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Crusty's 75th Annv PW #1590 build/mods adventure

Can't really tell a difference. Fox may be a little softer on small bumps.

Fox are progressive.
Bilstein are digressive.
 
Ok, got about 1000 miles on the Bilstein shocks now.
Was good and solid for the first few hundred miles.
Now I have some of the rocking boat action back. :rolleyes:

Thinking of going ahead and figuring out best way to put a schrader valve on the Fox shocks and rebuilding them and putting them back on.

Any thoughts or other ideas?
 
Crusty old shellback said:
Ok, got about 1000 miles on the Bilstein shocks now.
Was good and solid for the first few hundred miles.
Now I have some of the rocking boat action back. :rolleyes:

Thinking of going ahead and figuring out best way to put a schrader valve on the Fox shocks and rebuilding them and putting them back on.

Any thoughts or other ideas?
Click to expand...
Side to side or front to back rocking?

How’s your rear track bar and rear control arm(s) bushings?
 
Side to side.

Installed a Thuren rear track bar last year.
Bushing I don't know. Can't see anything wrong.
I want to take a good look at them when I get time. Got rain/snow coming this week. Truck is too long to fit in the garage.
 
Crusty old shellback said:
Side to side.

Installed a Thuren rear track bar last year.
Bushing I don't know. Can't see anything wrong.
I want to take a good look at them when I get time. Got rain/snow coming this week. Truck is too long to fit in the garage.
Click to expand...
The desert race team say they drill out the proprietary valve on the Fox shocks and drill and tap for a schrader valve.
 
I found some short valves, 1" total length, so gonna try them.
My biggest fear is the rear shocks and how they go up thru the frame. Would hate to break one off out on the trails
 
Crusty old shellback said:
Got tires cleaned out of the balance beads and balanced with stick on weights.
Alingment done. -.01 total toe.
The also recalibrate the steering angle sensor. Thats a new one on me, but apparently it has to be done before the alingment is done.

Bottom line, it drives like normal again.
Click to expand...
Curious about a couple things.

1: When you were running the beads, what tire size did you have and how many ounces of beads per tire?

2: What was your experience with them in general? I've been using them in my stock size (285/70R17) studded snow tires. Initially I had 9 OZ in each tire. I don't believe it was enough because when I looked up that tire size in their (counteract balance beads) "off road" chart it told me for the equivalent-ish 33" tire I should have between 12-14 oz. I had a light pulsation at higher speeds so I just put in 4 more oz in each tire bringing my total up to 13 oz. Vibration at speed seems much better. However sometimes it takes a mile or so, especially if I accelerate quickly, for things to smooth out if I'm at highway speeds. I'd imagine this is normal and just the beads finding the sweet spot but this has been my very first experience with them really. Does this mirror your own?

Thanks!
 
I've run them in 30", 35" and 37" as well as the tires on my Harley Bagger and family sedan. About 6 different tire brands.
Even ran them in BFG mud terrain 35s.

Other than a couple of issues with bags not breaking, the Kendas are the only tires I can't seem to balance with them.

I usually run about 5 ounces in a 35.
The Kenda issue may have been from they even take like 10 oz with stick ons, which is high.
Taking a mile or two to balance out can be normal. They constantly move. So when you stop, all the beads fall to the bottom of the tire and therefore have to redistribute when you take off again.
 
Crusty old shellback said:
I've run them in 30", 35" and 37" as well as the tires on my Harley Bagger and family sedan. About 6 different tire brands.
Even ran them in BFG mud terrain 35s.

Other than a couple of issues with bags not breaking, the Kendas are the only tires I can't seem to balance with them.

I usually run about 5 ounces in a 35.
The Kenda issue may have been from they even take like 10 oz with stick ons, which is high.
Taking a mile or two to balance out can be normal. They constantly move. So when you stop, all the beads fall to the bottom of the tire and therefore have to redistribute when you take off again.
Click to expand...
Oh wow only 5 oz? I can't seem to find it but Counteract had two application charts at one time - one for lots of different "normal" tires and another for "off road". The normal application chart listed the 285/70R17 as 6 oz which is what I initially put in. Then I found the off road chart which lists a comparable 33 inch tire (didn't have the metric size listed) as between 12-14 oz depending on an AT or MT tire. So I put in another 3 oz. Ran that for a little while and decided just to up it to 13 oz total. Seems to have smoothed the vibration at highway speeds out in the short time I've driven with them.

I guess time will tell. I'm planning on transferring to a 315/70R17 MT tire for summer time and I'd like to run the beads. They're so convenient. Planning on either a General or Firestone tire. While the BFG's seem to work well they always have been such a pain to balance.....
 
So I took one of the Fox shocks apart
Oil was almost black. Nothing damaged.

Found that the piston does not have a replaceable wear band
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So the recess hole in the shock is 5/16". The threaded hole is 10-24. Doing my measurements, if I drill and tap for 5/16", I don't think there will be more than 1/16" of material on the side buy the shock well. So maybe try and find a 1/4" valve thread just to make sure
 
Ok, found some 1/4" schrader valves and ordered them. Hopefully I can make them work. They are almost 5/8" long for the actual schrader part and "nut" to tighten them. 1/4 threads are just over 1/2" .
 
Well I just realized that 1/4" valve is for 1/4 NPT which is actually 1/2" dia so it won't work. Back to the drawing board.
Iay just go ahead and try a 5/16-24 threaded one.
The one the do make for this shock in 10-24 just sticks out way to far for my comfort level.
 
So while I'm waiting on a 5/16-32 tap to be delivered, I started doing a little work on the shock body.
So the current recessed "cup" on the shock is a little too small for the valves. The ridge that the O ring sits on measures at .400".
Closest end mill is 13/32". But I have a 7/16" end mill, which measures .430". So I used that and enlarged the "cup" but didn't make it any deeper.
So best case measurement, the valve with cap will stick out from the body of the shock 3/4" at most.

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Got my drill and tap in last night
Set up shock in the drill press and used a centering bit to center the hole. Then drilled the hole .600" deep and taped the hole.

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Put in the schrader valve, over tightened the first try and ripped the O ring. Replaced it and snugged it up. Pressurized it to 140 PSI and did the soap bubble test. No leaks

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Valve with cap on sticks out .700" so should not be an issue.
Now it's time to rebuild some shocks
 
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