Shock Boots vs Nakey shocks

[el_barto]

Just received new Fox 2.0 shocks for my Power Wagon. I want to protect them, so I’m torn between getting shock boots or not.

Truck is daily driven in Colorado, so it will be exposed to corrosive road salt, in addition to normal dirt/mud. I like the idea of getting shock boots to keep the shafts protected from the elements, but I have heard boots can fill with water and mud which would be bad and counterproductive.

Fox sells roost guards which might help cut down on rock pits on the rear shocks, and maybe reduce exposure to elements, but wouldn’t be as effective as boots I don’t think.

My last truck had Icon shocks, no boots, for like 60 or 70k. Didn’t have any issues with them, but I do recall some pitting on the chrome shafts.

Anyone have any other opinion/experience?

 

[Rockcrawlindude]

Fox 2.0s have redundant wiper seals boots are not needed at all

 

[el_barto]

Fox 2.0s have redundant wiper seals boots are not needed at all

That doesn’t prevent the salt from being corrosive to the shafts. Sealing out the salt would though…as long as the salt and moisture doesn’t get trapped in there

 

[Rockcrawlindude]

The shafts are constantly being wiped clean

 

[Rockcrawlindude]

Mmm shaft wipage

 

[el_barto]

Yeah but not the whole shaft. Not likely using the whole stroke when driving on the highways in winter.

 

[Rockcrawlindude]

Yeah but not the whole shaft. Not likely using the whole stroke when driving on the highways in winter.

Probably not the whole shaft, you’re right. I’ll ask my brother he runs Fox Scott’s valley office

 

[Rockcrawlindude]

Lmao here you go from the fox engineer himself

 

[el_barto]

Lmao, guess I’ll just ****in run em.

 

[Rockcrawlindude]

Lmao, guess I’ll just ****in run em.

Lmao hell yea man

 

[el_barto]

I think I’ll probably still get the Fox roost guards for the rears, since both shocks are on the front of the axle, and will have the shaft down and exposed to everything that gets launched up by the front tires.

 

[H3LZSN1P3R]

Chrome stems are nothing to worry about if they were an issue my plow Stems that get directly blasted with salt spray and kicked up rocks would be finished in short order, its the same idea as hydraulic cyl’s just smaller scale

 

[Rockcrawlindude]

I think I’ll probably still get the Fox roost guards for the rears, since both shocks are on the front of the axle, and will have the shaft down and exposed to everything that gets launched up by the front tires.

They look cool so it doesn’t hurt

 

[JHeat2500]

Run something! All of the reputable shock manufacturers use dual wiper seals on rebuildable shocks, yet wiper seals are almost always the first item to fail. Shock shafts are susceptible to sand blasting from gravel and dings from rocks. Combine that with salt spray and the slightest imperfections in the coating will become evident very quickly. All nicks and dings have a negative impact on the wiper seals, it's why so many shocks always have a slight film on the shaft and lower eye. Talk to any quality shock tuner/rebuilder and they will polish the shafts during rebuilds to knock down the small imperfections so they don't tear up the seals. Every high end shock I've owned has had issues with pitting that eventually leads to rust. It's why I run coil wraps on coilovers and boots on bypasses. It's cheap insurance!

As far as comparing shock shafts to hydraulic rams on equipment, they don't see nearly the cycle rate that a shock absorber sees, so seals last much longer.

Sent from my SM-G981U using Tapatalk

 

[Crusty old shellback]

Go NEKED.

I didn't run and boots or shields on my King shocks on my K5 Blazer. When I did get a small nick in the shaft, I used a little emery cloth to clean /smooth it and had no issues.

 

[Rockcrawlindude]

Run something! All of the reputable shock manufacturers use dual wiper seals on rebuildable shocks, yet wiper seals are almost always the first item to fail. Shock shafts are susceptible to sand blasting from gravel and dings from rocks. Combine that with salt spray and the slightest imperfections in the coating will become evident very quickly. All nicks and dings have a negative impact on the wiper seals, it's why so many shocks always have a slight film on the shaft and lower eye. Talk to any quality shock tuner/rebuilder and they will polish the shafts during rebuilds to knock down the small imperfections so they don't tear up the seals. Every high end shock I've owned has had issues with pitting that eventually leads to rust. It's why I run coil wraps on coilovers and boots on bypasses. It's cheap insurance!

As far as comparing shock shafts to hydraulic rams on equipment, they don't see nearly the cycle rate that a shock absorber sees, so seals last much longer.

Sent from my SM-G981U using Tapatalk

What are you talking about?

No high end shocks have boots.

Only cheap white body shocks have boots.

No race team or anybody else runs shock boots

 

[H3LZSN1P3R]

Run something! All of the reputable shock manufacturers use dual wiper seals on rebuildable shocks, yet wiper seals are almost always the first item to fail. Shock shafts are susceptible to sand blasting from gravel and dings from rocks. Combine that with salt spray and the slightest imperfections in the coating will become evident very quickly. All nicks and dings have a negative impact on the wiper seals, it's why so many shocks always have a slight film on the shaft and lower eye. Talk to any quality shock tuner/rebuilder and they will polish the shafts during rebuilds to knock down the small imperfections so they don't tear up the seals. Every high end shock I've owned has had issues with pitting that eventually leads to rust. It's why I run coil wraps on coilovers and boots on bypasses. It's cheap insurance!

As far as comparing shock shafts to hydraulic rams on equipment, they don't see nearly the cycle rate that a shock absorber sees, so seals last much longer.

Sent from my SM-G981U using Tapatalk

Any one rebuilding shocks and polishing shafts instead of getting them rechromed is a hack any imperfections they should be replated always….. hydraulic rams have longer strokes so the wipers may not see the smaller movements the longer strokes are harder on the wipers…. Running anything that can trap the water and dirt inside is the worst thing you can do to a shock

 

[JHeat2500]

Lots of racers use innertubes with open bottoms to protect shafts. It's actually super common and allows moisture to drain. All good shock rebuilders polish the shafts when rebuilding, you don't replate shafts, you polish them to "soften" the edges of small imperfections. A shaft with a significant knick or ding gets replaced.

I never said high end shocks come with boots in my first post.

At the end of the day, your average street queen doesn't even need a rebuildable shock so do what you want. From someone who has been running high end shocks in the motorsports world for the last couple decades, I've rebuilt enough shocks and replaced enough shafts and seals that I've learned to protect parts rather than have to replace them so often. Also, stick to Buna seals for daily drivers and save the Viton seals for dedicated toys/race vehicles.

Edited for misspelled word.

Sent from my SM-G981U using Tapatalk

 

[Crusty old shellback]

So what do you consider longer stroke?

My rear shocks had 18" of travel and I used every bit of it as was evident on the wipers.

Polished my shafts when they got dinged and when I rebuilt them. never had a oil leak or any other issues with them
Ran my Nitrogen pressure at 250 PSI. So if there was an issue, I would have seen an oil leak.

On the race truck, we don't run any boots or shaft protectors.

 

[H3LZSN1P3R]

So what do you consider longer stroke?

My rear shocks had 18" of travel and I used every bit of it as was evident on the wipers.

Polished my shafts when they got dinged and when I rebuilt them. never had a oil leak or any other issues with them
Ran my Nitrogen pressure at 250 PSI. So if there was an issue, I would have seen an oil leak.

On the race truck, we don't run any boots or shaft protectors.

I have rebuilt cylinders with close to 20ft of stroke so 18” is minimal in my books but he said sandblasted and rust you dont polish that off and get a good seal lol