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Anybody else noticed Carli shocks being shorter than stock?
Posted: Thu Apr 07, 2016 9:00 pm
by RAM4ROKS
I've not had a chance to look further into this but, my Carli 2.5" Kings were shorter uninstalled than my stock shocks (like 1" or so, IIRC) and I am thinking about either changing the reservoir style of my rear Kings or getting new ones altogether. (the attached reservoirs are rock magnets) I am rocking my stock rear shocks now since I know if I reinstall the Carlis they'll just get ripped off again but now I've noticed my stock rear shocks are looking ROUGH! (looks like they are catastrophically leaking oil) So.. I need to figure something out for rear shocks, ideas????
Re: Anybody else noticed Carli shocks being shorter than sto
Posted: Fri Apr 08, 2016 6:38 am
by Will
Talk to Don about his shorty 12" stroke shock that has more travel.
Re: Anybody else noticed Carli shocks being shorter than sto
Posted: Fri Apr 08, 2016 5:11 pm
by SheepdogOutdoorsman
I've heard the Carli King 2.5's can be flipped so the shock body and reservoir are up top and the shaft is on the bottom. I've thought about doing this myself. Any truth to this?
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Re: Anybody else noticed Carli shocks being shorter than sto
Posted: Fri Apr 08, 2016 5:26 pm
by SheepdogOutdoorsman
This is an '05 quad cab Ram ...
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Re: Anybody else noticed Carli shocks being shorter than sto
Posted: Sat Apr 09, 2016 10:54 am
by 2wagons1driveway
Ya 2.5 is small enough you can do that I think! Just cycle it around a few times to make sure your not gunna hit anything like the bed or cross member side piece or something etc.
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Re: Anybody else noticed Carli shocks being shorter than sto
Posted: Sat Apr 09, 2016 10:56 am
by 2wagons1driveway
Oooo btw they might be alittle smaller because the factory pw uses a small bump stop drop 1" thick and the factory 2500 I don't think has this :/ so maybe that's why Carli shocks are shorter meant for the trucks without the bump drop. If you look at your rear bump stop drops you'll see what I mean.
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Re: Anybody else noticed Carli shocks being shorter than sto
Posted: Sat Apr 09, 2016 1:34 pm
by SheepdogOutdoorsman
So, I spoke with Dan over at Carli. Apparently, this cannot be done unless bed cross-members are altered. The shock bodies will contact. Also, he brought up a good point about the shaft being damaged, which is much worse that damage to a reservoir.
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Re: Anybody else noticed Carli shocks being shorter than sto
Posted: Sat Apr 09, 2016 1:52 pm
by olyelr
2wagons1driveway wrote:Ya 2.5 is small enough you can do that I think! Just cycle it around a few times to make sure your not gunna hit anything like the bed or cross member side piece or something etc.
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Small enough

Re: Anybody else noticed Carli shocks being shorter than sto
Posted: Sat Apr 09, 2016 7:08 pm
by RAM4ROKS
SheepdogOutdoorsman wrote:So, I spoke with Dan over at Carli. Apparently, this cannot be done unless bed cross-members are altered. The shock bodies will contact. Also, he brought up a good point about the shaft being damaged, which is much worse that damage to a reservoir.
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This ^ is true, they will not fit reservoir up on a 2012 without cross-member modification, I tried! As for damage to the shock shaft, I agree that is a risk BUT, I don't go bombing about in my truck (like 90% of what I do is crawling), so, shock shaft damage is not so much a concern for me vs the reservoir sticking down got ripped off by a rock after only 2 outings. Rebuilding at least one rear shock every two outings would get very pricey, LOL! (one ripped off, the other was damaged but still intact)
Thank y'all for the info about the shock length, that has been bugging me since the install 44k miles ago! Does anybody by chance know the travel of the Carli shocks vs the travel of the stockers? (as was pointed out about the shorty bodied Thurens, depending on the design of the shock, a shorter travel of one design may have more travel than a longer shock of another design)
Re: Anybody else noticed Carli shocks being shorter than sto
Posted: Sun Apr 10, 2016 9:52 am
by 2wagons1driveway
RAM4ROKS wrote:SheepdogOutdoorsman wrote:So, I spoke with Dan over at Carli. Apparently, this cannot be done unless bed cross-members are altered. The shock bodies will contact. Also, he brought up a good point about the shaft being damaged, which is much worse that damage to a reservoir.
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This ^ is true, they will not fit reservoir up on a 2012 without cross-member modification, I tried! As for damage to the shock shaft, I agree that is a risk BUT, I don't go bombing about in my truck (like 90% of what I do is crawling), so, shock shaft damage is not so much a concern for me vs the reservoir sticking down got ripped off by a rock after only 2 outings. Rebuilding at least one rear shock every two outings would get very pricey, LOL! (one ripped off, the other was damaged but still intact)
Thank y'all for the info about the shock length, that has been bugging me since the install 44k miles ago! Does anybody by chance know the travel of the Carli shocks vs the travel of the stockers? (as was pointed out about the shorty bodied Thurens, depending on the design of the shock, a shorter travel of one design may have more travel than a longer shock of another design)
could always get don to make you some shocks like the bilstein 2.65 rears

in a 2.5 short body. Or even replace your end caps with reservoir hose ones instead of the piggy back connection and remote mount your reservoirs under the bed (like the 2.65) possible to just shoot king and email you could probably use 80% of your hard parts you have no for the resi. Just need a new end cap and hose and end cap for the resi's.... I would just mod the cross member... Box it off like the dominator 3.0 shocks require maybe this is what dan is talking about.
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Re: Anybody else noticed Carli shocks being shorter than sto
Posted: Sun Apr 10, 2016 7:18 pm
by Will
/\ thats some good suggestions