Humvee shock absorber and spring options?

[05blackduramax]

I found if you get some better tires than the stock tires the ride is so much better.

 

[rolling18]

For financial reasons I'm kind of stuck with the 16 1/2 in although I did go from the bfg's to the mtrs by Goodyear

 

[rolling18]

Also I have another set of wheels coming as I was told and shown by the tire balancers at the wheels were crooked or bent

 

[Glider]

Run the tires without runflats. It's a free upgrade...other than sweat.

 

[osteo16]

I don't go fast enough or, turn at steep enough angles for roll over... I mainly wanted "some" articulation for off road crawling activities..

Well when a kid/dog/car jumps out in front of you and you have to yank the steering wheel lefty and righty fast, I'm pretty sure the sway bar is gonna help keep all fours on the ground .... Just saying.. we cant anticipate everything.. Only way I'd remove sway bar would be to off road and only if I had a nice roll cage.. My 2 cents... now worth a penny..

 

[rolling18]

Run the tires without runflats. It's a free upgrade...other than sweat.

Check.. done that too (thats how it is now)

tried different set tires, both with and without beadlocks / runflats, and with PVC beadlocks and none at all, all of them heavy vibration even after spin ballance with lead weights more thAn 1/3 around the wheel! heh

this latest set of wheels is my last ditch effort before I buy GT alloy aftermarket wheels and tires and sell all the rest.!!

 

[rolling18]

Well when a kid/dog/car jumps out in front of you and you have to yank the steering wheel lefty and righty fast, I'm pretty sure the sway bar is gonna help keep all fours on the ground .... Just saying.. we cant anticipate everything.. Only way I'd remove sway bar would be to off road and only if I had a nice roll cage.. My 2 cents... now worth a penny..

Im going to try some "evasive manouvers" testing this weekend to see if I can feel any difference.. in the past, disconecting sway (anti-roll ) bars has had little effect in daily driving

 

[Glider]

Check.. done that too (thats how it is now)

tried different set tires, both with and without beadlocks / runflats, and with PVC beadlocks and none at all, all of them heavy vibration even after spin ballance with lead weights more thAn 1/3 around the wheel! heh

this latest set of wheels is my last ditch effort before I buy GT alloy aftermarket wheels and tires and sell all the rest.!!

I have mine balanced also. It is still rough at times. I bought centramatics but have not installed yet. I am hoping they will smooth out the ride even more.

 

[rossbart]

aren't the shocks also there to limit suspension travel?
If so removing them then going off roading would probably be a bad idea

I also was reading through this thread and had the same question: if ride quality improved more with shocks removed that from anything done from coil spring modification. But, if shocks are needed for travel limiting purposes, could you just drill out the factory shocks (to drain oil) and call it good? Here’s instructions I found on Gabriel site outlining how to do that.
Would humvee without shocks have problem with bouncing or wheel hop, etc? Nobody seemed to mention that on their removed testing.
I have an m1123 im converting to a farm truck with a 1,500lb cube feeder and round bale spikes. It was uparmored with 3,800# of MAK then demilled. My farm feed & hay weight will vary from about 1,000lbs (empty) to 4,000lbs (loaded). Maybe it’ll be just right with stock shocks but pondering the shocks if the ride is rougher than I like. TIA for y’all’s thoughts.

 

[Retiredwarhorses]

I also was reading through this thread and had the same question: if ride quality improved more with shocks removed that from anything done from coil spring modification. But, if shocks are needed for travel limiting purposes, could you just drill out the factory shocks (to drain oil) and call it good? Here’s instructions I found on Gabriel site outlining how to do that.
Would humvee without shocks have problem with bouncing or wheel hop, etc? Nobody seemed to mention that on their removed testing.
I have an m1123 im converting to a farm truck with a 1,500lb cube feeder and round bale spikes. It was uparmored with 3,800# of MAK then demilled. My farm feed & hay weight will vary from about 1,000lbs (empty) to 4,000lbs (loaded). Maybe it’ll be just right with stock shocks but pondering the shocks if the ride is rougher than I like. TIA for y’all’s thoughts.

Your issue is not shocks, your issue is you’re truck has up armored fixed rate HD springs, the fix isn’t shock, shocks dampen your return rate
when a spring is compressed, an unloaded M1123 that has MAK springs has no return, the return is felt in your kidneys.
You need to go back to the variable rate rears and 954lb fronts If you want a nicer ride.

 

[rossbart]

Your issue is not shocks, your issue is you’re truck has up armored fixed rate HD springs, the fix isn’t shock, shocks dampen your return rate
when a spring is compressed, an unloaded M1123 that has MAK springs has no return, the return is felt in your kidneys.
You need to go back to the variable rate rears and 954lb fronts If you want a nicer ride.

Thank you for the advice. I’d think that when I’m loaded with feed and a round bale (about 4,000 lbs of payload) it might ride similar to the armored truck. Of course, I’ve never driven one of those to know what that’s like. But, when empty of feed it’ll only be 1,000 lbs and I’m betting that will be jarring.
The variable rate rears, would those just be take-offs from a 998? Or is that an aftermarket thing?

 

[Coug]

Thank you for the advice. I’d think that when I’m loaded with feed and a round bale (about 4,000 lbs of payload) it might ride similar to the armored truck. Of course, I’ve never driven one of those to know what that’s like. But, when empty of feed it’ll only be 1,000 lbs and I’m betting that will be jarring.
The variable rate rears, would those just be take-offs from a 998? Or is that an aftermarket thing?

Weight in the back will soften it up some, but you'll still want to change out the front springs. My truck definitely feels softer in the rear with about 2-3k worth of weight in it (M1123 with MAK suspension still installed) Empty if one wheel us about 6" higher than the others, one corner is off the ground and tires are spinning.
After lighter springs are installed, then maybe different shocks might change how it feels, but with the heavy springs I doubt it.

 

[Gcelevator]

Your issue is not shocks, your issue is you’re truck has up armored fixed rate HD springs, the fix isn’t shock, shocks dampen your return rate
when a spring is compressed, an unloaded M1123 that has MAK springs has no return, the return is felt in your kidneys.
You need to go back to the variable rate rears and 954lb fronts If you want a nicer ride.

Steve, do you have some of these springs around. My M1123 ride is totally different than my 1097R1. I would be interested in replacing the springs for sure.

 

[Retiredwarhorses]

Steve, do you have some of these springs around. My M1123 ride is totally different than my 1097R1. I would be interested in replacing the springs for sure.

954’s yes…variable rates No, remember also that if you go Variable rate, you have to have Casted upper spring mount and not the
stamped version, MAK equipped trucks have the stamped version.

 

[Coug]

954’s yes…variable rates No, remember also that if you go Variable rate, you have to have Casted upper spring mount and not the
stamped version, MAK equipped trucks have the stamped version.

My truck seems to be an exception to multiple of the rules for these things, as it was MAK equipped, and had the cast upper mounts and lower arms that work with the scissor jack under the hood.

Just saying that most trucks will fall within the common usages, but you still need to check specifically for YOUR truck for everything, and not just trusting what most people have.

 

[Retiredwarhorses]

My truck seems to be an exception to multiple of the rules for these things, as it was MAK equipped, and had the cast upper mounts and lower arms that work with the scissor jack under the hood.

Just saying that most trucks will fall within the common usages, but you still need to check specifically for YOUR truck for everything, and not just trusting what most people have.

yes, I’ve had probably 200 m1123’s through the shop…seen one or two that did have the casted version, the MAK suspension kit came with the “old” style spring mount, along with front and rear fixed springs, shocks..

 

[Robhawg]

I am curious: would the 954s fit an M1165 A1? Just looking for a softer ride, not trying to do a lift or level.

 

[Coug]

I am curious: would the 954s fit an M1165 A1? Just looking for a softer ride, not trying to do a lift or level.

You could probably make them fit, but they are too soft for the added weight of the M1165 over the basic M998, and would be more compressed, losing some height. Those springs are designed for a truck weighing no more than 7700 lbs fully loaded, and empty your M1165 is edging up on that.

I've ridden in an early truck that the owner was upfitting into a GMV and had it overloaded. It was definitely a softer ride, but soft to the point that I wouldn't really even want to take it on a gravel road with potholes without worrying about breaking them.

 

[Robhawg]

Thank you for the info, I have searched the forums for a solution to the M1165 for softer springs and not sure which way to go?

 

[TOBASH]

Thank you for the info, I have searched the forums for a solution to the M1165 for softer springs and not sure which way to go?

Have you read about Nissan Armada spring thread?

Have you considered swapping to Hummer H1 Wagon style springs and shocks? Have you considered adjustable CEPEK shocks from Tom Cepek?