Here at Red Dot Engineering, we are going to have a look at what a suck down winch is and how it can help with shock unloading.
Due to the specialized nature of this product, there is no bracket that is manufactured specifically for vehicles such as Jeeps and trucks. That is, with the exception of a side by side comparison. Examples include the Polaris rzr, the Honda talon, the Polaris ranger, and the Can-Am Maverick.
In extreme off-road vehicles such as rock crawlers, rock bouncers, and super 4 cars, a suck-down winch is a common piece of equipment. These are the kinds of automobiles that feature a suspension travel of several feet. whereas a factory truck, SUV, or even Jeep has inches of suspension travel available to it.
When off-roading to the extreme, a straightforward coil spring or strut is your best bet. (Except ORI struts). Will not work as a suitable replacement for a suspension.
Due to the substantial amount of travel that they offer, a coil-over or an air shock will be employed in its place.
“Unloading” is a term that describes anything that can significantly hamper the performance of either air shocks or coil overs.
What exactly is meant by “shock unloading”?
Coil springs, track bars, Panhard bars, sway bars, and short nitrogen shocks are the components that are typically included in a vehicle’s suspension when it is intended for usage on paved roads.
The car’s manufacturer will presumably build the vehicle with these components. This configuration, when combined, will result in a ride that is both comfortable and sufficiently articulated to enable travel on forest service roads as well as beaches.
These characteristics will not be present in a rock crawler or rock bouncer. If sway bars are installed, they are of the anti-rock variety. Only to minimize body roll. They are not a solid link that is set in place, which would restrict the amount of travel that the suspension is capable of.
Only three-link suspension configurations can accommodate track bars, pan hard bars, or both of these bar types. The majority of people, regardless of the situation, will run a 4-link system that is either upper-triangulated, lower-triangulated, or double-triangulated.
A large coil-over or air shock with 14″-18″ of movement will, in the absence of a solid connection that may prevent the weight from moving upward, instead transfer it from one end to another. In addition, when rock crawling applications are combined with setups that have very little up travel, it is a formula for both air shocks and coil-overs to get unloaded.
What kind of construction goes into suckdown winches?
Use a plate that is 14 inches thick for the rear. The winch should then be attached to this plate using bolts.
A pulley system is sometimes needed when there isn’t enough room or when the winch can’t be placed right over the differential.
A winch that is already installed will be used for the front while it is not being used for recovery. This has the potential for several downsides, such as needing to disconnect the winch while you are on the slope of a hill or having to unload while rolling over.
In this scenario, simply attach another winch to the front of the vehicle.
Red Dot Engineering is a manufacturer of world-class buggies and 4×4 parts; therefore, if you are searching for a suck down winch that is tailored to your requirements, you should get in touch with us as soon as possible.
How can one avoid experiencing shock during unloading?
When it comes to air shocks, the general rule of thumb is to use the least quantity of oil, the least amount of nitrogen PSI, and the least amount of up travel that is physically possible.
Others will argue that coilovers are exempt from the unloading requirement. I mean, all you have to do is read any forum that discusses this topic. Coil overs are the superior choice for your vehicle when compared to air shocks. Simply because of how reliable they are redundant to the nitrogen and coil springs, and how much weight the vehicle can carry in its capacity.
In light of all of this, it should come as no surprise that coil-overs have inferior unloading capabilities compared to air shocks. Incorrectly built coil-overs have the potential to turn into a living nightmare.
- Sprung weight
- Unsprung weight
- Up travel Up travel
- Down travel
The utilization of a suck-down winch is the most typical solution to the problem of shock unloading.
If you would like to learn more, get in touch with us at Red Dot Engineering today.