Broken drivers side shock mount/shackle plate - Page 2

pjpvi · 07-20-2009, 10:41 PM

Same failure for me this weekend too. Mine didn't snap completely, but is bent out at the shock mount with a crack right through the U-bolt holes. This was a challenging trail. I'm afraid I would have been stranded if it had completely snapped.

Talked to Peter at SMB today and he will be sending one out. It will cost me though as they don't yet view this as a design flaw (or something like that) and I'm the second owner. I didn't feel like fighting.

On further inspecting the underside of the van after this trail, I noticed the pitman arm pivot completely loose similar to Geoffff's here on this post:
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=2915&hilit=pitman

I tightened it up. Should make the steering feel better. Yet I digress .....

It was a fun trail though!

Phil

pjpvi · 07-27-2009, 10:12 AM

For whoever breaks their plate next, I have a brand spankin' new drivers side plate with the extra support welded in and u-bolt/nuts from SMB. Since my old plate had some mods done to it from the Deaver / Bilstein package, I opted to repair my old plate rather than modifying the new one. Since Peter at SMB rushed this one out to me, I didn't feel right calling to have him take it back.

I'll save you a few bucks on it when you need one. For what it's worth, mine is a 2005 with SMB suspension. I would assume this plate works for most any year, but can't guarantee it.

Here's the new plate:

Phil

TraceyAZ · 08-01-2017, 05:13 PM

I Just broke the same shock mount. But hey its not a design flaw if Sportsmobile made it right?...

...
Im getting both sides of mine fixed and relocated by a good fabricator friend of mine. Even he was shaking his head on what a bad idea that was.
SMB's so called fixed plate from what I can see is still not addressing the real issue with this design. Its simply not enough room for the shock to travel down. The shock itself bottoms out before the frame bump stop has a chance to do its job. Only made worse by the new fox shocks that SMB is selling. Ive seen the little rubber bump stop on the shock itself bottom out many times and has never used the frame one yet. Wanna bet that when some of these shocks start getting broken that SMB won't cover those either.
Im just glad that the entire U-bolt assembly didn't come apart. I have a real good idea when it broke and I was still 50 plus miles on a rough road and another 75 miles on a rough HWY before I realized what the noise was that I was hearing. Just so you know, the van is a very low mileage SMB with only about 55000 on the clock and I do have the new fox shocks from SMB on all four corners.

JoeH · 08-01-2017, 05:54 PM

Sorry to hear that Tracy. I haven't heard any reports of the revised plate from SMB with the re-inforced gusset breaking but I also gave up on it. My solution was to simply weld lower shock tabs directly to the axle. Problem solved.

TraceyAZ · 08-01-2017, 06:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JoeH

Sorry to hear that Tracy. I haven't heard any reports of the revised plate from SMB with the re-inforced gusset breaking but I also gave up on it. My solution was to simply weld lower shock tabs directly to the axle. Problem solved.

Hello Joe!
No I haven't heard of them breaking either, it just looks like they didn't address the issue of not having enough room for the travel of the shock. So in that case the shock itself is taking a beating by bottoming out.
Im actually doing the same exact thing you did to fix the issue. From the quick measurements I took it looks like now it should hit the frame bump stop before the shock bottoms out. I will verify that later and re-address if necessary.

JoeH · 08-01-2017, 07:32 PM

Yep, it's really the Achilles heal in what is a bomber 4x4 conversion. My fix which is working so far.

TomsBeast · 08-17-2017, 11:08 AM

Whatever the revision, you have to make certain the separate bump stop is contacting and limiting the suspension travel (not the shock). That the bump stop slows then stops upward movement BEFORE the body of the shock bottoms against itself (the eyelet), or some other bracketry.

Sounds like a lot of folks are jumping on the "Fox 2.0 shock bandwagon" without thoroughly understanding the nuances of their particular fitment. You really have to treat theses vans as a 'custom vehicle'.

JoeH · 08-17-2017, 11:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TomsBeast

Whatever the revision, you have to make certain the separate bump stop is contacting and limiting the suspension travel (not the shock). That the bump stop slows then stops upward movement BEFORE the body of the shock bottoms against itself (the eyelet), or some other bracketry.

Sounds like a lot of folks are jumping on the "Fox 2.0 shock bandwagon" without thoroughly understanding the nuances of their particular fitment. You really have to treat theses vans as a 'custom vehicle'.

I don't see anything in this thread regarding Fox shocks. It's more a warning for those with a SMB 4WD conversion with leafs and especially for those that have gone to Deaver Springs as an upgrade. Jeff at Deaver takes the plate off to extend the length and re-welds the eyelet lower to fit the longer stroke Bilstein that he specs with his package. That means the plate has been subjected to heating, bending, and re-welding at least twice. Maybe the extra gusset that SMB is now using has solved the problem.

TraceyAZ · 08-17-2017, 11:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TomsBeast

Whatever the revision, you have to make certain the separate bump stop is contacting and limiting the suspension travel (not the shock). That the bump stop slows then stops upward movement BEFORE the body of the shock bottoms against itself (the eyelet), or some other bracketry.

Sounds like a lot of folks are jumping on the "Fox 2.0 shock bandwagon" without thoroughly understanding the nuances of their particular fitment. You really have to treat theses vans as a 'custom vehicle'.

I think this problem existed before the fox shocks came out, but regardless why would SMB sell anything for the van that doesn't fit correctly? After owning my van for for as long as I have I've found all sorts of poor workmanship and just plain bad custom stuff. I do have it worked out much better than what it was and from what I can see so far my shocks are not bottoming out before hitting the bump stops on the frame. Even their (smb) so called updated shock mount plate still does nothing to address the length issues. I agree completely these vans are all very custom, some companies did a better job than others, they all have their goods and bads. I do love my van but I know that when something breaks there is no real off the shelf fix for some of it. You just have to think it through and correct it.

TomsBeast · 08-17-2017, 12:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TraceyAZ

I do love my van but I know that when something breaks there is no real off the shelf fix for some of it. You just have to think it through and correct it.

That was really my point. Most of us, including me, would prefer an 'Amazon solution' just order it on line, bolt it on and go. That's not been my experience with my 4x4 van.

My friends and family call me the 'king of modification' because I'll buy or build something, and it does almost everything I want. So I modify it to suit until it does. Some appreciate that aspect, others walk away shaking their heads, mumbling some like 'there he goes again' and 'shoulda just bought the other one'

Let's face it, us 4x4 van owners are an interesting lot. We want a motorhome, buuuut not so big. We want 4x4, buuuuut we want a decent ride both on and offroad. We want to go where the average guy doesn't dare tread, buuuut we want to camp in relative comfort. An SMB provides that, buuuut there's a price of ownership, you've got to be willing to roll up your sleeves a little and engineer a solution from time to time. I'm good with that...