Huntingman2706217 Posted August 9, 2010 Share Posted August 9, 2010 Anybody do anything to get shocks in without new tabs? Maybe found a small car shock that fits in there? Mines not going Offroad so not worried about flex... just normal driving... thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrFreeze5 Posted August 9, 2010 Share Posted August 9, 2010 Ive seen a few guys put the short shocks on there, but I would think if you got a heavy load in the bed, you would be near the end of those shocks usefulness. Why are you avoiding welding new shock tabs on? You have to weld new perches on anyway, and the shock mounts only cost $15-25. Why not add them at the same time? Especially if you are going to buy new(shorter) shocks anyway, why not spend the $30 more, get them welded on, and buy the correct length shocks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjeff87 Posted August 9, 2010 Share Posted August 9, 2010 ^^^agrees with above^^^ when I SOA'd mine, I just flipped the plates and put a set of short gasmatics on just to be able to drive it, with the intention of welding new tabs to the tubes. Two years later.......I've got the tabs, but haven't gotten them on yet :oops: IIRC, these shocks are for a Tacoma or similar.....they're 11" compressed and 16" extended (or something close to that anyway). They work, but not the best..... Image Not Found Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Huntingman2706217 Posted August 9, 2010 Author Share Posted August 9, 2010 Cause I bought a parts mj with the soa already done... had shocks like yours above... then I swapped It into mine and just got around to the shocks and realised its not gonna work... LOL... I can weld... just didn't know if there was another option first... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete M Posted August 9, 2010 Share Posted August 9, 2010 I put the shock mounts between the leafs and axle (trimmed to go around the axle) and kept the stock shocks. I lost an inch of potential up and an inch of potential down, but it worked great for years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjeff87 Posted August 9, 2010 Share Posted August 9, 2010 you want some real fun, try driving your SOA once without any shocks at all..... we did the work on mine down at Pat's house, about 1.5 hours from mine and I drove home shockless. Needless to say, I had those shocks purchased at 0800 the next morning :D Jeff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Huntingman2706217 Posted August 10, 2010 Author Share Posted August 10, 2010 I put the shock mounts between the leafs and axle (trimmed to go around the axle) and kept the stock shocks. I lost an inch of potential up and an inch of potential down, but it worked great for years. did you need another plate to still go up top for the u bolts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MjPioneer Posted August 10, 2010 Share Posted August 10, 2010 you want some real fun, try driving your SOA once without any shocks at all..... we did the work on mine down at Pat's house, about 1.5 hours from mine and I drove home shockless. Needless to say, I had those shocks purchased at 0800 the next morning :D Jeff I drove mine for like...4-5months without rear shocks, sure the rear end liked to pick up when coming to a stop, but it's not unbearable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete M Posted August 10, 2010 Share Posted August 10, 2010 I put the shock mounts between the leafs and axle (trimmed to go around the axle) and kept the stock shocks. I lost an inch of potential up and an inch of potential down, but it worked great for years. did you need another plate to still go up top for the u bolts? yes. I had to make one to fit my 9" axle. I've seen guys get away with using the stock U-bolt plate (that's tucked up under the shock mount plate). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Comanche County Posted August 10, 2010 Share Posted August 10, 2010 Just for reference, here's mine. I plan to relocate the inner mounts to the bottom of the bed and angle them outward to the ends of the axle --- one day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Huntingman2706217 Posted August 10, 2010 Author Share Posted August 10, 2010 odd?? my shock plate was my ubolt plate? ill probly just stick real short ones in there for now... it was a SOA but it was done on a D35... heck i got the parts manche for $300 so why not ride it out for a bit? but eventually ill probly swap in a 8.8 and then ill worry about shock tabs and such later... i hope to be running a 360 anyways in about a year or so... sooner i hope but probly a year... lol... althought i should have the u bolt plate from my 97 parts XJ laying somewhere in the pile of crap in the back of it... maybe if I'm really really lucky i could use my buddys 2010 tacomas OEM u bolts with the square instead of rounded curve... the OEM shock mounts on the bottom of the axle still and the XJ's plates at the top... that would be nuts if it actually worked but I'm sure it won't and id be spending more money... lol... oh well... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Huntingman2706217 Posted August 10, 2010 Author Share Posted August 10, 2010 with keeping the plates on the bottom you would need longer shocks then right? well heck... the parts XJ had 4.5in of lift and i never pulled the rear shocks... that would probly work great... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Comanche County Posted August 10, 2010 Share Posted August 10, 2010 Yes, the way I have it now requires longer shocks. But its worth it. When I first installed a SOA 8.8 I flipped the plates like you have it and used my stock shocks but it only left a few inches of travel. I carried a lot of firewood at the time and the shocks would fully compress with hardly any load at all. Here's a pic of back then. So I thought of a bright idea to cut the shock plate and effectively lower the shock for more travel.....BAD IDEA! Also, its a bad idea to reuse the u-bolts or separate the shock plate and the inner (and thicker) u bolt plate. Read this thread and learn from my mistake that was almost a disaster. Take no short cuts here. viewtopic.php?f=2&t=16269 Just get a plate like the one Pete posted and some new straight bolts. Or just weld the tabs and angle the shocks inward like Pete's and several others have their shocks set up....I'm going to do it - eventually. Also, I'm sure some one could hook you up with part numbers for shocks that you could pick up at any auto parts store. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Huntingman2706217 Posted August 11, 2010 Author Share Posted August 11, 2010 yeah i looked and none of that other stuff i got will work... I'm just gonna find some real short shocks for alittle while and once its up and running... painted... and everything else is finished up ill grab a 8.8 and ruff stuff's axle swap... i got there kit for my XJ and its BEEF... love it... worth the money... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
james750 Posted August 11, 2010 Share Posted August 11, 2010 Ive been running Monroe 31000 series shocks in the rear of my truck just like Mjeff ever since my SOA almost 2 years ago. I've loaded the truck with just under a ton in the bed with no problems and have no problems with the shocks limiting my uptravel or downtravel when flexing offroad. http://www.greatlakesxj.com/tech/MJRearShock.htm This page helped me I.D the shocks I needed when I went SOA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Huntingman2706217 Posted August 11, 2010 Author Share Posted August 11, 2010 Wow... that's a confusing listing... LOL... ill have to check it out again later... lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnnyc Posted August 12, 2010 Share Posted August 12, 2010 Here's a pic of my setup. Those are Ruffstuff shock mounts. My Bilstein 5150s have since died and I now have some cheapie NAPA shocks on there temporarily. I have a line on some Bilstein 7100 reservoir shocks. I'll hope to get them on soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cracker Posted August 12, 2010 Share Posted August 12, 2010 Here's a pic of my setup. Those are Ruffstuff shock mounts. My Bilstein 5150s have since died and I now have some cheapie NAPA shocks on there temporarily. I have a line on some Bilstein 7100 reservoir shocks. I'll hope to get them on soon. I am set up similar as well (at least the shock mounts I am) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete M Posted August 12, 2010 Share Posted August 12, 2010 doesn't have much bearing on the OP, but this is the current setup on my 88: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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