Cold Weather Coilovers

[Soup Man]

Has anyone had any trouble with extreme cold on their coilovers (minus 20 +)
Or does anyone have any experience with airshocks and the extreme cold?
I am not sold on coilovers, mainly because of the price, so the next question is the deciding factor.
Thx

[MEANGREENCJ7]

hey

I wheeled my Jeep the last couple winters around Cold Lake Alberta with no problems. I was running Doetch coilovers. No issues in the cold at all, I think the coldest day I wheeled was probably only -20C though cause I only had a partial soft top and doors.

[mondtster]

Originally Posted by Soup Man

Has anyone had any trouble with extreme cold on their coilovers (minus 20 +)
Or does anyone have any experience with airshocks and the extreme cold?
I am not sold on coilovers, mainly because of the price, so the next question is the deciding factor.
Thx

There are plenty of snowmobiles using various different styles of Fox coilovers and working fine. I can't imagine that the larger stuff would be that much different, but I don't have that much experience with them yet.

[BrettM]

it won't have any effect on how the spring works, it might affect valving because of oil viscosity and gas pressure, but after just a few minutes of good use it should warm up to a more reasonable temperature.

[mondtster]

Originally Posted by BrettM

it won't have any effect on how the spring works, it might affect valving because of oil viscosity and gas pressure, but after just a few minutes of good use it should warm up to a more reasonable temperature.

That is pretty much my feeling as well. There are some guys on snowmobiles who can work the shocks so hard that they have shock fade, but I have never heard of anyone having a problem because of low temperatures.

If you are that worried about shock problems in cold weather, you can get different weights of shock oil. I'm sure you could run some heavier stuff in the summer and lighter stuff in the winter if it makes that much of a difference to you.

[ashmanjeepXJ]

The air shocks will get taller after heating up the coilovers wont.
The larger the temp change the more you will notice.

[Soup Man]

Great info, and thanks, keep it coming as I am sure I am not the only one up here wanting to run 'em.

[ffdustyw]

I know this thread is old as dirt but I would be more than willing to be a cold weather test subject for any company wanting to put a cold rating on their product. It is currently -25 here and has been -50 the last week. Its warming up here.

[Soup Man]

Funny, I was thinking about this the other day...

We did have issues with the seals in fox shocks, but that was on a 6000lb rig, at speed in -25 to -30*C.

The seals weeped a bit, and under longterm use, there would have been enough dust and dirt attached to the shaft that there would have inevitably been pitting.


But easily they would last if one took care of them.

[Yota pop]

If you have your shocks built for you, Radflo etc, I believe you can have low temp seals, lighter oil installed.
There is an awesome shop in Edmonton, Beartax 4X4 Outfitters that probably can help you AFTER KOH.

[xtremexj94]

The problem I usually see with the high end shocks up here is that in the cold the seals get as hard as hockey pucks and can't clamp the shaft properly so they leak fluid all over the place. Having said that, my new rig is getting a set of Radflow C/O and they tell me their seals will handle the cold so we'll see.