Non-gas charged shocks don't want to be fully extended - they are just like steering dampers.
Gas charged shocks want to fully extend - and there is some force there as you hold them at ride height (and why they can be a pain to install) - and obviouslly that force is going to effect ride height - to some degree, though it's usually very little - and extra 50lbf at each corner doesn't do much to 6,000 lbs
The set of non-gas charged shocks that were in my truck originally want to be fully extended. They are easy to compress, about on par with the OME's. They extend slower than the OME's do, and both of those combined are nothing compared to the Pro Comp's.
I've read several accounts of people installing non-gas charged shocks as a steering dampener....and then wondering why the vehicle wants to pull left/right.
To be true it has a lot to do with the shock design, but I haven't (personally) seen a shock that acts like a steering dampener. I suppose you could get adjustable shocks and set the preload to 0 if you wanted that.
As far as the 50 lbf at each corner....I
guarantee you that the Pro Comp's were much more than 50. The easiest way to compress them was by leaning my full body weight on them. They were
not fun to put on the truck, and I was sore for days afterwards.
Even still, as you said, it's not much of an effect. How much? Apparently a half inch. ;p
Guh.
What is the 927xxx application for?
The shocks I ordered, the fronts are for older F150's (pre-'78?), the rears appear to be generic.
[edit] The front 927530 is over a full inch longer fully extended, the rear about 1/4". They both have slimmer bodies than what I ordered. I am curious about valving, but expect their valving to be pretty generic acorss the board.[/edit]
Valving should be the same. Pro Comp uses a variable valving as opposed to a fixed valving, and it's the same across the board for all of a series of shocks.
These are simply Pro Comp's recommended shocks for those applications. Meaning that they should bolt straight in. The shocks you ordered may or may not work better for you, and you may need to swap bushings or do a little fab work for it to all come together.
I simply wanted to offer up some shocks that should bolt straight in for those who wanted an option without any fab work, swapping bushings, etc.
As far as the shock body size goes, there's advantages and disadvantages to both.
The 2.36" body shock will hold more fluid than the 2" body shock for the same length. The more fluid you have, the more heat it can take. But it's also a larger shock which means perhaps harder to fit.
A longer 2" shock compared to a shorter 2.36" shock will probably have about the same amount of fluid in it, so if you're getting a longer shock it's probably not a big deal.
Now if you're looking at something like a 1.5" body shock...that might be a problem.
