UPDATED: Replacing Rear Shocks: Reducing the rear end bounce.

[azerik]

Yeah the sidewall will be more prone to rolling on cornering. But the quality of tire can help make up for that.

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[sborsch]

Question @markboris: Was at my Ford dealership getting my 10k maintenance done and am now wondering if changing suspension will void the warranty?

While waiting at service I talked to the parts guy to see if *they* would be able install aftermarket shocks like the Kona’s or Bilsteins. He said nope…they don’t install aftermarket products *unless* they are sanctioned by @Ford Motor Company as it would otherwise void the warranty.

No idea but will now read the warranty…but wanted to ask to see if anyone might know.

 

[markboris]

Question @markboris: Was at my Ford dealership getting my 10k maintenance done and am now wondering if changing suspension will void the warranty?

While waiting at service I talked to the parts guy to see if *they* would be able install aftermarket shocks like the Kona’s or Bilsteins. He said nope…they don’t install aftermarket products *unless* they are sanctioned by @Ford Motor Company as it would otherwise void the warranty.

No idea but will now read the warranty…but wanted to ask to see if anyone might know.

First, I am and never have been concerned with the warranty of aftermarket products I have installed on any of my vehicles and I do a lot of modifications.

Someone else will most likely chime in here but as far as I know and have been told by several service managers at Ford, unless the item I installed directly caused the issue I am bringing the car into service for, then they will cover the warranty.

I cannot see how changing shocks out will cause any issues but you never know.

On my Escape, I changed out the front struts and springs, rear shocks and springs and sway bars all with aftermarket Bilstien and Eibach. 6 months later I had one of the front half shafts blow a boot and oil went everywhere. That had nothing to do with all the suspension items I replaced and Ford took care of it no problem. My Focus RS I changed out the turbo waste gate, blow off valve, exhaust, oil separator plates (internally in the engine) and a few other items plus I ran a 91 and 100 octane tune (when I tracked the car). My head gasket went bad. Ford fixed it no problem. I can go on and on.

With the Mach-E, I've changed out all four springs with H&R lowering springs, added Steeda front and rear sway bars and run extreme wide tires in the summer (275/40/20 F, 315/35/20 R). If anything, that would have more to do with suspension issues than changing out the rear shocks.

I understand may peoples concern with warranty and I would have to say if you are, to just wait until the warranty expires but really, I highly doubt changing our rear shocks will cause any other issues. Again, someone else with more suspension knowledge than me (HuntingPudel) may know different.

 

[21st Century Pony]

The Federal statute called the Magnuson - Moss Act takes precedence over any (well-meaning) service advisor's personal opinion.

 

[azerik]

There is a bunch of legal speak in the service manual about approved suspension changes. The only thing I could see it voiding would be the warranty on the shocks. If you couldn't change shocks without breaking the warranty of the car it'd be illegal for Ford to try to enforce it. There's also another area (I'd have to dig for it really well) that stipulates that changing shocks/struts will not and can not void warranties. I think it was Bilstien that had that on their site.

Now if you put air ride on the car and snapped a half shaft? Yeah. That's on you. Or lowering springs that cause rubbing of some control arm.

Ford wont install anything other than Ford shocks at the dealer. They wouldn't let you bring in Koni and install them, because if something causes that shock to fail the dealer ship would be to blame right?

 

[HuntingPudel]

I’m unsure as to what warranties a simple set of shocks would void, other than the obvious warranty on the factory shocks being replaced. Unrelated stuff would certainly still be under warranty.

Like @markboris , I have never been too concerned with voiding warranties. Speaking as someone who pulled a 185HP/300lb-ft engine out of a brand new car and replaced it with a (at the time) 425HP/530lb-ft engine in a car where I stupidly bought a 5 year extended warranty, I think I voided every warranty on the car other than the radio (I voided that later) and the dome light.

 

[mkhuffman]

Warranty, Shmoranty.

 

[markboris]

Update:

I'm back from my short trips and had some boxes waiting for me. I built up a set of Koni's and Viking's. Sent the Koni's to Erik and Vikings to Lee. They will get them on Friday. I'm leaving out of town that day again and will be gone a week.

Anton has had the Koni's for a month and loves them. He doesn't want to give them back. I'm not going to try out the Vikings on his car, just leaving him with the Koni's for now. Erik has had the Vikings for a couple of weeks at least and I believe is having good luck tuning them and now he will have a set of Koni's to try out. Lee will try out the Vikings and I expect they will all give us their opinions as soon as they have time to test them.

Testing doesn't just involve installing the shocks and driving around. Both of these shocks are adjustable and it takes time to drive, stop, adjust, drive, etc. The Vikings are easy to adjust where the Koni's need to have the car raised a bit to get your hand above the rear tire to the top of the shock to adjust and even at that it's not so easy. When Anton and I adjusted the Koni's we tried at different settings and the only one that worked the best was the rebound set to maximum. I sent Erik the Koni's already adjusted to maximum so he can just throw them on the car and try them out. If the rebound requires more firmness than the Vikings then the Koni's won't work. However if the firmness of the rebound is about the same as what Erik has the Vikings set to now or if it is less, then the Koni's will work out. I am hoping they do as they are very easy to modify requiring less parts and are slightly cheaper than the Viking's.

Stay tuned.....

A couple of photos I had never posted before. Here are the Viking, Koni and OEM (Black) shocks without the dust cover so you can see the extra 3/4"-1" of travel. I wanted to get a bit more travel so it is easier to tune the shocks and allows those that have lowered the car to not bottom out as easily. All three shocks are the same length from end to end even though it might not look like that in the photos.

 

[fmtexmme]

I’m guessing that it’s because the taller tire at the same pressure is a softer spring.

This is the reason.

I would assume handling took a hit also, am I correct?

I haven't noticed any difference, but then I'm not slaloming around corners either. The tire size I bought is the same size as what comes on the Select model, so I figure it's within the boundaries of what the MME is designed for.

 

[Mach-Lee]

So I had an interesting observation after doing some baseline runs with the stock shocks. There seems to be a temperate dependence. When the car was left outside and the shocks were 10°F there was a noticeable increase in bounce compared to when the car was left in a 45°F environment. Tires were around 40 psi when warmed up in both cases.

Not sure if this has to do with the oil viscosity or gas charge?

 

[azerik]

So I had an interesting observation after doing some baseline runs with the stock shocks. There seems to be a temperate dependence. When the car was left outside and the shocks were 10°F there was a noticeable increase in bounce compared to when the car was left in a 45°F environment. Tires were around 40 psi when warmed up in both cases.

Not sure if this has to do with the oil viscosity or gas charge?

Had this exact conversation with Mark last night. I can feel the oil in the Vikings being stiffer. I had been running the rears at 38 cold, warmed they hit 40 usually. And the ride improves. Most likely in my case because the tire is firmer it's using more of the actual suspension. Along with the oil getting warmer and allowing the shock to move a little more so it matters. If the shock doesn't move it'll use the tire as a rubber band kind of shock. Think 80's 3 wheeler. Not the nice 250R but the Honda 200s with only the tires for rear suspension. Because I have the rebound all the way up I don't think the shack gets "warm" until I get home from this 8 mile daily round trip.
But if I leave the car outside it gets warmed up to about 70 some degrees. With the lower pressure the tire is inducing the bounce. I've gone round and round with trying to adjust the pressure so it didn't create it, I'm attempting to sync the bounce at 20ish mph because I get a lot of it in a couple spots now. Currently 37.5psi front and 40.5 psi rear cold. Headed to do my 'route' here in a few.

We've been swinging from 40's at night to nearly 80 mid day. Tomorrow high of about 60. It's actually really good that this is happening because I can hop under click 2 knobs and go about my day. Though it's getting annoying to do daily. But that's testing. Our hopeful solution (the Koni's) on't be affected by the temps. Though the tire temp/pressure will make a difference. I see a change in the span of 10 to 15 minutes.

 

[markboris]

The Koni's also are oil shocks that are gas pressurized like the OEM shocks so they will be similar to those. Probably not as much temperature dependent as the Viking's.

Anxious for the both of you to get the shocks.

 

[azerik]

yeah. Maybe we should paint it. Then no one can see it…
(One of the hundreds of repairs I'm in tune with around here)

 

[HuntingPudel]

yeah. Maybe we should paint it. Then no one can see it…
(One of the hundreds of repairs I'm in tune with around here)

Hokey-smokes! That’s quite a fissure in the asphalt.

 

[azerik]

They're almost all like that. All the way down my 'major road' in my area the asphalt is usually 1/2 inch higher or lower on one side. Every 6 to 10 feet theres a split all the way across the street like this. Some are probably 2+ inches. They repaved the road I used to live on 10 years ago. I refused to drive that road so much I'd shoot across the street and drive over speed humps to get through a neighborhood just to avoid these cracks. And I hate speed bumps/humps. Now that road is like glass. If I'm really lucky we're next on the paving list.

Side note. Yesterday I rode in a 2yr old Mini Cooper S. And was amazed at how well it can shake a drink right out of your hand. I just. Wow. Just. Yikes.

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