I installed my new BDS tuned Fox shocks up front right before going to TDS last weekend. After driving a couple hours in the desert through mixed terrain between 5-45mph @ 78F we stopped and I did a quick inspection of the suspension. I happened to grab a shock body and then decided to feel them all... The Fox's up front were very hot, wouldn't burn your hand but would be uncomfortable to hold for more than a few seconds. The Bilstein 5100's in the rear were slightly hotter and the OEM rubicon shocks on the front of my buddys Jeep were way too hot to touch for more than a second.

How hot should they be getting? Am I overheating them? Will that ruin them? Should I have gone RR?

 

That's a great question. But I also have to wonder how much of the shocks heat was absorbed from the engine bay.

 

Sounds like you need some remote res shocks buddy. You can cook the oil in those bad boys

 

The heat is a by product of the shock doing it's job. Think of how much the shock is moving when you're bouncing through the desert. When you move the oil from one side of the shock to the other, it gets hot. That's why the fox shocks weren't as hot, because they're designed for desert racing. The Rubi's shocks were designed for mostly street driving, with a little bit of wheeling.

 

Only problem is that his FOX shocks were hotter...

 

As stated above, heat is the bi-product of energy. So you should expected it to get hot. Desert racing does take a toll. if you have fox shocks with the reservoir and you are still worried, then you should get a second one. two shocks means each shock does half the work. Since heat is a bi-product, you should have half the heat transfer. This does not mean it will be too much cooler to the touch. Just that it would not shorten the life expectancy of the shock to the same degree as just operating on one shock.

A good source for you may be on Pirate...

 

Heat in shocks is not a good thing for the oil, seals and all that. Warm to the touch is satisfactory but too hot to grab and hold onto will eventually lead to a failed shock.

 

No, they weren't.

 

Shocks will always get hot, the more they are used the hotter they will get. Constant driving in the desert will work the shocks far more than crawling around on rocks.
A good example of this was a video by BJ Baldwin on his Facebook page where after a session of pre running through a section of whoops he gets out of the truck, pours water on his bypass shocks and the water instantly boils and evaporates.
As already stated heat is a byproduct. As oil passes through the valves this causes friction which generates heat.

 

I would consider if the shocks were still doing their job or if cavitation was occurring. If not, they were doing their job and drive on harder.