[RedneckInTraining]

So I'm looks for a set of new shocks for bombing down forest roads.I went on a gambler 500 with my 96 2wd ram 1500.On one of the roads its was a rock garden with alot of baseball sized rocks with a few watermelon sized rocks thrown in for good measure.I didnt have the traction to do 4 mph like some of the 4wds in the group so I went 20-25 mph.About 30 minutes after getting out of the rocky trail I was on smooth gravel and starting noticing the back end bouncing and skittering when ever I hit anything more than a pebble,15 minutes later 50 mph was impossible because the back end would skitter over anything bigger than a pea-Blown rear shocks.I replaced all 4 shocks last year with some cheap shocks from  amazon ($100 for all 4).

I was thinking of steeping up to bilstien 5100's but Ive heard they wouldnt really stand up to bombing down forest roads.Other all out race shocks what can I use to get a bit more life out of them?The truck has about 4-500lbs of gear in the bed for these runs,so its not overloaded by any stretch.I'm running 285/75/16 tires so that is more weight for the shocks to deal with.The fronts are fine,but they only have the weight of the 3.9L and the tires to contend with.

 

[dodge82273]

put more weight in the bed ,use sand bags , nothing solid ,  does it stop the chattering ?

 

[RXT]

In a nut shell, shocks do their thing of dampening spring oscillations by converting motion into heat. Most shocks can handle a few bumps and dissipate that heat thru their body. Most regular shocks do not do constant motion well, such when a suspension system is being worked for long periods of time. Under these conditions, shocks can overheat and leak. When this happens you no longer have shocks.

Off road shocks, specifically race shocks differ in their design in that they have means to absorb more heat or dissipate more heat. This can include heat sinks…

Ever see those remote reservoir shocks? These shocks carry additional oil which allows more heat absorption and more heat dissipation.

You can also go old school, by doubling the shocks. The idea behind dual shocks is that each shock is lightly valved so that each individual shock won't get as hot. The heat is therefore spread over more shocks, preventing any individual shock from overheating.

If you don't want to drop a ton of money on race shocks, coil overs or reservoir shocks, double up or triple up a few cheap shocks at each corner.

Ed

 

[username408]

The bilstiens 5100's didn't even hold up to towing in my truck.  I was pretty disappointing they had failed by 20k and I wasn't hammering it hard offroad. 

 

[dodge82273]

use a lighter rated shock , or a heavier load . A very heavy sprung truck with no load in it will dance when accelerating on a rough road . heavy shocks are trying to limmit/slow the spring action , providing a no or heavy spring condition . easy enough to try , could even be free ... 

 

[KurtfromLaQuinta]

Simple cure... air down the tires.
You don't need to run "Max Pressure" especially in the rear tires unless your carrying a lot of weight.
Every off road trip I've ever been on involves some dirt roads. They can be brain numbing with all the chattering coming from the hard pack.
I learned many years ago to air down. The ride improved greatly. Not to mention the traction!
Don't get to carried away especially in the rocks. Experiment.
In the sand, when I was running bias ply tires years ago, I would go down as low as 8 lbs. in the rear tires. 12 lbs. in the front.
Don't do that with radials.
I usually run 22-24 in the front and 18-20 in the rear. Again... with rocks you my want to run a little more.

 

[dodge82273]

I usually run 22-24 in the front and 18-20 in the rear. Again... with rocks you my want to run a little more. 
good info  , agreed ........... air down .. know the race guys are running tires you don't have , can't use on road ...

 

[KThaxton]

Get a 4x4......best answer. 

Regularly bombing down rough roads will be a constant part replacement endeavor.