Most shock absorbers on heavy-duty trucks today are out of their element, says Lonnie Woods, chief executive officer of RoadKing Shocks.
“The design of the average truck shock absorber today appeared in the 1950s and was primarily intended for passenger cars and trucks,” Woods says. “They are throwaway products produced in high volumes that allow the auto manufacturers to purchase them for about $6 apiece.” Woods says they also are totally inadequate for heavy-duty trucking applications. That’s why he founded RoadKing Shocks — the only rebuildable shock absorbers designed for long life on Class 8 trucks, he says.
Thanks to features such as a long-life spherical bearing mounting system, 3/4-inch diameter 500-hour salt-spray shaft, Teflon bronze-impregnated piston wear bands and two urethane oil seals, Woods says RoadKing Shocks can last up to 350,000 to 400,000 miles before needing service. And once the shocks have crossed that mileage and durability threshold, they can be rebuilt quickly by RoadKing and deliver another 350,000 miles or more.
“These shocks are truly built to last the life of the truck,” says Woods, explaining that conventional truck shock absorbers typically provide about 900 pounds of dampening force. But RoadKing’s robust design — twice the bore size of conventional shocks — provides up to 4,000 pounds of dampening force.
“Shocks control all the dynamic motions of a truck chassis, not just up-and-down actions,” Woods says. “So the resulting smooth ride and increased torsional control delivered by a RoadKing Shock provide a 30 percent improvement in tire wear, the need for fewer front-end alignments and greatly enhanced driver comfort, alertness and productivity.”
