design something to handle 130% of its own weight, its gotta be stiff.
I agree, my '95 handles better with a small load in the bed. And since I use my truck a lot at work, I do notice the difference when it's empty verses carrying a load. The truck just rides better. I need to get rid of my old stock shocks, for a 2wd, would standard shocks or ride adjustable give me a little softer ride while still being able to haul a load?
I have a 95 XE 4X4 and I put in a cheap pair of shocks from Auto Zone and they work great! I do sometimes experience a little thud over speed bumps (if I go flying over them) but other than that they work great. However I do my share of offroading and the Auto Zone shocks don't last as long as I would like. From those who I have talked to and trucks that I have driven my next set of shocks will definately be Rancho's.....great shocks.
When I turned the old Monroes into Advance, the manager asked if I had been off-roading, with a smirk on his face...like it was my fault those shocks had failed. Heh -- I expect ANY shock to be good out of the box and last at least 4 months in the field, even if it has been subjected to off-road use.
The next time I put rear shocks on this truck, it'll probably be Ranchos, but based on my prior experience with Monroe, these should last a while. I've always had good luck with Monroes, but I can tell a ride quality difference between the front (Ranchos) and rear (Monroes). That may be an unfair comparison, though, apples to oranges (front is torsion bars with weight on them and rear is leaf springs with no load).
How does the front of your truck ride? Even with the Ranchos, mine seems to pogo over larger bumps. I attribute this to a short suspension travel, and stiff shocks to compensate for that (so it doesn't bottom out). And then maybe the Ranchos are tuned a bit too soft to control the motions thrown about by a stiff spring? Does that make sense? I'm comparing the ride to that of a larger pickup truck...the larger truck having the much softer ride. Only major difference I can see is that a larger truck has a much longer suspension travel, allowing it so soak up the bumps better. I think in this respect, it's just a trait of the way the Nissan front suspension is designed.
The rear end does definitely ride smoother with a load in it. I hauled a load of about 200 bricks one time -- that was probably 800-1000 lbs. Little KA24E did great. Also hauled a washer and dryer, full set of queen mattresses, etc. So far my little truck is doing an excellent job for what I bought it for -- playing in the dirt and hauling stuff on the weekends...oh...and getting me to work every day.
The front of my truck rides great!! The front shocks have taken some wear and tear from off-roading and hitting things like speed bumps too fast (maybe) but they still ride excellent. I now am getting a little bit of a bounce in the front end but nothing signifigant. In the rear the Auto Zone shocks make the rear end really ride smooth with or without the load.
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