Shock replacement

[gottatanfl]

I have one Heartland Ovation, it is less than 2 years old and I have had to replace the shocks twice. They are $120.00 a set from Heartland.

Does anyone know where else to get these at a better rate and some that might last a little longer than 6 months. This is not a heavily used bed and I cant imagine these going bad so quick.

Heartland only offers a 90 day warranty on the shocks.

[nebtans]

What is causing the damage? Gas pistons should last for years. Are they just a "wee bit" weak? or totally failing?

If just weak, you can remove them and slightly "peen" the ed opposite of the piston rodto increase the pressure inside the cylinder. this may last years or a few minutes. You may of course also damage the shock beyond use so do this only if you have an alternative.

I have done this to my shocks several times, Oddly I get better life from my "expired" shocks than I get from new shocks.

Heatrland seems to be having difficulty with shocks quality control. They sent me two sets of shocks for my unit and both were defective. At least they did not measure up to the force requirements printed on them.

I willsay they were quite efficient with crediting me for the defective shocks, so I am not discrediting the company. I am actually discrediting their supplier.

you may also check your mounts. Gas pistons are usually mounted in such a way as the moving rod exits the cylinder from the bottom of the cylinder. If the pistons are upside down, the seals and linear bearings may not get adequate lubrication and may cause binding. If your piston has been upside down and feels rough you may be able to coat it with mineral oil or vaselin Petroleum jelly to revive the lubrication.

The other area where shocks fail is through overheating. If the shock has been "Lifting" on its own, the cylinder is likely overheated. You may need to increase airflow in some area around the cylinder.

if you overheat the shock too much it will lead to a total failure as the seals may rupture. Once this happens the shock will have little resistance to moving the cylinder.

Good luck on the shocks. If you can tell me a bit more about what your symptoms are I may be able to help you more.

[nebtans]

peen: definition. Use a 4-6 pound hammerwith a "peen" or "chisel" face to beat small dents into the end of the shock. you will have to place the shock against a solid object and beat only about three inches from the non moving end. Hammer 50-60 small dents into this area until the shock has a rough feel to it.

Do NOT peen the end where the piston exits. You will destroy the shock if you damage the bearings/ seals.

BE SURE TO WEAR SAFETY GOGGLES!

[gottatanfl]

The canopy will not stay up at all, this is the second time in 18 mos we have had to replace for the same problem.
No warning they are going bad one day they work fine the next day bang you hear the canopy fall hard.

[nebtans]

1 are shocks mounted with piston pointed down? (Fat end up! Skinny end down!)
2. Is there oil running out of the cylinder, down the piston. (a tiny bit is normal, more indicates blown seals)
3. are the pistons BENT in any way?
The TINIEST bend will cause the unit to fail.
4.Have you checked for a overheat situation? (overheating causes overpressurization leading to seal failure)

5. Were the cylinders "lifting" a slight bit at any time? (overheating)

6.when the shock fails, will the piston move freely in and out of the cylinder? (Blown seals)

7. Is there any rust or pitting on the chromed part of the piston? check to see if bed cleaners are spraying bedcleaner/bleach on piston. This will destroy the piston and seals/ bearings. (do not touch the chrome piston, If you must occasionally clean it, wipe it down the coat it with mineral oil or petro jelly.

8. does the shock feel "rough" as it moves in and out of the cylinder? (pitting)

9. Does the piston "BIND" at any point during the travel in and out of the cylinder? (Bent piston rod, Can actually be so slight you may not see it as bent but it will still bind and fail)

10. IS there any "sideplay" Does the piston move in any direction other than straight in or out? (Damaged bearings, Likely bent piston)


If any of these do not answer your question, try to leave more info here.

Try contacting your bed mfr. They may have a technical upgrade for the equipment. At the very least they may be able to sell you the designed shocks for your unit. Even if they cost more, you may save a great deal by not replacing them for a great while.

[Brian Oshman]

First off, DO NOT PEEN THE PISTON END!!!

Smacking tempered steel with a hammer is dangerous. The steel will shatter and have an exploding effect. You will be tweezering shards of metal out of your arms and legs and eyeballs.

Damaging the highly polished surface will tear up the seals inside the piston and ruin it anyway.

Do you close the beds at night? If so, stop it. Leaving the bed open when not in use will prolong the life of the piston as it will be in its relaxed state and contain the pressure longer.

Make sure that the pistons are mounted with the cylinder (fat part) on top and the piston (skinny part) on the bottom.

FOr lubrication, use grease or motor oil. Mineral oil will eat the seals and the piston will fail quicker.

The two best brands of shocks are Hahn and Bansbach.

Hahn would be the better replacement in your situation. They have an internal braking valve in them.

[gottatanfl]

Thanks they were upside down, we wonder about it when this unit was first installed but Heartland Tech, claimed they were correct. They orig installed them upside down so when we replaced we did the same....
STUPID ME I pulled out the owners manuel last night and sure enough the picture showed them fat up top skinny down...
Damn Technician

[nebtans]

Not sure what you think mineral oil is. Mineral oil is used specifically on seals in pneumatic/ hydraulic applications. whenever you buy "Light weight machine oil" or pneumatic oil that IS mineral oil.

NEVER peen the piston nor the piston end of the cylinder! Even one blow will distort the bearings and seals.

If the shocks are mounted upside down the seals/bearings are away from the internal lubricant. This is why they are specifically mounted with the piston down.