There's no question that coilover shocks are at the top of the suspension food chain in both competitive and recreational four-wheeling. Although coilovers are pricier than standard shocks, they offer a number of performance features that keep them a cut above their little brothers, the non-coilover shock. If you are new to the off-road scene, you may be asking yourself, "What's a coilover and what does it do?" In a nutshell, a coilover is a shock absorber with single or multiple coil springs wrapped around it that work together to suspend the vehicle and damp the ride. There are some variations in design, but a good coilover is properly engineered and built from quality materials. The best aspect of coilovers is that they are rebuildable, tunable to match the performance levels and weight of a vehicle, and able to be matched to the terrain and driving style they will be used for. 1. A coilover isn't the most complex component on a rig. It basically consists of an aluminum body, a top cap and rod end (body loops) with spherical bearings, a lower cap (shaft passes through), a shaft, a piston, shims, a spring adjuster/upper seat, a dual rate slider, and a stop ring (not shown). However, the keys to a good off-road coilover are quality and choosing the proper valving and spring rate for the desired performance.1. A coilover isn't the most complex component on a rig. It basically consists of an alumi Walker Evans Racing recently released new 2.5-inch coilovers, and as with all things off-road, we couldn't wait to take a gander at them. Walker has been manufacturing race-proven coilovers for years now, and the 2.5-inch one is the company's next evolution in shock technology. The coilovers are manufactured in the U.S. and are available in 6- to 14-inch travel lengths, and every coilover is available with standard or custom valving. Walker's 2.5-inch coilovers with remote reservoirs will be available at a later date. 2. A coilover's compression and rebound performance is tuned through its internal valving. Compression is the upward stroke of the piston (when the wheel travels upward), and rebound is the downward stroke of the piston (when the wheel droops away from the vehicle). The piston and shims control the flow of oil in the coilover-preferred flow rates can be dialed in by changing the piston and by adding and removing shims.2. A coilover's compression and rebound performance is tuned through its internal valving. 3. The Walker Evans coilovers use a longer body to accommodate more oil. The longer body must be accounted for when mounting the coilovers on the vehicle. The body length is approximately 2 inches longer than the travel length. With a reservoir, the body length will not change; the coilover will carry more oil, allowing for more heat displacement.3. The Walker Evans coilovers use a longer body to accommodate more oil. The longer body m 4. These emulsion coilovers are pressurized with nitrogen to help force oil through the piston and prevent cavitation. Nitrogen pressure should not be increased or decreased to adjust the rate of the coilover. This should be adjusted through the coil spring rates and valving.4. These emulsion coilovers are pressurized with nitrogen to help force oil through the pi SOURCES Walker Evans Racing P.O. Box 2469 Riverside CA 92516 888-933-7223 www.walkerevansracing.com By Kevin McNulty Enjoyed this Post? Subscribe to our RSS Feed, or use your favorite social media to recommend us to friends and colleagues!
