Build Aluminum Shocks

Put ’em together better than the factory for peak performance

- Kevin Hetmanski

Aluminium shocks are a great upgrade for any vehicle that comes with plastic shocks. In addition to looking way cooler, aluminium shocks will offer smoother performance with more time between rebuild than plastic shocks as well as greater durability. Most aluminium-upgrade shocks arrive fully assembled, so all you have to do is fill them with oil, bolt them on, hit the dirt. And that's fine. But if you want those shocks to perform the best they can, for as long as they can, then there are a few things you can do to achieve just that. The tips that follow can be used on aftermarket shocks or on shocks that you’re building while putting a kit together, and they don’t take long. A few extra minutes at the bench can mean a lot more hours between rebuilds, so let’s get those aluminum shocks dialed in.

1. DISASSEMBLY

If your shocks are not yet assembled, skip to step 4. Otherwise, remove the spring cups and springs, then remove the shock cap, making sure that you pay attention to the seal used to contain the oil. If you have a bladder or seal (if building an emulsion-type shock), it should be contained in the shock cap; sometimes, however, it may fall out. If that happens, place the bladder or seal back in the cap, and check the other caps to make sure you install it correctly.

2. REMOVE THE SHAFTS

You can now remove the rod end at the end of the shock shaft. Use a pair of shock-shaft pliers to hold the shaft without damaging it. If you don’t have a pair of shock-shaft pliers, you can use standard pliers with a rag between the shaft and jaws to keep the surface from being damaged. Once the rod end is removed, coat the threads of the shaft with O-ring grease to keep them from cutting the dry O-rings in the bottom of the shock when pushing the shafts out of the shock body.

3. REMOVE THE O-RINGS