Originally Posted by
j.d.roost
Hello.
I am new to the t3 (coming from a Photon) and if I have a complaint it's the shocks. I have been having a hard time getting them set with little rebound and no air.I am also struggling with getting the top tight enough where it won't leak and/or pushing in/cutting the bladders.
I have read through the various post and tried a few different methods to get the shocks right but I just don't have the knack with the xray stuff I guess..
That being said..
I messed up and ordered the "deep" x-ray bladders.
Rebuilt the shocks yesterday and with ease... I have what I would call
my ideal rebound for carpet (just a pinch over zero).
So my question is..
What will this effect as far as handling goes?
I noticed most people don't run this style of shock bladder anymore so there must be some sort of negative to using them over the shorti-soft ones.
Thanks for any input.
The plastic shocks are not great...You will get the normal fan boys on this thread that rave about how good they are, but reality is they are sub-par compared to most other shocks in the Industry.
I would recommend the RSD 10mm bladders. They work very will in the Xray shocks and are tons more reliable then then Xray Bladders. The issue with the Xray bladders is that they are simply too soft.
The Key with the the reflex bladders is that they are slightly larger in diameter then the xray bladders. So you have to build them in a very specific way.
Here is what I do...
1)Fill shocks with oil and pump out all of the air... Typical stuff!
2)Insert the RSD bladder into the top cap (the correct direction of course) and make sure the bladder is flush with the plastic top shock mount that is in the top cap. In this Step it is normal to get the bladder stuck in the threads and not flush with the plastic cap. It is important to make sure the bladder is past the threads. Use a blunt tool to help ensure the bladder is properly seated on the outside lip. Anything sharp might damage the bladder.
3) with the piston pulled all of the way down; screw the top cap on slightly (maybe one or two revolutions at most). Push the piston up slowly to the top and watch the oil comes out the bleed hole (if the oil does not come out then the cap is on too far or the bleed hole is blocked). At this point with the piston all the way up continue to screw the top cap in until it stops. You should see a fair amount of oil come out of the bleed hole during this process.
4) check to ensure there is not air in the shock and check the rebound is where you want it. I normally run 0-10% rebound with a drilled top cap and no foam insert. The action should be smooth as butter and the shock should not make any noises while moving the piston up and down.
5)put on spring and retainer...install on car!
All of this assumes that all of the plastic parts have been trimmed and sanded properly.
If you guys really want I can put together a short video...but with Xray moving to new shocks on the T4 it is probably all irrelevant moving forward.