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dual or single front shocks , that is the Q?

T

tuner-automotive

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Alright my 90 GMC Jimmy came with factory dual shocks up front.
They are toast , rig rides like a fishing boat.
Ordered a set of s3000 Pro Comp shocks = 4 and now am wondering...............
Should I remove the 2 nd front shock .
should I leave one of the old dual frt shocks and put in 1 of the new ones next to it, and if so which one , the forward or one that points back.
Thanx , I drive 90% street and as a daily driver I also tow VW on the weekends.
 
I use those shocks on my '78. One on each corner is good. A friend had duals and it was a harsh ride. My '91 has Edelbrocks and they are real nice, but again, only one on each corner.
 
So keep the forward one.
That would be the one that sits vertical under the truck.
Keep this one, correct?
 
duals are no necessary... this is the 21st century, 1 shock per wheel is plenty. In the 1980s, when shock tech wasn't as good... 2 (or more) shocks per wheel seemed like a good idea, now its pretty much just a waste of $ unless you're looking for a really stiff ride...

j
 
1 shock or 2 that is the question!!! lol

So which one would you take off? The front, rear the one closest to the wheel? Any one else have an more info on this.
 
So Im still alittle confused, Im having a blonde moment(no offense).
Which position then do I want to use for the frt shock.
The one that goes almost straight up or the one that angles back towards the rear of the vehicle?
 
The one that mounts inside the shock mount on the front axle is the one to keep, the other one is mounted outside the shock mount. The one in the shock mount should be the most forward one on the frame, it's the one that would be there if it didn't have quad shocks.
 
Dual shock set ups are designed to reduce the amount of heat build up in the shock. This is accomplished by running two shocks with less dampening. The less force required for compression and rebound, the less heat produced. With the proper shocks in place the dampening of the two combined should equal the dampening of 1 shock a singe shock set up. This would also reduce the stress on each shock mount (less chance of breaking one). If the ride is too stiff then the shocks used were not designed for a dual shock aplication. If you look on some shock websites you will find a different part number for dual shock front ends. I agree shock technology has improved a huge amount since the 70s and 80s but I still think two shocks doing the work of one ain't a bad idea.

Just my two cents,
Pat :thinking: :grin: :k5:
 
its not necessarily "bad"... but it is (needlessly) more expensive.

AFA shock mount strength goes, assuming the shocks are the correct length and installed correctly, its hard to imagine breaking either the mount or the bolt. I imagine if a shock bottomed out it could happen, but if its bottoming out you're running the wrong shock or have it mounted wrong. :)

j
 
He is right... heat causes air bubbles which in turn causes the dampening to soften up if the shock is getting used enough... this is why you see piggy back shocks. they use and external resevoir filled with hydrogen (usually) to pressurize the oil in the shock to prevent bubbling which allows the shock to take a beating without softening as much as a normal shock. Dual shocks definetly help this problem.
 
For 99% of the peeps here on ck5, one good high quality shock is plenty. Yes, two will handle desert racing whoops better... unfortunately hardly anyone here actually races their k5. For a DD or trail rig, 1 is enough... and better in ride quality than two crappy shocks whos combined cost is the same as one decent one.

j
 
I have a '90 Burban w stock front duals. My setup has a long shock and a short shock. Only use the long shock as the short one would have limited my front suspension travel (4" lift). It is nice to have this setup, as the long shock on the dual setup is longer than the standard single shock setup by a couple of inches, the k20 I have (single shock) would benefit from moving the front shocks upper mount up a bit, while it seems to be OK on the Burban.

Oh, BTW, when I did my Burbans suspension, the Rancho part numbers were all wrong for my truck. You need to do some measuring to make sure you get the right shocks, at least with Rancho... I have the 9000s, I like the adjustability, although once I fount the setting I liked, I havent changed it. I recently put KYB Monotube shocks on a '97 one ton Chevy and a Heep Cherokee, and was very happy with the results. Good price as well, less than $75/ea.
 
well I mounted the new Pro-Comp es3000 in the position of the longest traveling shock.
I left the short travel shock in as I want to try that for awhile and see how it is.
So far I am very pleased with the ride of the truck.
The old shock left up front is more for looks at this point since its completely shot and has basically no resistence.
 
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