Hi @Peter Connan,Peter Connan wrote: ↑21 Mar 2019 20:36 Long overdue for an update
Some info on shock lengths.
Standard Nissan: 480mm extended, 289mm retracted, 191mm stroke.
Old Man Emu Nitro-charger: 496mm extended, 301mm retracted, 200mm stroke.
There are some longer shocks available, such as the Old Man Emu 60018, which is 617mm extended, 359mm retracted and 258mm stroke. But to fit a shock like that, you need to extend the top of the shock up into the engine bay or put on a big lift AND (critically) extend the bump stops by at least 58mm. This is the longest shock I found in the Old Man Emu catalog.
As mentioned before, I didn't want to do either of those and that still isn't enough stroke to really get the X-link flexed out.
I ended up with custom-made shocks from Bilstein. These have external reservoirs to extend the stroke length, and I lifted the shock towers 25mm up by placing spacers under them. This made the shocks quite difficult to fit, but they do. My custom Bilsteins are :
617mm extended, 345mm retracted, 272mm stroke.
The X-link can actually handle a stroke of 320mm, but the springs fall out at anything over about 280mm.
Due to the fact that the shock are mounted further inboard than the wheel, I now have 465mm of wheel movement measured at the centre of the tread (front axle only).
I also had to modify the bushes and the bush washers to make sure I don't snap off the shock rod.
Just reading through this thread again,
Do you perhaps know what the oem valving, compression and rebound is for GQ Shocks? What valving did you specify for your custom Bilsteins?
Interested if you kept to oem valving or went softer or harder.
Thanks
