Desert Rat
Fetch the comfy chair
Got my 14" Bilstein 5150 shocks going on but all I can find for shock boots are the 12" variety. Anybody have a line on where I can pick up some that won't be popping off all the time?
CK5
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Bilstein 5150 shock boots?
- Thread starter Desert Rat
- Start date
85mudblazin
1/2 ton status
Why do you want shock boots anyways?? for looks??
stretch67
1/2 ton status
standard boots wont fit those shocks. i think the only real purpose for boots is to trap water and mud! that way you get better corro /forums/images/graemlins/yikes.gifsion
85mudblazin
1/2 ton status
yea thats hwat I was getting at, plus it gives you a little extra bling /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif
stretch67
1/2 ton status
yeah if the ones from my old shocks fit my 5150's i would have used them! what a dumbass (ME) i gave one to my irish setter and he thinks it's pretty cool so i guess i have 4 dog toys! /forums/images/graemlins/peace.gif /forums/images/graemlins/peace.gif /forums/images/graemlins/peace.gif
Desert Rat
Fetch the comfy chair
Wasn't worried much about looks, just protecting them. Always ran them on my Ranchos and they seemed to keep the gunk out. I never had any corrosion problems.
85mudblazin
1/2 ton status
The other day I took my boots off my front shocks to see what they looked like and the shock tube was all rusted up, I took all the shock boots off and threw them in a box.
84gmcjimmy
1 ton status
shock boots are for trucks with 4 shocks at each corner, if you have 4 shocks at each corner, you can wear them /forums/images/graemlins/waytogo.gif
Shaggy
3/4 ton status
D-Rat just does desert running, no mud or stuff that makes shocks corrode. The only place I would run boots is for high speed desert stuff, to protect the shafts from rocks or whatnot.
I would check out a motorcycle store and see if you can find some boots that are meant for dirt bike forks. Those come in some pretty long travel versions, maybe you can find something that would work. That or see if Rancho makes some long ones for the real long shocks they make, like the 15" travel 9000s.
I would check out a motorcycle store and see if you can find some boots that are meant for dirt bike forks. Those come in some pretty long travel versions, maybe you can find something that would work. That or see if Rancho makes some long ones for the real long shocks they make, like the 15" travel 9000s.
84_Chevy_K10
Banned
Years ago I ran shock boots, but I have since learned how the use of them holds dirt and crap and it eats up the seals on the shocks.
I have never run them since on my off road truck.
I would run them if I had a poser/street driver truck though, they look cool. /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif
I have never run them since on my off road truck.
I would run them if I had a poser/street driver truck though, they look cool. /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif
85mudblazin
1/2 ton status
I dont think they would hurt much for just desert stuff but once you get mud then it goes down the drain, you could also just seal them up really good at the ends to keep water and such out.
Shaggy
3/4 ton status
[ QUOTE ]
I dont think they would hurt much for just desert stuff but once you get mud then it goes down the drain, you could also just seal them up really good at the ends to keep water and such out.
[/ QUOTE ]
You can't seal them completely, they need to be able to let air in and out as the compress and extend. That's the problem with them if you do mud, they compress underwater then extend again and suck in water through the vent.
I dont think they would hurt much for just desert stuff but once you get mud then it goes down the drain, you could also just seal them up really good at the ends to keep water and such out.
[/ QUOTE ]
You can't seal them completely, they need to be able to let air in and out as the compress and extend. That's the problem with them if you do mud, they compress underwater then extend again and suck in water through the vent.
84_Chevy_K10
Banned
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I dont think they would hurt much for just desert stuff but once you get mud then it goes down the drain, you could also just seal them up really good at the ends to keep water and such out.
[/ QUOTE ]
You can't seal them completely, they need to be able to let air in and out as the compress and extend. That's the problem with them if you do mud, they compress underwater then extend again and suck in water through the vent.
[/ QUOTE ]
That's exactly what happened to mine.
[ QUOTE ]
I dont think they would hurt much for just desert stuff but once you get mud then it goes down the drain, you could also just seal them up really good at the ends to keep water and such out.
[/ QUOTE ]
You can't seal them completely, they need to be able to let air in and out as the compress and extend. That's the problem with them if you do mud, they compress underwater then extend again and suck in water through the vent.
[/ QUOTE ]
That's exactly what happened to mine.
84gmcjimmy
1 ton status
wouldn't they suck in sand to then from the dessert.?
Desert Rat
Fetch the comfy chair
I run in mud on occasion, but rarely. Most of the area I am in is sandy dry dusty dirt. The use of a shock boot for me would be to keep the seals and shafts from having dust and grit on them all the time. I've never had any of my shocks with boots on them before rust or crud up. I did have crap collect on the lower part of the boot inside, but not on the shock. The areas that I run are extremely dusty and windy and I was worried that the exposure of the shaft and seal to the constant grit and dust would wear on it. I think the intimation that running shock boots is strictly for posers might be a bit of a stretch. Just a quick random survey of readers rigs on this site showed me that a lot of folks run them on their rigs.
Desert Rat
Fetch the comfy chair
Ok, just got back from 4WP. They basically echoed the sentiments here. The counter guys mostly said run without them, but there are pros and cons to having, or not having them depending on your wheeling. They also said that getting them would be more expensive than the in stock garden variety boots. Guess that made my decision easier............. /forums/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif
