hmwave said:
pretty tight, same dimensions as all of them.
Designed to need the compression force of the shock mount bolt to fully seat them.
I just put them loosely on the sleeve while it is inside the eyelet and run it in with an impact.
SAFETY ISSSUE: Check your STRANGE shocks NOW!
- Thread starter hmwave
- Start date
pretty tight, same dimensions as all of them.
Designed to need the compression force of the shock mount bolt to fully seat them.
I just put them loosely on the sleeve while it is inside the eyelet and run it in with an impact.
It sounds and looks like the bushings were binding. I am not really alarmed that this happened. It is simple physics. Components must be free to rotate when assembling suspensions
adding a spherical bushing or changing the bushing material to a hard polyurethane to allow some articulation would probably prevent this from happening again.
Mine are fine.. wouldn't the crush sleve provide the said articulation? I mean The crush sleve extended a small amount beyond my bushings.. not much.. but it rotates on the bolt if i am not mistakin. the purpose of the rubber on the factory shock isn't to let the thing articulate but to dampen some vibration, right?
mk
mk
When you installed the shocks, what, if any kind of grease/anti-seeze/etc. did you use on the bushings. You mentioned you had to use a pry-bar to fit them in the lower shock mount? Am I correct? That as well as the breaking point of the shocks themselves, would lead me to believe that there was indeed a great deal of binding going on as many others have previously stated.
I have used these shocks on solid axle cars for years now and have never had a problem like this. In my experience, when a reputable and proven company such as Strange Engineering states that the S60004LM(does NOT fit Cobra w/ independent rear) they say it for a reason.
While I commend you and the others who have attemped this experiment, as I was going to figure out how to make the pair I have work with the IRS that is going to go in my Fox, I hope you do not fault Strange Engineering for this issue. I hope you find a way to resolve your problem and I wish you good luck! Experimentation is what makes this business and hobby what it is!
But then again, those are just my $.02
Good luck!
I have used these shocks on solid axle cars for years now and have never had a problem like this. In my experience, when a reputable and proven company such as Strange Engineering states that the S60004LM(does NOT fit Cobra w/ independent rear) they say it for a reason.
While I commend you and the others who have attemped this experiment, as I was going to figure out how to make the pair I have work with the IRS that is going to go in my Fox, I hope you do not fault Strange Engineering for this issue. I hope you find a way to resolve your problem and I wish you good luck! Experimentation is what makes this business and hobby what it is!
But then again, those are just my $.02
Good luck!
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03btchnsnake said:
Yeah, now that you mention it, the "binding" is gonna apply to the stock shocks too. The rubber does not rotate in the eyelet, neither should this bushing. The sleeve does not rotate in the bushing, same in both cases. Of course they are a lot more compliant, might be the difference.
I don't know why these steel rings fractured like this. None of Herrmans revalved Strange shocks have failed like this. I have not seen any reports anyway. Looks to be the same amount of weld also (not that the weld failed, ring failure is the visible cause here)
86strokerlx said:
No chemicals of any sort were used, just brute force to press the bushings home.
No-one is faulting Strange for the failed shells. Per my failure mode analysis above I believe the lack of articulation caused by the extremely tight bushings bolted hard and rotationally immovably against the LCA is the cause.
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postban said:
The rubber will certainly dampen vibration but I bet it also provides the few degrees of articulation needed to stop the shock eyelet being cyclically stressed in the way mine evidently were as the LCA moves up and down in regular suspension motion.
I can't see how any shock even with a crush tube located in the center of the rubber bushings can allow the crush tube to rotate against the bolt as the crush tube is bolted hard against the LCA face and the head of the bolt.
What does Hermann have in the eyelet of his shocks?
Rubber or hard, tight fitting bushings?
I would like to add something. From what I am seeing I believe you are thinking the shocks only rotate left and right. The shocks are actually moving front and back during the articulation cycle and that is what I believe actually contributed to the failure. The stock rubber bushings will allow this movement since they are compliant where the higher density aluminum will not.
If the shocks have to move in more than the plane of rotation, then all of these are eventually going to fail.
toofast4u said:
Indeed. IMO the primary failure mode with mine was the left/right stress but any fore/aft stress would certainly have accelerated the fracture.
badboy said:
How come? The rubber bushings in shocks provide articulation in all planes, evidently sufficiently so that shocks don't typically fail in this way.
hmwave said:
Because these shocks don't have rubber bushings on the bottom anymore? The bottom of the shock pivots in only one plane now. If the movement of the suspension wants the shock to move anywhere else, it will put stress on the lower eye which is now rigidly mounted with no flex.
Worried now!
When I installed mine I only had to lightly tap the bushings in with a plastic mallet like is used on body work. Wouldn't the bolt rotate in the bushing? I have the IRS locked with the Subframe Bracket setup. Would this reduce that extra flex you all are talking about. I do have a "clunking" in the passenger side that sounds like the shock may be hitting the top of the shock tower. Bottom line is what is the "fix" from here? Could the shocks have been damaged when removing original bushings? Just a thought.
When I installed mine I only had to lightly tap the bushings in with a plastic mallet like is used on body work. Wouldn't the bolt rotate in the bushing? I have the IRS locked with the Subframe Bracket setup. Would this reduce that extra flex you all are talking about. I do have a "clunking" in the passenger side that sounds like the shock may be hitting the top of the shock tower. Bottom line is what is the "fix" from here? Could the shocks have been damaged when removing original bushings? Just a thought.
CWD said:
I can't see how the bolt can rotate in the bushing when it's pressed hard against the bushing and LCA faces. If the bushings are tightly pressed into the Strange shock shells then there's no/little freedom for articulation.
As your bushings were a less tight fit you may find the shell is able to rotate on the bushing. However the fore/aft articulation may still be a concern.
I guess time and distance will tell.
i wonder if the shocks could have had bad welds from a bad production run or something.. Now i know the weld didn't fail, but from my welding experience.. To much heat on the weld can fatigue the surrounding metal..
mk
mk
Excellent thought. Not to mention an altered cooling process.03btchnsnake said:
As far as side-to-side movement, isn't that going to take place at the top bushing?
I'm beginning to believe a ghost is being chased. :shrug:
Feel free to chime in anytime Doug.
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