FMTV Shock Absorbers

[charlesrg]

Damn

Is that direct or from a vendor?

From a vendor. I don't have a way to put a direct order. Same vendor also has other clients waiting on it.

 

[Third From Texas]

COVID, Brandon, pick a reason why we can't (get or have) nice stuff.

I've no interest in changing out my front coil-overs (those bad boys will never wear out) but when my rear shocks need to be replaced I'm going to get some 3" triple bypass bodies and valve them for the weight. Fox, Icons, Race Ready...I'm not picky. I'd tear down and go thru anything I was sold anyway so may as well build them to my specs (with the completed habitat weight in mind).

 

[chucky]

COVID, Brandon, pick a reason why we can't (get or have) nice stuff.

I've no interest in changing out my front coil-overs (those bad boys will never wear out) but when my rear shocks need to be replaced I'm going to get some 3" triple bypass bodies and valve them for the weight. Fox, Icons, Race Ready...I'm not picky. I'd tear down and go thru anything I was sold anyway so may as well build them to my specs (with the completed habitat weight in mind).

On your coil over shocks are the shock tower where they bolt at top bigger than your AO tower ? I would put the coil over on mine if they fit in the tower !

 

[coachgeo]

On your coil over shocks are the shock tower where they bolt at top bigger than your AO tower ? I would put the coil over on mine if they fit in the tower !

they are bigger..... you have to actually move one of the towers as well.

Also, based on what folk have written; you dont want them anyway..... they were added in anticipation of heavy armor to be bolted to the cab. The coils were intended to accommodate the added weight.....w/out the weight they are way to stiff and provide a horrible ride. Granted often the trucks they came on often did not have cab air ride either. (the air ride would not be able to deal with the heavy cab)

 

[chucky]

they are bigger..... you have to actually move one of the towers as well.

Also, based on what folk have written; you dont want them anyway..... they were added in anticipation of heavy armor to be bolted to the cab. The coils were intended to accommodate the added weight.....w/out the weight they are way to stiff and provide a horrible ride. Granted often the trucks they came on often did not have cab air ride either. (the air ride would not be able to deal with the heavy cab)

Thats good to know and saved me trying to track them down ! THANKS

 

[Third From Texas]

they are bigger..... you have to actually move one of the towers as well.

Also, based on what folk have written; you dont want them anyway..... they were added in anticipation of heavy armor to be bolted to the cab. The coils were intended to accommodate the added weight.....w/out the weight they are way to stiff and provide a horrible ride. Granted often the trucks they came on often did not have cab air ride either. (the air ride would not be able to deal with the heavy cab)

I'd say that they wouldn't be worth the effort to do a conversion, but I wouldn't call them "unwanted". The ride is somewhat stiffer on the A1R but it's also 200% more quiet than the A0 trucks (fewer flex points and squeaky bits, etc). I've not looked into replacing the coils with lower weight springs but I might after the cab is all built out and I can get an exact weight. There is always a tradeoff between "comfort" and "off road durability" but I wouldn't call the A1R design uncomfortable by any means.

I live in Mexico (S. Tx) and the streets here are pure shit. There are streets I drive over in the AR1 that you don't even notice (where I was bounced all across the cab in my A0 in the exact same spot). Pros and cons to both designs, I think. And at one point I even considered converting to air-ride cab on the A1R. But IMO, the cons of the air-ride system out weigh any pros over the A1R design (air line leaks, bags dry rotting or blowing out, leveling sensor failures, the cost of keeping all the potential failure points working, and those &^%$#(* sqweaky ears the cab latches ride on). Grass is always greener, I'd say stick with what's on your truck whatever it may be.

ymmv

 

[chucky]

I'd say that they wouldn't be worth the effort to do a conversion, but I wouldn't call them "unwanted". The ride is somewhat stiffer on the A1R but it's also 200% more quiet than the A0 trucks (fewer flex points and squeaky bits, etc). I've not looked into replacing the coils with lower weight springs but I might after the cab is all built out and I can get an exact weight. There is always a tradeoff between "comfort" and "off road durability" but I wouldn't call the A1R design uncomfortable by any means.

I live in Mexico (S. Tx) and the streets here are pure shit. There are streets I drive over in the AR1 that you don't even notice (where I was bounced all across the cab in my A0 in the exact same spot). Pros and cons to both designs, I think. And at one point I even considered converting to air-ride cab on the A1R. But IMO, the cons of the air-ride system out weigh any pros over the A1R design (air line leaks, bags dry rotting or blowing out, leveling sensor failures, the cost of keeping all the potential failure points working, and those &^%$#(* sqweaky ears the cab latches ride on). Grass is always greener, I'd say stick with what's on your truck whatever it may be.

ymmv

For anyone that their cab does squeak at the rear catches that set down on the pipe looking piece mine was awful when i got the truck and i took a small piece of the aluminum backed rubber sticky sheets your use for sound and heat and wrapped a piece around both pegs and ive never herd another squeak back there !

 

[ramdough]

For anyone that their cab does squeak at the rear catches that set down on the pipe looking piece mine was awful when i got the truck and i took a small piece of the aluminum backed rubber sticky sheets your use for sound and heat and wrapped a piece around both pegs and ive never herd another squeak back there !

Do you mind posting a picture and what rubber you bought (post a link maybe)?

My cab squeaks like crazy.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Third From Texas]

For anyone that their cab does squeak at the rear catches that set down on the pipe looking piece mine was awful when i got the truck and i took a small piece of the aluminum backed rubber sticky sheets your use for sound and heat and wrapped a piece around both pegs and ive never herd another squeak back there !

On my first A0 I just kept a small tube of grease in the cab. Every time I purchased fuel I would put a dab of grease on the tab/ears. It worked as long as you remembered to do it.

 

[GeneralDisorder]

I can confirm that the A1R coil overs ride pretty decent. The suspension seats help. Honestly don't miss the air ride cab or it's considerable maintenance cost and complexity.

 

[chucky]

Do you mind posting a picture and what rubber you bought (post a link maybe)?

My cab squeaks like crazy.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

heatshieldproducts.com/sound-insulation-db-armor

 

[chucky]

I used this on the underside of engine mound /ceiling /wall /over my generator. Its thick and it works ! I ran out and used the 6 in wide rolls from lowes of whats like HSP just thinner on my door panels and my cab interior is like a tomb compared to what it was ! A friend of mine has at least 30 cucvs and he puts the lowes stuff in the floorboards of everything he owns . Its where they have the fiberglass carport roof sheets and its cheap ! Long story short you can use either product rapped around the pegs the cab latches rest on /not where the cab lock in the center is

 

[Mullaney]

I used this on the underside of engine mound /ceiling /wall /over my generator. Its thick and it works ! I ran out and used the 6 in wide rolls from lowes of whats like HSP just thinner on my door panels and my cab interior is like a tomb compared to what it was ! A friend of mine has at least 30 cucvs and he puts the lowes stuff in the floorboards of everything he owns . Its where they have the fiberglass carport roof sheets and its cheap ! Long story short you can use either product rapped around the pegs the cab latches rest on /not where the cab lock in the center is

.
Well, at least I discovered something today. My M1089 sounded like a teenager with his new sweetie this afternoon riding down the road. I thought maybe it was one of those "driver boxes" behind the seats. Climbed down and leaned back more than normal - and it screeked and scronked. Rounded up son and he climbed up behind the cab and pinpointed the noise. A little grease and the problem disappeared...

Thanks for the tip about the rubber cushion!
Wonder if it had some sort of bushing originally?
.

 

[chucky]

.
Well, at least I discovered something today. My M1089 sounded like a teenager with his new sweetie this afternoon riding down the road. I thought maybe it was one of those "driver boxes" behind the seats. Climbed down and leaned back more than normal - and it screeked and scronked. Rounded up son and he climbed up behind the cab and pinpointed the noise. A little grease and the problem disappeared...

Thanks for the tip about the rubber cushion!
Wonder if it had some sort of bushing originally?
.

I dont think so but i think the mixture of wraping the sticky rubber and aluminum should keep it quite for a while and add as needed !

 

[Third From Texas]

.
Well, at least I discovered something today. My M1089 sounded like a teenager with his new sweetie this afternoon riding down the road. I thought maybe it was one of those "driver boxes" behind the seats. Climbed down and leaned back more than normal - and it screeked and scronked. Rounded up son and he climbed up behind the cab and pinpointed the noise. A little grease and the problem disappeared...

Thanks for the tip about the rubber cushion!
Wonder if it had some sort of bushing originally?
.

It's metal-to-metal by design. There is no OEM bushing/shim material.

I tried a small section of rubber hose once but it sawed thru it in a few days. Grease worked better for me, but required reapplication each time I refueled. Getting a rigid-mounted cab on the A1R solved the squeak entirely (there is nothing there to squeak).

 

[chucky]

It's metal-to-metal by design. There is no OEM bushing/shim material.

I tried a small section of rubber hose once but it sawed thru it in a few days. Grease worked better for me, but required reapplication each time I refueled. Getting a rigid-mounted cab on the A1R solved the squeak entirely (there is nothing there to squeak).

I havnt seen a picture of the a1r back of cab if you think of it take a pic for me to see how its designed ! Thanks

 

[Third From Texas]

I havnt seen a picture of the a1r back of cab if you think of it take a pic for me to see how its designed ! Thanks

Sure thing. I snap a few when I get a chance.

The cross member that runs up from the airbags that typically "floats" the A0 cab is gone (replaced by a brace bolted along the aft of the cab). Latch system is the same but relocated a bit if I recall. The cab leveling sensor stuff is also deleted along with the bags and their housings (the mounting holes for it all are of course still present and you could retrofit air-ride to an A1R if you so desired). There is also a bushing assembly mid-cab (same exact cab bushings used on the front corners).

I've taken pics of it before for discussion but I can't locate them anywhere so I'll snap some more.

 

[Ronmar]

One thing that could make those guide pins and notches make noise is slop in the upper latch plate, that combined with un-even loading from a bad or sloppy air shock assembly could cause the movement/noise….

Was taking some cab weight measurements for one of my hair-brained ideas and noticed the rubber pads at the latch plate to cab bracket are shot on mine and that latch plate has a lot of slop in it. This would allow the pins more side to side movement in the notches…

 

[Third From Texas]

Sure thing. I snap a few when I get a chance.

The cross member that runs up from the airbags that typically "floats" the A0 cab is gone (replaced by a brace bolted along the aft of the cab). Latch system is the same but relocated a bit if I recall. The cab leveling sensor stuff is also deleted along with the bags and their housings (the mounting holes for it all are of course still present and you could retrofit air-ride to an A1R if you so desired). There is also a bushing assembly mid-cab (same exact cab bushings used on the front corners).

I've taken pics of it before for discussion but I can't locate them anywhere so I'll snap some more.

I should probably drop this in it's own thread, but I'm feeling lazy....


Passenger side:


Driver side:
*you can see my bushings are shot and I'm going to replace them asap (it they all fall out, the cab can actually short out the power connections underneath as per Alex truck shorted out a bunch of harness that way)





Looking aft:

 

[chucky]

I should probably drop this in it's own thread, but I'm feeling lazy....


Passenger side:
View attachment 863941

Driver side:
*you can see my bushings are shot and I'm going to replace them asap (it they all fall out, the cab can actually short out the power connections underneath as per Alex truck shorted out a bunch of harness that way)

View attachment 863942

View attachment 863944

Looking aft:

View attachment 863949

View attachment 863950

I spent 2 days this week in a auto scrapyard and at the end of getting automobile stuff ive discoverd 2 things that i think will work on our trucks 1 on gm pickups the round body bushings could be made to work on our body bushings in a pinch and 2 the 2008 corrola front mcpherson struts when taken out and the spring taken off of the strut with some flat mount plates welded on each end to fasten to could replace our airbags on the cab air ride . I will let you know when i get around to R&D on that .