Shock Tuning 101

(ANNOUNCER)>> EVERYONE THAT LOVES OFF ROAD ACTION KNOWS THAT IT'S A ROUGH AND TUMBLE PAST TIME, BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT YOU HAVE TO SUFFER THROUGH A BUMPY RIDE. JUST A LITTLE SHOCK TUNING CAN GO A LONG WAY IN MAKING YOUR RIG MORE CAPABLE AND COMFORTABLE. TODAY ON XTREME 4X4, WE BRING IN THE SUPER STAR OF SUSPENSION TO TAME OUR BUCKING BRONCO, UH, UH, BLAZER!

(IAN)>> HERE AT XTREME WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU GUYS NOT ONLY SEE THE PARTS AND PIECES THAT GO INTO BUILDING A RIG, BUT YOU UNDERSTAND HOW THEY WORK. WE SHOW YOU THE INSIDE OF THEM, HOW TO MODIFY THEM, AND HOW TO MAKE THEM BETTER, AND WE'VE DONE IT WITH A LOT OF DIFFERENT PARTS. ENGINES, SURE WE'VE REBUILT A BUNCH OF THEM, SHOWN YOU HOW TO MAKE THEM STRONGER AND BETTER. SAME THING WITH TRANSMISSIONS, COMPLETELY TORN A BUNCH OF THOSE DOWN. AND WHEN IT COMES TO THE TRANSFER CASE WE HAVE SHOWN YOU THE INSIDE OF ALMOST EVERY POPULAR MODEL THAT YOU COULD PUT INTO YOUR RIG. HECK, WE HAVE EVEN TORN A WINCH DOWN AND COMPLETELY REBUILT IT AND SHOWN YOU HOW TO MAKE IT BETTER. AND IF YOU'RE INTO FOUR WHEELING AT ALL, YOU WILL GET TO KNOW THE INNER WORKINGS OF YOUR AXLES BOTH FRONT AND REAR LIKE THE BACK OF YOUR HAND, BUT THERE'S ONE PART WHEN IT COMES TO HARDCORE OFF ROAD RIGS THAT WE HAVE NOT ONLY NOT SHOWN YOU THE INSIDE OF, WE HAVEN'T TALKED ABOUT HOW TO MODIFY IT, MAKE IT BETTER. WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ARE YOUR SHOCKS. A SHOCK ABSORBER DOES EXACTLY WHAT THE NAME IMPLIES, IT ABSORBS THE SHOCK PUT ON THE TIRE AND WHEEL WHEN YOU DRIVE OVER A BUMP ON THE ROAD. BUT WHEN IT COMES TO HARDCORE OFF ROADING, A SHOCK IS A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN THAT. IT'S A PRECISELY ENGINEERED PIECE OF MACHINERY THAT CAN EFFECT EVERYTHING ON YOUR RIG. TODAY WE'RE GONNA HAVE AN IN DEPTH LOOK AT THE COIL OVER SHOCK. THEN WE'RE GONNA HIT THE DIRT FOR SOME REAL WORLD SHOCK TUNING. NOW WE'LL START WITH THE DIFFERENT PARTS AND PIECES OF A TYPICAL COIL OVER SET UP. IT STARTS WITH AN EXTERNAL RESERVOIR. INSIDE THIS RESERVOIR IS A NITROGEN GAS CHARGE AS WELL AS SOME OF THE SHOCK OIL. IT'S ATTACHED TO THE SHOCK BODY WITH A HIGH PRESSURE HOSE. INSIDE THE SHOCK BODY IS THE REST OF THE SHOCK OIL AS WELL AS THE VALVING PACK. THE SHOCK BODY IS CUT WITH THREADS FOR BOTH THE RIDE HEIGHT ADJUSTERS, THE DUAL RATE STOCK KIT, AND THEN THE BODY HAS A SLIDER THAT MOVES UP AND DOWN IT FOR BOTH THE UPPER AND LOWER SPRING. THE ROD ITSELF AND THE TOP OF THE SHOCK BOTH HAVE SPHERICAL ROD ENDS TO MOUNT THEM TO THE CHASSIS AND TO THE SUSPENSION, AND THE BOTTOM HAS A SMALL SPRING POCKET. NOW THE ROD IS ATTACHED TO THE VALVING STACK THAT IS INSIDE THE SHOCK, AND THE VALVING STACK IS WHERE ALL THE WORK GETS DONE ON A SHOCK ABSORBER. BUT TO SEE HOW THAT WORKS, WE'VE GOT TO LOOK INSIDE. VALVING INSIDE A SHOCK ABSORBER MOST COMMONLY USES WHAT'S CALLED DEFLECTIVE DISC TECHNOLOGY. NOW THAT MEANS THAT THE VALVES THEMSELVES ARE ACTUALLY FLAT ROUND DISCS LIKE THIS. AND AS THE FLUID PASSES THROUGH THE PISTON, IT ACTUALLY BENDS THE DISCS AND ALLOWS IT TO MOVE FROM THE UPPER PART OF THE SHOCK TO THE LOWER OR FROM THE LOWER TO THE UPPER, DEPENDING WHETHER YOU'RE ON COMPRESSION OR REBOUND. NOW ON COMPRESSION, THAT'S WHEN YOU HIT A BUMP AND THE TIRE GOES UP, THE PISTON TRAVELS UP INSIDE THE SHOCK AND THE FLUID FROM THE TOP SIDE OF THE SHOCK MOVES TO THE BOTTOM SIDE OF THE SHOCK TRAVELING THROUGH THE PISTON ITSELF AND DEFLECTING ALL THE DISCS INSIDE. NOW THE EXACT OPPOSITE HAPPENS ON REBOUND. REBOUND IS WHEN THE TIRE IS FALLING AWAY FROM YOUR VEHICLE BACK DOWN TO THE GROUND. THERE'S VALVING ON THE TOP SIDE OF THE PISTON FOR THAT. THE FLUID IS THEN TRAVELING BACK TO THE TOP SIDE OF THE SHOCK. IT'S BENDING THE DISCS, ALLOWING IT TO TRAVEL UP INTO THE TOP SIDE AND A LITTLE BIT INTO THE RESERVOIR. NOW THESE DISCS COME IN DIFFERENT THICKNESSES, YOU CAN PUT SPACERS IN BETWEEN THEM, AND YOU CAN ALSO CHANGE THE SIZE OF THEM. ALL OF THAT EFFECTS HOW THE SHOCK REACTS ON BOTH COMPRESSION AND REBOUND, BUT TO CHANGE THOSE DISCS YOU HAVE TO TAKE THE SHOCK APART. NOW ONE OTHER ITEM THAT WE WANT TO ELIMINATE INSIDE THE SHOCK ABSORBER IS CAVITATION. NOW WHAT CAUSES CAVITATION IS SOMEWHAT MISUNDERSTOOD. WHEN YOU'RE DRIVING THROUGH THE DIRT AT A HIGH SPEED AND YOU HIT THAT BIG BUMP THAT COMPLETELY BOTTOMS OUT THE SHOCK AT A FAST RATE, YOU HAVE WHAT'S CALLED A HIGH SHAFT VELOCITY. THE PISTON TRAVELS VERY QUICKLY UP INSIDE THE OIL. THE OIL GOES THROUGH THE PISTON LIKE IT'S SUPPOSED TO, PAST THE VALVING DISC, BUT IT GETS STIRRED UP UNDERNEATH THE PISTON. KINDA LIKE WHEN YOU JUMP IN YOUR BOAT AT THE DOCK AND JUST PIN IT WIDE OPEN. YOU GET PROP WASH, ALL THE WATER'S FROTHED UP BEHIND THE BOAT. SAME THING HAPPENS INSIDE THE SHOCK. NOW IT MAY NOT SEEM LIKE IT'S A BIG DEAL BECAUSE IT'S ON THE BOTTOM SIDE OF THE PISTON WHEN IT'S TRAVELING UP. BUT LIKE ALL THINGS, EVERYTHING THAT GOES UP MUST COME DOWN. AND WHEN THE PISTON TRAVELS BACK DOWN THROUGH THAT FROTHED UP OIL IT CAN'T SLOW DOWN BECAUSE THERE'S NO RESISTANCE. THAT CAUSES CAVITATION ON THE TOP SIDE OF THE PISTON. AND IT JUST GETS WORSE, AND WORSE, AND WORSE AS YOU DRIVE THE RIG. NOW WE ELIMINATE THAT WITH AIR PRESSURE. WE CHANGED THE AIR PRESSURE INSIDE THE RESERVOIR ITSELF. BY ADJUSTING THIS PRESSURE, IT ACTS LIKE AN INITIAL SPRING BECAUSE THE FLOATING PISTON WILL COMPRESS THE AIR DURING THOSE FIRST INITIAL HITS. IT'LL HELP SLOW THE SHOCK ABSORBER DOWN AND ALLOW THE VALVING STACK TO DO ITS JOB. NOW ONE THING THAT BILSTEIN DOES IS THEY TAKE IT ONE STEP FURTHER. YOU CAN GET WHAT'S CALLED AN ANTICAVITATION VALVE, OR ACV. THIS IS AN ADDITIONAL VALVING SETUP THAT'S MOUNTED INSIDE THE RESERVOIR. IT DOES THE EXACT SAME THING AS THE OIL AND AIR COMBINATION, JUST WITH A LITTLE BIT MORE TUNABILITY. YOU CAN ADJUST THE ACV AND THE AIR PRESSURE OF THE NITROGEN TO COMPLETELY REMOVE ANY CAVITATION IN THE SHOCK.

(ANNOUNCER)>> COMING UP, WE GO FROM THIS TO THIS!

(IAN)>> TODAY ON XTREME WE'RE HAVING A LOOK AT THE COIL SHOCK. NOW WE'VE INSTALLED TONS OF THESE OVER THE YEARS ON EVERYTHING FROM TUBE BUGGIES TO DUAL PURPOSE RIGS. BUT AFTER A RECENT TRIP IN OUR BLAZER PROJECT, WE WANTED JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE FROM THE SUSPENSION. AND WHO BETTER TO CALL THAN THE CREW AT BILSTEIN, WHO JUMPED IN THEIR TUNING TRUCK AND CAME DOWN TO GIVE US A HAND. JOEL WARD IS A SELF PROCLAIMED SHOCK GEEK, AND HE'S SPENT COUNTLESS HOURS IN THE DESERT TUNING FOR SOME SERIOUS OFF ROADING, EVERYTHING FROM TROPHY TRUCKS TO RECREATIONAL WHEELERS. WE KNEW THAT NOT ONLY DID HE BRING THE KNOWLEDGE, HE ALSO BROUGHT THE TOOLS FOR THE JOB.

(JOEL)>> PROBABLY THE MOST SPECIALIZED PORTION OF EQUIPMENT THAT BILSTEIN BRINGS IS OUR VALVING. THE NUMBER OF SHIMS ARE IN THE HUNDREDS.

(IAN)>> BUT ALL THE TOOLS IN THE WORLD CANNOT REPLACE WHAT JOEL REALLY BRINGS TO THE TABLE, AND THAT IS YEARS OF EXPERIENCE WITH VALVING, SPRING RATE CALCULATION, AND NITROGEN PRESSURE RATES.

(JOEL)>> THE BALANCE IS WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR. THAT BALANCE YOU'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO SEE AT SLOWER PACES AND AT A FASTER PACE. SO IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE A HERO RUN FOR ME TO SEE WHAT I NEED TO SEE INITIALLY. MOST OF THE TIMES THERE'S SOMETHING RIGHT AWAY, ESPECIALLY WITH A NEW VEHICLE. BRING IT BACK IN, TEAR THE FRONT OFF, CHANGE THE SPRING RATE, START GETTING INTO THE VALVING. IF THE FRONT AND THE BACK ARE FIGHTING EACH OTHER, THERE'S NO REASON TO CONTINUE WITH HIGH SPEED PASSES. YOU'RE JUST GONNA WRINKLE THE ROOF.

(IAN)>> AND YOU MAY THINK SHOCK TUNING IS SOMETHING THAT YOU ONLY HAVE TO DO IF YOU'VE GOT A HUGE BUDGET. MAYBE A BIG TIME RACE TEAM AND A BUNCH OF DESERT CARS, BUT YOU WOULD BE WRONG.

(JOEL)>> WHEN WE GET TOGETHER FOR A TUNING SESSION OR JUST A LITTLE BIT OF SUPPORT ON THE PHONE AND A COUPLE OF VALVE CHANGES LATER WE CAN TAKE YOU TO A LEVEL OF PERFORMANCE THAT'S HIGHER THAN WHAT YOU'RE NORMALLY GONNA OPERATE AT. YOU KNOW, IF WE TAKE IT TO 80 PERCENT OF THE PERFORMANCE AND THEN YOU OPERATE IT AT 60 PERCENT, YOU KNOW THAT WHEN YOU HIT THE GOTCHA THAT'S OUT THERE JUST WAITING FOR YOU, YOU KNOW, YOUR COOLER MIGHT FALL OUT OF THE BACK BUT YOUR KIDS WON'T.

(IAN)>> TUNING A RECREATIONAL WHEELING RIG DEFINITELY HAS ITS BENEFITS TOO.

(JOEL)>> IT'S GETTING THE BUGGY WELL BALANCED OVER FASTER TERRAIN MIGHT GET YOU A LITTLE BIT OF A COMPROMISE IN THE ROCKS, BUT THE OVERALL PACKAGE IS MUCH, MUCH BETTER THAN A ROCK CRAWLER ONLY SETUP AND WHERE YOU HAVE A LOT OF REBOUND CONTROL AND A HEAVY LOWER SPRING.

(IAN)>> MOST OF THE TIME A SET OF BILSTEINS WILL ROLL INTO YOUR SHOP READY TO GO RIGHT OUT OF THE BOX. AND YOU CAN INSTALL THEM AND BE VERY HAPPY WITH HOW YOUR RIG PERFORMS. BUT IF YOU WANT JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE, WELL TUNING IS GONNA BE THE ANSWER.

(JOEL)>> THE CUSTOMER AND I WILL WORK OUT WHAT THE GOAL OF THE VEHICLE IS AND TUNE TOWARDS THAT. THERE'S NO REASON THAT YOUR RIG CAN'T BE MUCH BETTER THAN WHERE IT IS.

(IAN)>> SO WE'VE GOT THE TRUCK OUT OF THE SHOP AND OUT HERE AT THE OFF ROAD PARK. NOW JOEL, WE DON'T HAVE DESERT HERE, BUT I BROUGHT YOU TO KINDA THE CLOSEST THING I COULD FIND IN THE SOUTH, WHICH IS A DIRT ROAD. SO ARE WE GONNA BE OKAY WITH THIS?

(JOEL)>> WELL YOU BROUGHT THE HEAT TOO. YEAH, I THINK WE CAN MAKE DO. THIS IS THE TERRAIN THAT YOU'RE GONNA RUN THE THING ON. SO WE CAN DO IT HERE AND FOLLOW UP AT THE KING OF THE HAMMERS.

(IAN)>> WHAT'S THE FIRST STEP IN ALL OF THIS. YOU WALKED AROUND THE TRUCK, GAVE IT A GOOD ONCE OVER, FOUND A COUPLE OF THINGS, BUT WHAT'S THE FIRST THING WE'RE GONNA DO NOW THAT WE'RE HERE TO OFFICIALLY SHOCK TUNE?

(JOEL)>> WELL, AGAIN, I WENT OVER IT, THE SHOCKS ARE CHARGED, AND WE COVERED THE BASICS OF FUNCTIONALITY. SO I WANT TO SEE THE BALANCE OF THE TRUCK, WANT TO FEEL THE BALANCE OF THE TRUCK FRONT AND BACK, WHICH IS THE END TO START WITH. AND WE'VE GOT TO RUN IT AROUND A LITTLE BIT AND FIND OUT WHICH END TO START WITH.

(IAN)>> THIS IS WHERE WE GO FOR A DRIVE RIGHT?

(JOEL)>> THAT'S RIGHT.

(IAN)>> LET'S GO!

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

(JOEL)>> THE FRONT REBOUND IS TOO TIGHT, AND THE COMPRESSION IS TOO SOFT.

(IAN)>> HOW CAN YOU TELL THAT AFTER ONE RUN LIKE THAT?

(JOEL)>> THAT'S IT BECAUSE I FELT THIS BOTTOMING IN THE FRONT AND I FELT THE NOSE DIPPING OVER STUFF, AND THAT'S WHERE WE ARE.

(IAN)>> SO WITH AN UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT WE NEEDED TO DO, THE FIRST STEP IN ANY SHOCK TUNING JOB IS TO REMOVE THE SHOCKS FOR JOEL TO WORK HIS MAGIC ON.

(JOEL)>> WE'RE GONNA GET A FEEL OF HOW IT COMPRESSES, HOW IT REBOUNDS. YOU'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO SEE WHAT KIND OF REBOUND YOU'RE WORKING WITH. IT SHOULD PROBABLY BE STIFFER ON THE COMPRESSION, JUST A LITTLE BIT. IT'S JUST A SEAT OF THE PANTS FEEL, BUT YOU'RE ALSO GONNA SEE HOW FAST THE REBOUND IS REACTIVE.

(IAN)>> WITH THE SHOCK SECURED IN THE VICE, JOEL REMOVED THE END CAP AND PULLS OUT THE SHOCK ROD AND THE VALVING STACK. THEN HE DISASSEMBLES THE VALVING STACK TO MAKE HIS ADJUSTMENTS. IN THE CASE OF OUR SHOCKS HE'S GONNA ADD A LITTLE BIT MORE COMPRESSION VALVING BUT SPEND MORE TIME FOCUSING ON THE REBOUND TO ALLOW THE TIRE TO REMAIN IN CONTACT WITH THE GROUND WHILE WE'RE DRIVING. A SPRING CHANGE UP FRONT TO A STIFFER UPPER COIL WILL INCREASE THE COMBINED SPRING RATE AND PREVENT THE TRUCK FROM BOTTOMING OUT SO QUICKLY. THEN WITH THE SHOCKS BACK IN, IT'S TIME TO TEST IT OUT. RIGHT AWAY IT WAS EASY TO TELL, THE TRUCK'S SUSPENSION WAS WORKING A LOT BETTER. WITH THE ORIGINAL SETUP, THE AXLE WAS STIFF, NOT REACTING WELL TO THE TERRAIN. NOW IT WAS A LOT MORE ALIVE AND THE TIRES WERE RETURNING TO THE GROUND QUICKER AFTER BEING COMPRESSED, GETTING THE SUSPENSION READY FOR THE NEXT BUMP IN THE ROAD. BUT WE'RE NOT FINISHED YET. JOEL HAD A COUPLE OF FINE TUNING IDEAS. BY ADJUSTING THE SECONDARY STOPS AND ADDING SOME NITROGEN CHARGE TO THE AIR BUMPS, WE WERE READY FOR OUR FINAL PASS. THIS PACKAGE WAS THE TICKET FOR SURE. THE BLAZER COULD EASILY HANDLE ANY OF THE TERRAIN WE THREW AT IT. NOT ONLY WAS IT FASTER, I FELT MORE IN CONTROL OF THE TRUCK, MAKING IT SAFE. PLUS IT MADE JOEL GIGGLE. ALRIGHT JOEL, THAT LAST TUNE I THINK NAILED IT, WHAT DO YOU THINK?

(JOEL)>> HA, HA, HA, IT WAS GOOD.

(IAN)>> YOU'RE HAPPY WITH HOW IT'S WORKING OUT THERE?

(JOEL)>> GIGGLING!

(IAN)>> GOOD, I WOULDN'T CALL IT A HOVER CRAFT LIKE A TROPHY TRUCK, BUT CONSIDERING WHAT WE STARTED WITH, WE MOVED THIS THING MILES AWAY. AND WHAT SHOCKED ME THE MOST, LITERALLY, WAS HOW DIFFERENT THE BACK IS NOW JUST BY MAKING CHANGES UP FRONT.

(JOEL)>> CORRECT, WE DIDN'T EVEN TOUCH THE BACK. THE FRONT END WAS EFFECTING THE REAR SO MUCH THAT OUR CHANGES UP FRONT WERE ALL THAT WAS NEEDED.

(IAN)>> WELL I THINK YOU'VE KINDA KNOCKED IT OUT OF THE PARK WITH THIS. SO ARE WE DONE NOW?

(JOEL)>> I THINK WE'RE READY TO PUT A STICKER ON THE WINDOW.

(IAN)>> I LOVE BIG STICKERS, LETS GO!

(ANNOUNCER)>> UP NEXT, WE TEST AND TUNE A HARDCORE TUBE BUGGY IN THE DIRT AND ON THE ROCKS.

(IAN)>> WE ARE DEEP IN THE WOODS TODAY WITH THE CREW FROM BILSTEIN TUNING SOME SHOCKS. AND EVEN THOUGH WE'VE GOT OUR BLAZER READY TO ROCK, WE WANTED TO SPEND SOME TIME DIALING IN A TUBE BUGGY AS WELL. FULL BODIED RIGS HAVE A LOT OF WEIGHT TO HELP THE SUSPENSION WORK. A TUBE BUGGY, WELL THAT'S A DIFFERENT CUP OF TEA. THEY HAVE A LOT LESS SPRUNG WEIGHT, AND THEREFORE TUNE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY. WE HAD THE GUYS FROM ESSENTIALLY OFF ROAD BRING OUT ONE OF THEIR MAGNUM THREETWOONE CHASSIS TO GET SOME TUNING INFO FOR OUR FUTURE BUGGY PROJECTS.

(JIMMY)>> THE SUSPENSION IS A TOOL YOU KNOW. IT'S WHAT MAKES THE VEHICLE. SO IF IT'S NOT WORKING RIGHT, NOTHING'S GONNA WORK RIGHT.

(IAN)>> ACCORDING TO JOEL, THE MOST COMMON MISTAKE PEOPLE MAKE WITH TUBE RIGS IS TO OVER SPRING THE SUSPENSIONS. AND TO HELP PROVE THIS POINT WE LOADED UP THE THREETWOONE WITH A SPRING RATE THAT MAY SEEM NORMAL, 175 UPPERS OVER 225 LOWERS. BUT BELIEVE IT OR NOT, THIS SETUP IS WAY TOO STIFF. YOU CAN SEE THERE IS ALMOST NO SUSPENSION MOVEMENT IN THE CAR. EVEN AT HIGH SPEEDS THE AXLE DOESN'T EVEN COME CLOSE TO CONTACTING THE BUMP STOP. THE ANSWER FOR THIS IS A SPRING CHANGE. NOW THE NEW RATE MAY SEEM INCREDIBLY LOW, 150 UPPERS OVER 150 LOWERS UP FRONT AND 100 UPPERS OVER 125 LOWERS IN THE REAR, BUT THE SUSPENSION NOW ACTUALLY IS ABLE TO WORK UNDER THE CAR. THE AXLE MOVES UP WITH EVERY SINGLE BUMP AND THE SHOCK IS NOW CYCLING CORRECTLY, ALLOWING THE VALVE STACK TO DO ITS JOB AND LETTING THE BUMP STOP CONTACT THE AXLE. BOTH THE ESSENTIALLY OFF ROAD BUGGY AND OUR BLAZER HAVE HYDRAULIC BUMP STOPS. UNLIKE A HARD POLY BUMP STOP, AN AIR BUMP HAS ACTUAL VALVING INSIDE OF IT JUST LIKE THE SHOCK. WHEN YOU CONTACT THE BUMP, IT IS COMPRESSED UNDER PRESSURE TO SLOW THE AXLE DOWN, BUT IT SHOULD NEVER PUSH THE AXLE BACK OUT LIKE A POLY BUMP STOP WOULD. THE AXLE SHOULD FALL AWAY FROM THE BUMP AND THE VALVING INSIDE OF IT WILL ALLOW THE SHAFT TO SLOWLY RETURN TO ITS ORIGINAL POSITION. BUT THESE RIGS ARE BOTH BUILT FOR TRAIL RIDING, NOT DESERT RACING. SO WE HAD TO PUT JOEL'S THEORY TO THE TEST. TUNING A RIG FOR HIGH SPEED WOULD IMPROVE IT'S ABILITY TO CRAWL, AND HE WAS RIGHT. THE SUSPENSION WAS WAY MORE REACTIVE AND ABSORBED THE LEDGES ON THE TRAIL A LOT BETTER. BOTH OF THESE RIGS BENEFITTED FROM A GOOD DAY OF SHOCK TUNING AND SO COULD YOURS. SO HOPEFULLY NOW YOU GUYS UNDERSTAND WHAT GOES INTO TUNING A SET OF SHOCKS, WHETHER IT'S ON A FULL SIZE RIG LIKE OUR BLAZER OR A TUBE BUGGY LIKE JIMMY'S RIDE RIGHT HERE. JOEL, I WANT TO THANK YOU SO MUCH MAN.

(JOEL)>> MY PLEASURE!

(IAN)>> HAD A BLAST, DID YOU HAVE FUN OUT HERE IN THE HEAT?

(JOEL)>> INDEED I DID.

(IAN)>> GREAT MAN, I'M GLAD TO GET YOU OVER ON THE RIGHT COAST FOR A CHANGE.

(JOEL)>> WE'RE ON THE COAST?

(IAN)>> WELL WE'RE KINDA EAST COAST, WE CALL OURSELVES EAST COAST. JIMMY, THANKS AGAIN FOR COMING OUT, IT WAS GREAT HAVING YOU GUYS HERE. AND JUST SO YOU GUYS REALIZE, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE AT HOME, IF YOU CAN'T GET YOUR RIG OUT TO A BILSTEIN TUNING SESSION. YOU GET A HOLD OF A GOOD FOUR WHEEL DRIVE SHOP LIKE JIMMY AND ESSENTIALLY OFF ROAD, THEY'LL HOOK YOU UP. THEY'LL TAKE YOU OUT, SPEND SOME DAYS TUNING WITH YA, GET YOUR RIG HANDLING PROBABLY AS GOOD AS THIS BLAZER. I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THAT ONE. I'M GOING WHEELING! WHO'S RIDING IN THE BLAZER, ME, WHOO! FOR DETAILS ON ANY OF THE PRODUCTS SEEN IN TODAY'S EPISODE, HEAD ON OVER TO POWERBLOCK TV DOT COM!