Rear shock mount failure

[zbethem]

Seems like a silly question, but I wanted to ask to avoid possible bodily harm or a wrecked jeep.

The other day, my left rear shock mount failed (I think at the frame). Will I be ok to run around using a leaf spring until I get it fixed? If so, should I bother removing the shock on the other side?

Opinions please. Thanks in advance.

[lkmarsh]

Shocks are not optional equipment. Lose one and the jeep is squirrelly, lose two and it's deadly. Failure to maintain safety equipment is grounds for your insurance company to cancel your coverage.

[zbethem]

Thanks man. Not the news I wanted to hear, but it was what I figured.

I've been thinking about getting and learning MIG welding anyways. Sounds like a good project (welds are hidden). Hooray for more tools!

[duncanstives]

Depends on if its a DD or not... Many trail rigs do not run shocks at all.

I will say that at speed an FSJ will get iffy without shocks on a rough surface or over potholes but if you do not exceed 35mph much I doubt you will notice it.
Also front shocks do a LOT more to control the vehicle than rear shocks.

I would not recommend driving (other than possibly to a shop) if you lost a front shock but I differ from ikmarsh in that I doubt the loss of a rear shock will cause a serious safety hazard. I have driven my truck with both front and rear shocks missing and just rear shocks missing (during testing of the new axles and stuff... Never got up to speed but I did circle the block a few times). The absence of rear shocks was not noticable at low speeds.

[The_Turd]

^ x2...

When i bought mine, i drove it for a while off and on (highways and such) and found out a few months later there was no right front shock... I didnt notice anything awkward while driving...

Also, when I did my SOA, I ran it w/o shocks to get it back and forth to places (again at highway speeds) and yes I did notice there were no shocks but nothing that seemed "dangerous" to me... it wasnt the most fun driving experience, but it was easily doable...

HTH good luck!

[CHICOWAGGY]

You probably wouldn't notice the shock missing, until you have to make a sudden stop or swerve to miss a car pulling out in front of you. I'd fix it.

[Tornado230]

About 20 years ago I came upon an upside Land Cruiser on the highway.
The owner had been working on it and took a test drive without installing the shock absorbers.
He wasn't watching too well where he was going and had to hit the brakes to avoid contact. The results was wheels up.

[Billygoat]

Seriously shocks?? I blew a rear 1 off my J4000, didn't know it until I found it on the trail 2 days latter. Had vehicles rebound bounce like crazy for months, and finally replace the shocks and they we worn out you could flip them end for end and watch the rod slide in/out.

Good idea to drive with missing or worn out shocks - no.

Need to get 1 home to fix, take it slow and easy and you will be fine, the only way to lose control would be to bounce the truck hard enough to get enough rebounds to toss you around, shocks just dampen the springs.
This is LEAF springs, I am not sure how bouncy a soft coil sprung vehicle would react, and I think some of them use the shocks as a location point, so not having any would be very bad.

[zbethem]

I haven't looked at it since I parked it at my workshop.. I do remember the part dragging on the ground though. It was definitely the shock tower that sheared off.

I've seen other posts on people using F-250 towers for their front. Do you know if there's a similar "mod" I could make for my rear towers? To be honest, don't even know if the towers are bolt-in or welded. :-)

[lkmarsh]

Coil spring cars missing a shock is a handful, my Elco was a terror when the airshocks would go away, the Chevelle and Impala wagons are worse. The front shock tower swap up front allows longer shocks, no luck in back, those (welded) mounts are up against the bed sheet metal. Mig is a great idea, always finding something in need of spark therapy.