Shocks rock guard/boot/naked

[landtoy80]

The OEM have a rock guard over the pistion rod along with some armor on the shock too.
Rancho has a boot you put on to cover the rod. My experience with the boot is it fills up with sand and salt cousing rust.
The Doetsch shocks I like are naked no guard or boot.

Is the guard boot needed?

 

[Landpimp]

IMOP......no

 

[sjcruiser]

Only real issue I could see is the dust/sand that collects on the piston rod would cause early seals failure (thus leakage). I wouldn't worry about thrown rocks that may supposely bend the rod.

Frank.

 

[IdahoDoug]

A parallel experience is with mountain bike shocks. They're constantly covered with abrasive grit and dust. A few years ago, they started selling a neoprene sock for them. I got one and it promptly trashed my seals by trapping crud just as Kurt mentioned. Next shock, and the next after that were left naked and had no seal problems.

DougM

 

[Junk]

Agree with choo-choo.

 

[Chris_Geiger]

Not needed.

 

[landtoy80]

COOL I and go NAKED and run FREE