You using protection?

Submitted: Thursday, Jul 02, 2015 at 13:02
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No, not getting personal.........are you using any protection to prevent stone damage to your rear shockies?

Over the years, working on stations in NT & Qld, I've often seen shockies damaged, or the piston seized, from excessive stone damage, long before the "normal" life span of the shock was achieved.

To reduce damage, we used to cut lengths of 63mm poly pipe, longways, and fix these to lower section of the shock with a hose clamp. Seemed to work well, and if the poly started to get a bit worse for wear, it didn't take much to refit a new piece.

Now that I'm semi-retired, I have time to start many "projects"(whether I ever finish any, or many of said projects, is probably a good subject for a later thread!!!), and I recently made a set of steel, rather than poly, shockie protectors. The reason for the steel units was mainly for the better heat loss aspect.

Cut a length of 55mm NB pipe(3mm wall) about 120mm long, and split this length ways. Cut some "cooling slits" on the top half of each, then welded some strips at the front. One of these was a guard for the adjusting knob for the Tough Dog adjustable shocks. Some matt black paint, a dab of silastic and 2 x 3.5" hose clamps completed the kit.





Haven't done a cost analysis yet, but going on the materials, labour, smoko breaks, EO checks and sundry items, I could probably sell them, postage included, for about $200 per kit. :-)))

Bob

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Reply By: Member - ACD 1 - Thursday, Jul 02, 2015 at 14:30

Thursday, Jul 02, 2015 at 14:30
What a great idea Bob.

Protect your protection system before one of the big boys steal it and make all your money.

Cheers

Anthony
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Follow Up By: garrycol - Thursday, Jul 02, 2015 at 14:42

Thursday, Jul 02, 2015 at 14:42
This has already been done - say the same basic thing in shops many many years ago.
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Follow Up By: Bob Y. - Qld - Friday, Jul 03, 2015 at 08:15

Friday, Jul 03, 2015 at 08:15
Thanks Garry,

Knew ARB sold these......just trying to make a different type of mouse trap.

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Reply By: Rangiephil - Thursday, Jul 02, 2015 at 14:47

Thursday, Jul 02, 2015 at 14:47
This is only of any use on Bilsteins or other Mono bodied shocks.
I made up guards for mine from perforated steel to allow air to still circulate around the shock.
Remember that a monoshock gets its performance advantage on corrugations by dissipating the heat quicker through the single wall of the shock.

Anything you do to prevent air flow will cause the shock to heat up and lose performance.

On conventional dual tube shocks nearly all stone damage is just cosmetic as the outer tube is just an oil reservoir.
Regards Philip A
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Follow Up By: Bob Y. - Qld - Friday, Jul 03, 2015 at 08:20

Friday, Jul 03, 2015 at 08:20
Take your point about Bilsteins needing "protection" Phil.

Tried a set on an 80 series once. :-((. Never again.......unless someone else was buying them for me.

Bob

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Reply By: desray (WA - Thursday, Jul 02, 2015 at 17:08

Thursday, Jul 02, 2015 at 17:08
ARB have been selling steel ones for years.
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Follow Up By: Bob Y. - Qld - Friday, Jul 03, 2015 at 08:17

Friday, Jul 03, 2015 at 08:17
Had seen the ARB ones some years back, Desray.

EO member called into home and he had them fitted to the remote canister type shocks.

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Reply By: Crusier 91 - Friday, Jul 03, 2015 at 04:01

Friday, Jul 03, 2015 at 04:01
Oh Bob,

I can't being to tell you how many idea's I have come up with only to be slapped in the face with it all ready been done or not being able to design a one fit's all.

The missus had a problem she needed to solve with a client about a year ago. In 5 minutes she had it soughted. One day to make and $8k to patent.

Some of us are just lucky.
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Follow Up By: Bob Y. - Qld - Friday, Jul 03, 2015 at 08:25

Friday, Jul 03, 2015 at 08:25
Thanks Cruiser,

$8K to patent? You'd need to make sure there was a profit in it, eh.

Don't think I'll bother trying a patent on these. Been told numerous times they've been round for years!

Keep trying, you might get that special something, that no one else has thought of. :-)

Bob

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Reply By: Slow one - Friday, Jul 03, 2015 at 05:41

Friday, Jul 03, 2015 at 05:41
Haven't done a cost analysis yet, but going on the materials, labour, smoko breaks, EO checks and sundry items, I could probably sell them, postage included, for about $200 per kit. :-)))

Bob, you forgot to include your Nanna nap time in the cost analysis. This could have been an earth shattering miscalculation if you didn't include it. :-D
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Follow Up By: Bob Y. - Qld - Friday, Jul 03, 2015 at 08:34

Friday, Jul 03, 2015 at 08:34
Your right Slow, serious oversight on my part. Important part of the retiree's day!

Looks like ARB & others have already "stolen" my idea. Heading off to Birdsville this arvo, to sulk with Jimmy and the boys.:-)

Just OT Slow. Where do you go to see Copperfield Gorge? Just came home Sunday via Mt Surprise 'n Einsleigh, but didn't see any gorge? That road off the bitumen to Einsleigh is something else, eh! Most of the stuff in the camper swapped places, 2 or 3 times, and I was only going steady.

Thanks,
Bob

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Follow Up By: Slow one - Friday, Jul 03, 2015 at 12:02

Friday, Jul 03, 2015 at 12:02
Bob it is not far from the pub and it really isn't a gorge.

If you travel north from the pub a short distance, there is a dirt road on the right. Follow that and it will take you there and again it is only a short distance. It is about where the Copperfield joins the Einsliegh. Have a look on Goggle satellite view and you should see it.

Very nice when there is water in the River

Have a good run down to Birdsville and enjoy.
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Follow Up By: Bob Y. - Qld - Friday, Jul 03, 2015 at 13:39

Friday, Jul 03, 2015 at 13:39
Okay, onto it now, Slow.

Noticed that hill down there the other afternoon, but thought the "gorge" was upstream towards Kidston. Went to the pub for a sherbert but front doors were shut....thought it might have "secret men's business" so just kept going. Maybe next time.........?

Good waterhole on the Einsleigh at Carpentaria Downs, eh. Have heard mention of people camping there, but appeared to be deserted, except for a few "hides" feeding away from the River.

Should get somewhere south of Boulia tonight? Be a slow start in the morning........has got cold again out here,

Thanks,
Bob

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Reply By: vk1dx - Friday, Jul 03, 2015 at 08:43

Friday, Jul 03, 2015 at 08:43
Good idea mate.

We actually got some with the Bilsteins. They come with them standard. And they are marked a lot from stones and stuff.

Phil
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Follow Up By: Bob Y. - Qld - Friday, Jul 03, 2015 at 09:31

Friday, Jul 03, 2015 at 09:31
No worries, Phil. The guards must be a later addition, as they weren't available when I bought a set.

How's your trip plans going? You got a firm departure date set yet? Good and cool in Birdsville at the moment........down to about 6 deg over the weekend, according to Weatherzone. That'd be shorts 'n tee shirt weather for you, Phil? :-))

Catch ya,
Bob

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Follow Up By: vk1dx - Saturday, Jul 04, 2015 at 11:53

Saturday, Jul 04, 2015 at 11:53
The guards aren't anything special Bob. Just a curved plate that mounts around the shockie with a space (crush zone) between them and the shockie. They are, "were" that is, the same colour as the Bilsteins, but maybe they were a shield made by the workshop themselves. No bad dents after 6 years and 150 thousand kilometers so far. We go to two workshops here and both are really an excellent example to others that I have heard about. They also reinforced the lower wishbone arm and torsion bar mounts for me without asking. My instructions to them, when we first got the car, was to make it so we can get back home, or at least be able to return to civilisation. Excellent work. So maybe they were a "shop addition". Don't worry - they charge plenty, so one could say that "you get what you pay for".

25 days to lift off mate. Already have an ensuited cabin in Birdsville booked for our first night after the desert. May even have a shower before dinner. Is it customary to dress for dinner these days? Do I need the dinner suit!!!! Cold - HAH !!!! -6 in Canberra last night. Minus -- not plus.

Phil
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Follow Up By: Bob Y. - Qld - Monday, Jul 06, 2015 at 11:42

Monday, Jul 06, 2015 at 11:42
Tried to send this from Birdsville on Sat, Phil, but with about 4K extra people in town think the phone lines might have been a little congested!!!

Telstra have an Iterra IP satellite Wi-Fi link here at the Big Red Bash, so once they switch it back on this should go? Weather perfect at the moment, and the place is wall to wall people(maybe that should "dune to dune"? :-)), 4wds and every type of mobile accommodation imaginable.

Music is loud enough to hear over 500M away, so one only needed a ticket for the atmosphere. Got Barnsey, Diesel and others this arvo & tonight, so no doubt it'll be just as loud!

Should have quietened down a lot by the time you pass this way, Phil, en route to that hot shower. :-)

Travel safe,
Bob

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Follow Up By: Bob Y. - Qld - Monday, Jul 06, 2015 at 11:49

Monday, Jul 06, 2015 at 11:49




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Follow Up By: vk1dx - Monday, Jul 06, 2015 at 12:35

Monday, Jul 06, 2015 at 12:35
Thanks Bob. A good time to stay away from Big Red!

Three weeks!!!!!!!!

Phil
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Reply By: Alloy c/t - Sunday, Jul 05, 2015 at 10:15

Sunday, Jul 05, 2015 at 10:15
OME [old man emu] have a shock guard that protects not only the lower shock area but also the shock bolt thread and nut from stone damage …...
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Follow Up By: Bob Y. - Qld - Monday, Jul 06, 2015 at 11:44

Monday, Jul 06, 2015 at 11:44
Why buy them, when I can make 'em?

79's don't have that problem with lower bolt mounting.

Bob

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