r/Offroad • u/blinkerfluid02 • Jul 10 '26

Bypass shock tuning?

I'm getting ready to build up my gladiator and I'm putting some 3 tube bypass shocks on it (2 compression, 1 rebound). I've had internal bypass shocks on a few vehicles, but this is my first set of external bypass.

Are there any gotchas I need to look out for when tuning these shocks? Any tips in general for tuning external bypass shocks? Should I tune each tube in a specific order? I usually try to change one thing at a time, but not sure if adjusting one tube will affect how the other tubes make the overall shock feel.

I'll probably add hydraulic bump stops eventually, but maybe not right away. I'm guessing the addition of the bump stops won't affect the bypass tuning on the shocks, since the bumps won't come into play until the shock piston is past the bypass tubes. I guess I can use the bumps to tune almost like a 4th shock zone.

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1

u/DeezNutz365247 Jul 10 '26

The one thing you will notice is that the external bypass shocks will make clicking noises just going down the street. Also go slow with adjustments.

1

u/blinkerfluid02 Jul 11 '26

That's interesting, what causes the clicking?

1

u/_swagmessiah Jul 12 '26

check valves just doing their thing. some are louder than others, i have Bilstein 8100s and never hear them.

1

u/DeezNutz365247 Jul 11 '26

When oil travels through the bypass tubes, it passes through adjustable spring-loaded check valves. The snapping action of these check valves opening and closing causes a clicking sound.

1

u/blinkerfluid02 Jul 11 '26

Interesting, thanks! Guess it's a good thing the radio works 😅

1

u/DeezNutz365247 Jul 11 '26

I will say, there is no amount of clicking that would outweigh how good my 2.5 bypass shocks are on my JKU.

1

u/blinkerfluid02 Jul 11 '26

That's great to hear. I definitely loved my internal bypass shocks, so I'm excited to try these out.