ezgo txt shock tabs.

[deerhunter88]

The tab on the other side has the bend but not as bad. I ordered some coil over shocks today. I didn't attempt to bend the tab back yet as I got a buddy that does metal work and I'll have him look at it. The threaded part of the shock as u can see had a really bad bend in it. The right side did not have that bend in the shock.

[deerhunter88]

Right side tab.

[deerhunter88]

Bent shock. Anyone know why the keep posting sideways from my phone?
I haven't taken the opposite side shock off yet but I'm guessing the threads will have some bend in it as well. I believe the passenger side took more of an impact cause my buddy driving ,225lb, was by himself plus I have a 12v deep cycle accessory battery on that side as well.

[pachanga90]

I would straighten the tabs,then measure the shocks fully extended and collapsed.If they are too short,they will bottom-out too soon,and bend due to a solid-stop becoming an issue.With the shocks removed,measure the distance between the upper and lower mounts(after they are straightened).Then have someone push the front down,to where you think would be the most travel,and remeasure the distance.Now compare these dimensions to your shock,if they aren't close,go on Monroeshocks.com/lengthsheets and find a suitable replacement in the oil-filled shock section(gas-shocks are too stiff for the front,they ride awful).Remember to add at least an inch to the "parked"height,so that you still have some upward travel,or it will still feel jolty when riding.I have Monroes in mine,they have been thru hell and back,slamming into and jumping trees,etc...for 4yrs,and they are still fine.Hope this helps.

[cgtech]

The mounts are not perfectly parallel to the shock from the factory, dont make this into a bigger "witch hunt" than necessary. Straighter is better, but, it was never perfect, from day one. Dont turn a mole hill into a mountain......

[JohnnieB]

Originally Posted by cgtech

The mounts are not perfectly parallel to the shock from the factory, dont make this into a bigger "witch hunt" than necessary. Straighter is better, but, it was never perfect, from day one. Dont turn a mole hill into a mountain......

You can see that in the EZGO video that was posted.
The center-line of the shock and the folded over part of the mounting bracket looked fairly well aligned when the guy was attaching the lower end of the shock, but later on when he attached the upper end, he had to tip the shock back some to get it into the upper hole, which changed the angle at the bottom end also.

Besides, neither end of the shock is rigidly mounted, so there is quite a bit of leeway.

Also, the shocks and shock mounts are probably not causing the cart level issue.
Basically, if the distance between the unsprung weight (Tires, Axles and Steering mechanism) and sprung weight (Frame and Body) is within the fully extended and fully compressed length of the shock absorber, it has no influence on that distance.

The springs (and their mounting points) determine that distance, the shocks simply reduce the bouncing. Of course, if the distance from the ground to the spring mount on both the driver and passenger side are not equidistant from the ground, the cart body will be tilted.

Start from the ground up with tape measure and level to find out where the tilt is. I suspect there will be more than one thing bent.

[deerhunter88]

Due to work and a wedding this weekend I wont get much time to mess with it.. Ill keep everyone posted on what I find. Thanks for all the help!!!

[pachanga90]

If the shocks are too long or too short,without proper travel,it can affect ride height due to being too short and pulling the front down,or too long with no room to compress,and the shock will hold the cart up,the bent mounts are a sign of incorrect shocks,and they are bending because the cart is forcing them,due to the shocks stopping travel.The only time a shock affects height is when its wrong.I Hope this clears it up.

[chloe]

While true the shock mounts are not solid, the design isn't for mis-aligned mount brackets but rather to absorb or compensate for fluctuations in the chassis movement. The shocks should still be mounted in as straight a line as possible to avoid premature wear to the shock body, (internally), and the piston. If the mount tabs are not aligned as closely as possible to the original alignment the offset will only serve to accentuate any differences created by the chassis flex.

[yurtle]

I'm far from a suspension expert, but everything said above sounds correct. If you need to straighten anything, I'd try and do it while sitting on the ground - not on jack stands - and with at least one passenger. I would also think there's a compromise between fully compressed and fully extended, as far as alignment. Sitting on the ground with a passenger is the average position, and it would still move from hitting a big bump (compressed) to hitting a big pothole (extended).