: Are shocks a vital component?
ZooMigo 10-09-2002, 05:24 PM Ok, so I did a search: http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=74841&highlight=shock+vital+component
and came up with pretty much zip, so I put the question to ya... how important are shocks. Really.
I know they dampen bumps and help control body roll, but in the big scheme, are they really a vital component? Is there anything TECHNICALLY wrong with just pulling em off and forgetting about them?
Kevin
yeah it'd probably be wise to take them off and through them in the garbage. is this a serious question :confused:
bobaki 10-09-2002, 05:49 PM doing that would be a very good way to demonstrate just how important they are .................................................. .....:D
ZooMigo 10-09-2002, 05:55 PM yeah, this is a serious question. Maybe a little more detail is required tho.
For reasons beyond my control, I have to move my samurai and it currently has no shocks, nor any way to mount them. It does have springs. I also do not have a flat bed, nor access to one, so that isnt an option.
So it leads to my question: is it safe to move the Sammi without any shocks? All the rest of the suspension is in place.
[more clarification] - it doesnt have to move very far, and it wont be over public roads, but it WILL be on washboard dirt. Also, there will not be any passengers in the vehicle. Im just concerned with damaging something while I tow it to the new spot.
Kevin
Tusker 10-09-2002, 06:00 PM If you are flat-towing the thing, you might get away with it. IMHO, it would not be "safe" to drive the thing on the road without shocks. Undampened springs and the right combination of bumps could get you going like the Tacoma Narrows Bridge :nuke: Not recommended!
Benny 10-09-2002, 06:07 PM You should be fine. I flat towed my sami 6 miles with no shocks. Didnt notice a difference. actually driving it with no shocks sucked though...
You may want to search for "shocks" instead of "vital component".
BigFrank 10-09-2002, 06:08 PM Your truck will be jumping around more than one of them disjointed
dog heads on the dash of my dads Cadillac.
If you could strap the frame rails down very very tight so you have no play
in the leaf springs it might work.
NOT SAFE
SCOTTS_4X 10-09-2002, 06:16 PM I drove my truck for 2 months with no rear shocks and blown fronts. if you know how to DRIVE it'll be fine. sure, once you hit a bump it keeps bouncing for a few seconds, but if you know how to drive your rig you'll be fine. go change your panties and grab the keys.
-Scott
jones 10-09-2002, 07:05 PM No doubt. I ran no shocks for a few days.:D
Slinky 10-09-2002, 07:08 PM No shocks on the front of mine. One of these days I'll get around to mountin' the mounts, then mountin' the shocks :D
Passed safety inspection too! It's street legal, but not a daily driver by any stretch. It has a couple hundred pavement miles (up to 60 mph). No worries.
Flipper 10-09-2002, 07:23 PM When I moved my project from house to house it was on a trailer. I had a hard time adjusting the trailer brakes...every time I would hit the brakes, the damn samurai would jump up and down. It actually picked the rear tires off of the trailer!!!
Shrock 10-09-2002, 08:09 PM Well trailers dont have shocks, so if you are flat towinging, I'd say you'll be fine. Just take it easy.
Rockrat 10-09-2002, 08:26 PM Hmmm can I walk without Knee caps:confused:
M.Martian 10-09-2002, 11:58 PM If you just need to take it a short distance, you can get away with no shocks. You will need to take that washboard really slow though.
I busted a front driver side shock mount on the Rubicon one trip and by the end of the trip I had destroyed the leaf spring. By the time I got it home the spring was riding on the shackle.
spencurai 10-10-2002, 07:37 AM if you never noticed bump steer before with your z-link, you WILL notice it when you drive without shocks.......can I have sex without a set in the fun bag.........???:confused: :flipoff2:
SilverZuk 10-10-2002, 08:58 AM Short trip at low speed on a back road - take it easy you'll be all right.
I have driven a f-150 with no rears. The rear skipped and hopped and was down right scary.
I have seen a cj with no shocks off road.
Down right scary, it eventually caused the guy to go over the hill on a rough road.
Good luck.
can I walk without Knee caps
I don't know, Rockrat, I'll get the sledge and then we can find out... :flipoff2:
Seriously, It's going bounce around pretty good but if you go slow and take it easy it should be OK to be flat towed.
Driving without shocks can be fun, especially when you get on the gas (the zuk actually feels like it has power because the front end comes up). You can also do really cool impersonations of cars with hydro's... Uhhhhh, I mean if you are into that.
What sucks is going around corners (ie highway offramps or sharper type corners) at speed. The body tends to rock back and forth pretty nicely.
Passed safety inspection too! It's street legal, OMG :eek:
I wish your inspection guy lived up here, I could really use that kind of beer goggle pass!
Slinky 10-10-2002, 02:01 PM It's Texas -- shocks are not one of the inspection items. The list of inspection items is pretty short. We do have the tougher emissions test in high population counties now (which I passed). There was no tipping or beer drinking involved in my Zuk's passing the tests.
Now if you wanna talk easy....Oklahoma now has NO state safety inspection whatsoever. I would hope a cop could still nab the extreme offenders and write them up. Come to think of it, I believe I was told a cop with a burr under his saddle could nab me in Texas as well.
I didn't build the rig to be driven on the street; I merely wanted it to be able to legally get itself from the motel or camp to the trail head.
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