What sets Ride Shocks apart from the industry standard?
Off-road environments are tough, with unforgiving terrain, large rocks, and deep ruts. Stock shocks often struggle to absorb these impacts effectively, leading to a rough, bumpy ride. Upgraded shocks with remote reservoirs are designed to handle heavy impacts and maintain better control, improving the ride quality and your comfort. Better shock absorption also leads to fewer instances of wheel hop or chatter, which could result in loss of traction or control. With upgraded shocks, the vehicle’s wheels stay in contact with the ground- increasing your control.
Ride Shocks set about to tackle performance in these areas by revolutionizing three components of the shock- the piston, the adjuster, and also the hose.
Ride Shocks Piston Design
Our main piston was developed by the engineers at Ride Shocks through months of testing and R&D in order to find the best possible solution for the market. The main shock piston creates the majority of the damping in the shock when oil flows through the piston. Oil flow is restricted by the size and shape of piston ports as well as the valve shims. These three specific areas were pinpointed for improvement.
First, the port shape impacts the general shock performance. Some shapes make the shock really progressive and more likely to be harsh, some make them too stiff and hard to tune. When a shock is progressive, it is really soft when moving slowly and really stiff when moving quickly. By doing this it makes it hard to adjust the shims to provide the correct stiffness where you want it.
Secondly, port size becomes an issue when the shock tries to move fast and it can’t flow enough oil so it hydrolocks. Hydrolocking occurs when the piston ports are too small and can’t flow enough oil, preventing the piston from moving adequately. Alternately, if the port size is too large, the shock will flow too much oil and your ride will be too floaty and can even bend or snap shims within the shock body itself.
Finally, the shim stiffness is a huge part of tuning a shock which can completely improve or worsen the ride of your vehicle. Too stiff of shims can mimic port size at high speed because they don’t bend far enough. This is the science we do behind all of our tuning.
Ride Shocks Dual Piston Adjuster
As the shock compresses, oil flows into the adjuster from the hose at a very high rate of speed. There are four things which affect the adjusters ability to be comfortable: port shape, port size, shim stiffness, and the adjusting mechanism.
The port shape of the DPA piston, similar to the main piston, was found to be improved with round ports which provide the most comfort and tuneability.
When it came to addressing the port size, we found the industry standard port size was not adequate and reduced ride quality. For that reason we increased port size over 50% to provide a more comfortable ride.
The DPA shim stiffness went through extensive tuning to get exactly the right stiffness for both comfort and performance. Each DPA adjuster is tuned to match the main piston valving, which is one more thing that sets Ride Shocks apart from the rest.
The adjusting mechanism of the DPA is where Ride Shocks differs from most common adjusters. Most adjusters are digressive and add preload to the valve stack in order to increase stiffness. Increasing preload does increase stiffness but it also greatly increases harshness. But using a linear design we are able to increase stiffness without as much harshness.
Ride Shocks Hose and Fittings
The shock hose connects the reservoir to the main body of the shock. As the shock compresses the piston rod displaces oil, and that oil flows through the hose into the reservoir. The shock piston rod moves very quickly as the suspension works over washboard roads, and the inside of the hose is considerably smaller than the size of the piston rod. Because of this oil moves extremely quickly through the hose.
This really is a simple improvement when it comes to the construction of the shock as a whole, but it is in fact a crucial component when it comes to targeting and removing bottlenecks in the ability of the oil to flow as efficiently as possible.
Are You Ready to Upgrade to Ride Shocks?
If you’re an off-road enthusiast looking to elevate your adventure, upgrading to Ride Shocks is a game-changer. Designed for extreme conditions, Ride Shocks offer superior durability, ensuring your vehicle handles the toughest terrains with ease. They provide a smoother, more controlled ride, improving comfort and performance on rough trails by reducing impacts and eliminating bouncing.
With adjustable settings, you can tailor the shocks to different terrains, from city streets to rough off-road terrain. Built to last with high-quality materials, Ride Shocks offer enhanced handling, stability, and traction, keeping you in control no matter the challenge. When you are ready to upgrade, Ride Shocks is deserving of consideration right up there with King Shocks and Fox Shocks. Upgrade your off-road game and experience the difference in performance, durability, and comfort—because the trails won’t wait, and neither should you!