Anyone running remote reservoir shocks ? We did the back roads to Rocky Point Mexico very rough for about 100 miles shocks got so hot i could hear them poping inside . And lost my finger prints when I touched them to see how hot they really were.

 

Typically, twin tube shocks fade with use and the monotubes do not.

The remote reservoir gives the fill room to go, but doesn't really change the fade, so much as let a shorter shock body accommodate more travel, etc. But, it can increase the amount of fluid available, etc.

The exterior of the shock is SUPPOSED to get hot, as all a shock does is turn the absorbed energy from damping into heat. A twin tube shock cannot dissipate the heat as well, as the heat is trapped between the walls, whereas the monotube design radiates the heat directly to the shock exterior.

Both types of shocks, when working, HAVE to absorb the same amount of heat from a given amount of damping energy...so, for example, the OUTSIDE of the shock getting hot on a monotube is completely normal, and desireable...as THAT heat is going away to the outside air, errant fingertips, etc....

On a twin tube, if the exterior is that hot, it means the INTERIOR of the shock is even HOTTER, cooking the oil/changing its viscosity/cavitating it, etc. (Which is why its ability to damp the motion fades away...)

So, alot of your question might be related to the above, and what shocks you are running.

Your Title talks about bad fade - your post talks about the shock being toasty on the outside....so, its hard to tell the full picture, other than to guess you're running a twin tube shock design, hence the fade, and the heat...or, an under sized monotube, that doesn't have the capacity to absorb all the energy you need it to dissipate, etc.

So - Whatcha runnin?

 

The remote reservoir shocks increases the fluid so it dosent get as hot and keeps it from foaming up helping shock fade .I was wondering that type of remote reservoir shocks people were using and if they really help.

 

It will only foam up if the N2 psi is too low on a monotube/or its' capacity to damp that much energy is overwhelmed...and on a twin tube, it will be circulating and can still cavitate (Foam).

So - What shocks are you running.

I'm running Bilstein 7100's with short body/remote reservoir...no problems ever.

The reason I keep asking, is it will help advise as to a solution.

The remote reservoir DOES allow more oil, but, will only absorb an INITIAL heat load...over a longer trip, once the oil is hot...it won't radiate as much heat as you'd like...it will act like an oil filled heater maybe...but the circulation of the oil through the orifices pretty much means that a monotube with a longer body, and the same fluid capacity, vs a shorter body, with the excess in a reservoir, will not be significantly different.

The PRIMARY advantage to the reservoir, is to get a shock that can compress short enough for full stuffage on landings, etc...and still have the shaft length/droop extension to keep the tires on the terrain at full reach.

 

My shocks are the M-Force that came with my FT