Sway away shocks in need of repair

Mig750 · 11-28-2004, 11:18 AM

Yeah its been a long time since Ive been here but my baby is in need my sway-a-way shocks are shot. Its hitting hard and my 285 tires are rubbing now. Any one know if I can get them revalved or whatever it is they do to make them like new???????????

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rowan · 11-28-2004, 06:04 PM

yeah you definatly can, they have a liftetime waranty... just not sure how...

turboale · 11-28-2004, 08:01 PM

Thats one of the biggest downfalls to the SAWs,
You have to take them out to get re-valved/redone... I might as well had to with my downeys, we ended up cutting the shock in half then putting the thing into a 12ton press. But, the downeys have a sleeve that fits over a bilstein shock so I only had minimal down time. Call SAW, you have to send them off.

If you losing that much ride height I don't think it would be as much the shocks as the springs getting compacted. My downeys are doing the same...

rowan · 11-29-2004, 12:12 PM

yeah i just got bigger tires and they rub a little offroad.. when turned and flexed. i dont want to crank my shocks anymore though really, my cv's are at a pretty high angle. the saws only have 20,000 miles or so on them now so still in good shape.

cvlighthouse · 12-15-2004, 11:03 AM

I think they have a 1 year warranty.

Can someone direct me to a link?

My collars are seized up and I can't adjust or remove my SAWs
edit found one:
http://www.yotatech.com/showthread.p...t=saws+collars

SEAN_at_TLT · 12-15-2004, 04:59 PM

Re-valving the shocks is not necessarily the answer. If your shocks felt too stiff or too soft out of the box then a re-valve would be the answer. But if they felt good and recently began to fell not so good, the problem is elsewhere. It is possible they just lost their nitrogen charge, sometimes people will deflate your shocks just to be a jerk, otherwise a slow leak can do the same. If your coil-springs have sagged more than just the initial settling then something is wrong with your setup. Eibach springs should never sag unless they are over-compressed. Eibach has charts available in .PDF format on their website that tell you the available spring-travel for a specific coil size. If you crank your coils too high not only does it damage CV's (as we all know) but it actually can damage the coils themselves by over-compressing them.

The first thing I'd do is check the nitrogen pressure and verify if it is up to spec, then if it is correct, it's possible that you damaged the shim-stack from slamming a few hard hits (bent shim washers). You do not need to send in your shocks for service and if the problem is not a manufacturing defect then it's not covered anyway. These shocks are actually simple to work on. I know it seems scary but it's really a cake-walk! You can even order shim-stacks and install those yourself easily. I would call Kartek and ask for Mike Arthur's phone number, he is a SoCal suspension guru and for a reasonable fee, he can help you choose an appropriate shim-stack. Then Kartek can sell you the shims and shock fluid so you can install them yourself. It is also a good idea to get new seals, might as well right? If any of you guys are feeling adventurous check out this Sway-A-Way rebuild/revalve article we wrote a few months ago. HERE

11-28-2004, 06:04 PM	#2 (permalink)
rowan Registered User Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: maine Posts: 712	yeah you definatly can, they have a liftetime waranty... just not sure how... __________________ -Rowan black 99 tacoma regular cab 2.7L 4cyl. 5spd, 4x4 4" lift front SAWs and Revtek Diff Drop \| 4.5" lift rear Skyjacker AALs and Daystar Shackles \| removed swaybar \| ARB bullbar \| 33x12.50 BFG ATs on 15x8 AR Outlaw II's \| Bushwhacker Cut-out Flares \| kenwood headunit, amp, 10" MTX sub \| manual hubs \| Rhino liner \| K&N Filter \| Delta tool box \| Pro Comp Lights \| sometime in the future maybe: armor, gear/lock? 35s? SAS?

11-28-2004, 08:01 PM	#3 (permalink)
turboale Contributing Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Brooklyn, NY Posts: 4,836	Thats one of the biggest downfalls to the SAWs, You have to take them out to get re-valved/redone... I might as well had to with my downeys, we ended up cutting the shock in half then putting the thing into a 12ton press. But, the downeys have a sleeve that fits over a bilstein shock so I only had minimal down time. Call SAW, you have to send them off. If you losing that much ride height I don't think it would be as much the shocks as the springs getting compacted. My downeys are doing the same... __________________ --Austin RHaus NYC 06 M45 Sport - Beauty 96 4Runner - The Beast

11-29-2004, 12:12 PM	#4 (permalink)
rowan Registered User Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: maine Posts: 712	yeah i just got bigger tires and they rub a little offroad.. when turned and flexed. i dont want to crank my shocks anymore though really, my cv's are at a pretty high angle. the saws only have 20,000 miles or so on them now so still in good shape. __________________ -Rowan black 99 tacoma regular cab 2.7L 4cyl. 5spd, 4x4 4" lift front SAWs and Revtek Diff Drop \| 4.5" lift rear Skyjacker AALs and Daystar Shackles \| removed swaybar \| ARB bullbar \| 33x12.50 BFG ATs on 15x8 AR Outlaw II's \| Bushwhacker Cut-out Flares \| kenwood headunit, amp, 10" MTX sub \| manual hubs \| Rhino liner \| K&N Filter \| Delta tool box \| Pro Comp Lights \| sometime in the future maybe: armor, gear/lock? 35s? SAS?

12-15-2004, 11:03 AM	#5 (permalink)
cvlighthouse Registered User Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Carmel Valley, Ca. Posts: 446	I think they have a 1 year warranty. Can someone direct me to a link? My collars are seized up and I can't adjust or remove my SAWs edit found one: http://www.yotatech.com/showthread.p...t=saws+collars __________________ 01 Taco TRD w/ cab over camper here: http://www.yotatech.com/showthread.php?t=116933 Replica Ivan Stevart TRD grille here: http://www.yotatech.com/f2/01-tacoma...-alike-136935/ Last edited by cvlighthouse; 12-15-2004 at 11:24 AM.

12-15-2004, 04:59 PM	#6 (permalink)
SEAN_at_TLT Registered User Join Date: May 2004 Location: USA Posts: 752	Re-valving the shocks is not necessarily the answer. If your shocks felt too stiff or too soft out of the box then a re-valve would be the answer. But if they felt good and recently began to fell not so good, the problem is elsewhere. It is possible they just lost their nitrogen charge, sometimes people will deflate your shocks just to be a jerk, otherwise a slow leak can do the same. If your coil-springs have sagged more than just the initial settling then something is wrong with your setup. Eibach springs should never sag unless they are over-compressed. Eibach has charts available in .PDF format on their website that tell you the available spring-travel for a specific coil size. If you crank your coils too high not only does it damage CV's (as we all know) but it actually can damage the coils themselves by over-compressing them. The first thing I'd do is check the nitrogen pressure and verify if it is up to spec, then if it is correct, it's possible that you damaged the shim-stack from slamming a few hard hits (bent shim washers). You do not need to send in your shocks for service and if the problem is not a manufacturing defect then it's not covered anyway. These shocks are actually simple to work on. I know it seems scary but it's really a cake-walk! You can even order shim-stacks and install those yourself easily. I would call Kartek and ask for Mike Arthur's phone number, he is a SoCal suspension guru and for a reasonable fee, he can help you choose an appropriate shim-stack. Then Kartek can sell you the shims and shock fluid so you can install them yourself. It is also a good idea to get new seals, might as well right? If any of you guys are feeling adventurous check out this Sway-A-Way rebuild/revalve article we wrote a few months ago. HERE __________________ -Sean Trails Less Traveled

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