Monroe Reflex monotube shocks

[backcountryislife]

SO, that makes me wonder... if you simply compressed the upper mounting rubber more, or shaved 3/8 or so off of it (the one on the bottom that is)... would it still hit? Probably wouldn't take much to avoid that.

 

[Hunner]

To shorten the shock you would want that lower bushing to be thinner if you could not compress it enough.
I have to try to sort out which bushings in my junk drawer are the Bilstein and which I used to make sure.
Can't find what I think are them, must have used them on the other truck.
I did find this and it shows the shocks with the eye end lined up what the top looks like. The Bilstein bushing is thicker.
I also tightened the top nut with the OEM bushings until they puckered up. That may be where I am getting a bit more room.

 

[telemike]

So, the Monroe Reflex is what I should choose?

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[Hunner]

You of course have to decide. If those are specified as replacement for OEM then they should be near the same length.

What all this mess we brought up means is that if you crank up your torsions to 23 1/2 or more you may feel them topping out but should not have a problem with the UCA tapping the metal stop.
Don't know about shock ratio as far as how stiff in which direction or compared to stock or if they are stiffer. Maybe wherever you are buying them or online has a detailed description.
I will also look.
I had considered Old Man Emu if they were available at the time I swapped shocks. I thought I remembered some one saying they now list the H3. I don't know the details on those but know Rover guys around here seem to like his stuff.

 

[backcountryislife]

Almost looks like you could pull the bushing off the stocker & use that one to gain the little bit it would take... I kind of like that better than cutting the bilstein one... though a cut chunk of rubber is a chunk of rubber... not the most precise item either way.

 

[Hunner]

That IS what I did was use the old bushings that came on the H3 because I liked that metal shaft that engages with the lower bushing to center it.
I looked back on HX and read where I did all that.

 

[telemike]

I have not cranked torsion bars.

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[telemike]

http://catalog.monroe.com/catalogPa...atalogCode=monroe&locale=EN&loadStatus=ACTIVE

 

[backcountryislife]

That IS what I did was use the old bushings that came on the H3 because I liked that metal shaft that engages with the lower bushing to center it.
I looked back on HX and read where I did all that.

So if that 3/8 difference is what you ended up with after that sucked down... makes sense that the stock setup would provide almost zero protection from top out.



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[Hunner]

Ta da! Yet some people say they don't feel it??

 

[telemike]

What about the Bilstein 4600 series shocks?

Maybe just get the OEM shocks? There are two kinds of OEM shocks:


ACDELCO Part # 540426 {#24300081}
ABSORBER,RR SHK w/FIRM RIDE Shock Absorber (FG2) or OFF
ROAD SUSP PKG(ZM6)

ACDELCO Part # 560636 {#20864725}
ABSORBER,RR SHK w/OFF ROAD SUSP PKG(ZM6); w/o FIRM RIDE
Shock Absorber (FG2) or HUMMER H3 STREET PERF PKG(HH3)

 

[backcountryislife]

What about the Bilstein 4600 series shocks?

Maybe just get the OEM shocks? There are two kinds of OEM shocks:


ACDELCO Part # 540426 {#24300081}
ABSORBER,RR SHK w/FIRM RIDE Shock Absorber (FG2) or OFF
ROAD SUSP PKG(ZM6)

ACDELCO Part # 560636 {#20864725}
ABSORBER,RR SHK w/OFF ROAD SUSP PKG(ZM6); w/o FIRM RIDE
Shock Absorber (FG2) or HUMMER H3 STREET PERF PKG(HH3)

So which one is the one used on the adv models?

Looking at those descriptions it's hard to tell how they compare, seems like the 540426 would be the one to get.

How much are these compared to the off the shelf monroes?

 

[telemike]

 

[backcountryislife]

You can get 5100s for less than that $87 figure... obviously shipping would make or break either.

Understanding how to keep the 5100 from topping out as much I'd do them again, but with the OEM rubber on the bottom side.

I got my 5100's for $78 ea.

Here's fronts for $183 shipped from summit racing

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Two-2-Bilst...Parts_Accessories&hash=item5aec727abb&vxp=mtr

4wheel parts has them on sale for $80 with free shipping as well...

http://www.4wheelparts.com/Lift-Kit...e=HUMMER&Model=H3&DRIVEWHEEL_VQ=4+Wheel+Drive

I'd very much prefer the bilstein shocks over a monroe build stocker.


Btw 4600's are $65 ea... but I can't say anything about them, as I've never run them.




So hunner, are the bilsteins you ran or are running the "cognito" lifted ones, or a direct replacement? That's another thing I was wondering about. I'm assuming that you've got the cognitos, but a direct replacement with a little more bumper below the mount would do the same thing really... and give you a nice soft bumpstop (I know, the frame bumper does that... just thinking out loud) If you just buy the stock replacement, you get the 5100, no topping out, but a little less travel that a connected truck isn't likely to use anyhow, and one at 23.25 definitely doesn't need.

 

[telemike]

What are the FG2 shocks? Both GM options say ZM6 pkg

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[Hunner]

At the time in 06 I wanted new shocks I was not aware of any other shock that had the right mounts that were slightly longer and a better ratio except the ones Phil at Trail Duty told me about. After I did all that bump stop building I did and adding the BP tie rods I wanted something different.
So what was available was the Bilstein and he started carrying them with a label that says

F4-BE5-C153-H0
GM K1500 LFTD FRT ZINC
BE5-C1530=-H0

The set I got in the box do not say Cognito anywhere on the box or shock that I saw. It does not say that in his catalog online on the page with the front ones either. It does say that when you are looking at the rears and it has a link to them at the bottom of the page. I'm not sure where that term came from. Maybe a division of Bilstein? Maybe Tomp knows.

I mentioned to Phil years ago he should consider changing that title description he has so it more clearly indicates, these are for AFTER you lift the H3 with the torsions rather than calling the kit with the extended bump stops

"Trail Duty Bilstein Hummer H3 Front Leveling System"

Because I see people stating they raised their H3 with this kit or will it raise the H3, as if they think it will somehow raise it.
He did put the correct thing in the description for that but also says "The factory shock absorbers will also be prone to bottoming out as they will now be too short."
I still call it topping out when the shock is fully extended against it's stops or it's max length and bottoming out would be fully compressed? Maybe just me?
I guess some of that may just be symantics but important for people that might not understand some of this as indicated by past posts on the subject.
https://www.trailduty.com/product_info.php?products_id=765

 

[backcountryislife]

No.. you're right, it's topping out. Extended shock is at TOP of travel, compressed is at bottom of travel.
I'm sure it just got written without thinking about it.

Those are what some are calling the "incognitos"... likewise, wondering where that term came from.


Btw, from an across the board comparison, has anyone run 4600's on anything? Any appreciable difference from the 5100's? Is it worth saving $60 to run them compared to the 5100's?