Monroe Sensatrac strut leaking after 30K, seek warantee advice, do I need to replace in pairs

Ashton Crusher > wrote in article
>...
> On Sat, 04 Nov 2006 15:38:39 -0600, "*" > wrote:
>
>
>
> Have you had any experience with Edlebrock shocks? I've used them and
> Monroe's and like the Monroe's better.

The Edelbrock uses a shuttle valve to open/close a bleed orifice - which
controls the low-speed damping.

When the shuttle valve closes the bleed orifice as the shock shaft velocity
increases, this makes for a sharper, more aggressive transition between
stages - something that I do not like in a racing application, because it
can create an unexpected change in stiffness - upsetting the car as the car
rolls into the turn.

It might, however, be just the thing somebody wants for their street-driven
vehicle.


> When I called Monroe tech with
> a question about shock application showing they were not going to have
> the Sensatraks anymore for what I was looking for, only the Reflex, he
> said it would actually still be the Sensatraks but they were calling
> them all Reflex from now one, some would really be the reflex valveing
> apparently and some would still use the sensatrak valving.
>

While there might be some differences, it isn't the valving that
distinguishes the Sensatrac shock from the others.

In the middle area of the shock's travel, there are four grooves machined
into the inner tube. These act as bleeds that soften the low speed damping
(Remember the "boulevard ride" I spoke about?)

At the ends of the tubes, these grooves disappear, so if the wheel
encounters a sharp change in velocity - such as a pothole - the shock
stiffens considerably as the piston moves from the grooved area - where
fluid bleeds past the piston - to the non-grooved area near the ends of its
travel - where ALL the fluid must pass through the piston's valving.

I have racing customers come in with "the best" shocks that they have just
bought, and I dyno them for the customer.

But, before the customer leaves, I show them a dyno sheet from a Monroe or
Gabriel shock - just to show them the difference.

Nine times out of ten, they are back in a week or so with a set of "cheapo"
shocks to have them dynoed.

Again, I am talking oval-track applications.

As was pointed out by one poster, the "boulevard ride" was actually what he
was seeking, so the Sensatrac made a lot more sense for him.

I guess my point is that "more shock control" can be interpreted in many
different ways.

Several stages of damping that allow for a smooth, "boulevard ride" can be
interpreted by some as "more shock control" while I look at the actual
stiffness curve of a shock, and the cheaper shocks have a much steeper
curve than the gold-plated ones - giving me "more shock control" for the
applications I deal with.