As off-roaders, we work hard and we play even harder. Our toys take more than their fair share of abuse, and we count on them to deliver every time the weekend comes around. Sometimes, however, we get behind on maintenance or overlook things. We’re only human, after all! That’s why all of us here at Off Road Warehouse want to remind you to check on your suspension after every outing, which we can do here with our free professional suspension inspection .

Every so often, we find out during these inspections (or from customer concerns) that the vehicle’s suspension is worse for wear, especially the coilovers. It’s then that we recommend a rebuild, which will restore the coilover back to normal and extend its lifespan. Let’s dive a little deeper and find out what’s involved in a shock rebuild.

An ORW technician performs a rebuild on a King shock.

Just about every coilover uses the same core components— spring , shock body , valves, shims, piston, IFP, etc. The ORW difference comes in taking the time to properly disassemble the shock, which requires careful attention and special tools. Our qualified technicians are highly experienced and properly equipped to do this.

In addition, while disassembling the coilover, our technicians take special care to notice signs of wear and tear to seals and rings that go bad. These include dried or wet stains surrounding the top cap, or small cracks and tears in the o-rings. Once all the coilover’s internals are organized and laid out, our technicians can start the reassembly. Rest assured that ORW technicians will have the correct rebuild kit for your particular make and model— King , Fox , and Icon are just a few of the many brands we carry and know like the back of our hand.

During reassembly, our technicians do another round of checks and inspections on the coilover. They look for pits and scratches along the shaft, as well as any warping or bending to the shaft itself, and will pass on any issues or concerns to our sales staff to share with customers. If everything is good to go, the coilover goes back together, ready to reinstall on the vehicle.

So before you head out for your next off-road outing, make sure to stop by ORW and get a free suspension inspection. You’ll be glad you did!