The Ups & Downs
of the Performance
Shocks Market
ADDING CAPABILITY & CONTROL FOR ANY DRIVING SITUATION.
By Jef White
The market has seen overall demand increase, driven by growing consumer interest in off-road and lifestyle vehicle personalization. (Above photo courtesy DRiV)
The performance shocks market is all about capability and control. From the street to the track to the trail, improving drivability and suspension feedback delivers a safer, more enjoyable adventure.
A must-add for drivers looking to change ride height and/or wheel and tire sizes, performance shocks can serve as a gateway to more involved suspension upgrades or simply stand alone as an attractive upfit for owners who tow, haul or otherwise maximize their vehicle’s utility.
Suppliers offer tips on the performance shocks market, highlighting recent trends, sales techniques and new products to handle your customer’s ups and downs.
HIGHER & HIGHER
If you’re looking for ways the performance shocks market has evolved, start on the off-road side with today’s enormous tires.
Understanding the vehicle’s planned use leads to selection of the proper shock and suspension combination. (Photo courtesy Ridetech)
“The biggest difference in the last 10 years is the amount of lift, driven mostly by tire size,” says Sean Fox, product manager for KYB Americas. “Ten years ago, if you had 35-inch tires you were doing big things. Now, if you aren’t running 40s, you’re behind in some segments. Engineering and performance come into play much more at these bigger heights.”
The market has seen overall demand increase, driven by growing consumer interest in off-road and lifestyle vehicle personalization, says Shane McCormick, senior sales specialist for DRiV.
“The market has pivoted toward upgraded, premium suspension systems. The additional fluid capacity in performance shocks and struts keeps operating temperatures lower during sustained, demanding off-road use, but the trend is also heavily driven by styling,” he says. “The premium, aggressive look of a visible shock or strut in the wheel well has become a major lifestyle and design preference for truck and SUV owners.”
With greater interest, more players have joined the game, says Dan Tourino, vice president and general manager of Carli Suspension.
“The natural evolution of any product has manufacturers striving to separate themselves from a market saturated with homogonous products,” he observes. “The introduction of live valve (active chassis control) has been the most impactful change; we’re seeing it spread like wildfire though applications we never thought end users would find practical.”
What were once considered specialty products are now found on a wider variety of projects, notes Dylan Evans, engineering/R&D/racing for ICON Vehicle Dynamics. “High-performance, race-style shocks have now become commonplace performance upgrades,” he says.
As the market has grown, drivers have become more familiar with what a quality shock can do, says Mark Krumme, head of marketing, North America, for Eibach Inc. “It’s not ‘magic’ anymore—people are educated on the right combinations,” he says. “Each market is now very focused, and customers want to be able to trust the manufacturers to offer the support and attention to detail needed to dial in their desired ride.”
Factory advancements put manufacturers to the test, says Steve Laws, senior R&D technician, aFe Power.
“Over the last 10 years, performance shocks have changed to adaptive shocks with auto damping systems that allow you to change for the type of terrain or situation. This has created challenges for high-performance shock manufacturers in today’s market,” he says. “At aFe, we address this by offering a leveling spacer as an alternative to replacing adaptive shocks. This solution levels the front of the truck, delivering the aggressive stance typically associated with aftermarket coil-over systems. Today’s adaptive suspensions are so smart that the truck’s computer knows it’s no longer at its factory ride height and will trigger chassis error codes, so we have engineered brackets to trick the computer into thinking it is back to its factory ride height when the truck is leveled.”
Along with improved performance and drivability, quality shocks also deliver safety benefits. (Photos courtesy aFe Power)
Performance Shock Products
HOT PRODUCTS: Chevy Corvette C5/C6 Pfadt Coil-Over System
FEATURES & BENEFITS: Pfadt coil-over systems include hard anodized 6061-T6 aluminum bodies with a mono-tube design that utilizes an internal floating piston for extreme cooling; BOA ball-on-axis upper mount system improves ride and delivers quiet operations with adjustability.
--------- aFe Power Steve Laws Senior R&D Technician
HOT PRODUCTS: Carli-SPEC 2.5-Inch Remote Reservoir Dampers
FEATURES & BENEFITS: Included in Pathfinder Systems; impact extruded aluminum bodies, hard-anodized for finish longevity and durability; neutral color scheme; CNC-machined 6061 high-flow pistons; 7/8-inch hardened, chrome-plated shaft; 2.5-inch OD body and reservoir.
--------- Carli Suspension Dan Tourino Vice President & General Manager
HOT PRODUCTS: FOX Performance Series Shocks
FEATURES & BENEFITS: Along with our branded shocks, the FOX series leads in volume, with the FOX 2.5 factory series at the top; King 2.5 remote reservoir leveling shocks are right there challenging in popularity.
--------- Cognito Motorsports Paet Hidalgo Head of Company
HOT PRODUCTS: Rancho RS9000XL Shock
FEATURES & BENEFITS: Nine-way adjustability; large body diameter to handle extreme temperature changes; versatility; adjustable settings allow drivers to manually fine-tune the ride profile to match their specific driving conditions; larger fluid capacity optimizes heat dissipation.
--------- DRiV Shane McCormick Senior Sales Specialist
HOT PRODUCTS: 2.5 Pro-Truck-Lift Stage 3R Kit
FEATURES & BENEFITS: A 2.5-inch coil-over system for light trucks and SUVs; includes front lift coil-overs and rear reservoir shocks; larger piston and shaft with heavy-duty Cerakoted bodies; easy installation with no cutting or welding; minimal supporting mods required.
--------- Eibach Inc. Mark Krumme Head of Marketing, North America
HOT PRODUCTS: CDEV Electronically Controlled Shocks
FEATURES & BENEFITS: The system is app-controlled by IIC intelligent controller; onboard G-force sensor dynamically reacts to terrain.
--------- ICON Vehicle Dynamics Dylan Evans Engineering/R&D/Racing
HOT PRODUCTS: KYB 2000 Series
FEATURES & BENEFITS: 6061 aluminum threaded body; fully adjustable spring seat for fine-tuning ride height; 60mm piston; fully rebuildable with a gas port.
--------- KYB Americas Sean Fox Product Manager
HOT PRODUCTS: 2.5 RockSport Black Adjustable Reservoir Shocks
FEATURES & BENEFITS: Easy-to-access billet knob provides a wide adjustment range with eight positions that increase 15% with each click; triple-sealed and machined inner recessed cap for maximum travel.
--------- MetalCloak Scott Becker Media & Marketing Director
HOT PRODUCTS: Performance Handling Suspension for the 2006-15 Mazda NC Miata Platform
FEATURES & BENEFITS: With our latest HQ series rebound adjustable coil-over system and sway bar package these cars enjoy ride height and balance adjustability and improved shock travel at both ends; Fox Factory valving and internals and the extended top hat design improves overall handling and performance.
--------- Ridetech Blane Burnett Marketing Manager
HOT PRODUCTS: Modular Coil Spring Buffer
FEATURES & BENEFITS: Available for heavy-duty trucks, SUVs and electric vehicles; modular sizing system allows installers to precisely match the coil spring gap by interlocking individual segments to create the exact size needed; easy installation and a secure fit.
--------- RubberShox Benjamin Ramos Marketing
HOT PRODUCTS: Tuned Adjustable Shock Packages
FEATURES & BENEFITS: Three-position quick compression adjustment; hard anodized aluminum body.
--------- Van Compass Andy Knox General Manager
Products that deliver practical performance improvements without complex installations are currently popular, observes Benjamin Ramos, marketing, RubberShox.
“Shop owners and installers are seeing more customers looking to improve ride quality, vehicle stability, load support and overall driving comfort, especially for trucks, SUVs and EVs,” he says. “Today’s market seems to be less focused on major suspension overhauls and more focused on cost-effective solutions that are easy to install, provide immediate benefits and help address common suspension concerns.”
Some legacy designs have also stood the test of time, says Blane Burnett, marketing manager for Ridetech.
“Ridetech has been using the same Fox Factory performance monotube shock for 15-plus years with stellar success. A no-compromise approach to premium suspension solutions has led to a large piston monotube shock design that maximizes ride quality and performance and reigns supreme relative to older shock design tech,” he says.
Overall, drivers appreciate the added capability, notes Scott Becker, media and marketing director for MetalCloak.
“Consumers see the benefit of performance to price,” he says. “They see that they can get a shock that will work well unloaded and on the street, and with a quick adjustment be able to overland with stability or rock crawl with the desired feel they like.”
Materials and features are always evolving, adds Andy Knox, general manager at Van Compass, with recent upgrades including “adjustables and aluminum. Adjustability gives the end user the ability to dial in to their preferred driving mode.”
Consumer education ensures the customer ends up with the right custom-tuned shock setup for their specific application. Preplanned shock and suspension combos can be a good place to start. As the market has grown, drivers have become more familiar with all that quality shocks can do. (Left photo courtesy Carli Suspension. Center photo courtesy Cognito Motorsports. Right photo courtesy Eibach)
LOOK INSIDE
As is the case in many aftermarket segments, performance shock offerings can appear the same but offer different levels of quality and performance.
“They may look similar on the outside, but it is what is inside that counts,” says Fox. “Performance shocks are subject to abuse and conditions unheard of for normal vehicles. Saving money upfront on the shocks can become very expensive when your customer needs it the most and the units can’t perform, or worse, when they are left stranded in a remote area.”
The ride quality differences between brands offering similar features but made of different materials can be quite noticeable, says Paet Hidalgo, head of company for Cognito Motorsports.
“Shocks need to be tuned to perform and not all shocks with similar features are created equal or are tunable,” he explains.
Know and understand your shock products so you can accurately relay their benefits to customers. (Photo courtesy ICON Vehicle Dynamics)
“The leaders engineer and test to get their results while others copy looks and features but fail to duplicate the performance.”
When it comes to performance shocks, there usually isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution, says Burnett.
“While there is certainly a bell curve for most folks out there that want to go to Cars and Coffee events and occasionally track their pride and joy, there are others that will compete with their vehicle and push it much harder,” he notes.
A little complexity can be a good thing, Laws notes.
“Most shops want to just install and not have to touch preload adjustment,” he explains. “However, adding or removing weight from a vehicle may change the ride height a bit, leading to the need for shock adjustments, which equates to more billable shop time.”
Many systems are more versatile than shops may realize, notes Krumme.
“A common missed opportunity is when a company is selling a performance shock package and the coil-over is tuned with a spring,” he says. “Most people don’t realize you can upgrade the spring that goes with it. Talking to your manufacturer regarding spring rate, such as on our Eibach ERS coil-over racing spring, opens up opportunities to fine-tune applications for the end user’s specific use case.”
In general, performance shocks are an attractive option for drivers looking for something extra, says McCormick.
“Many service writers assume customers only want a standard replacement to address routine wear and tear,” he says. “In reality, truck and SUV owners are highly invested in their vehicles and are receptive to upgrades that enhance ride quality, towing stability or appearance—it is simply a matter of presenting the option.”
Complementary suspension system products such as coil spring buffers can absorb impact from rough road conditions, reduce suspension noise and vibration, improve vehicle stability and help restore ride quality on worn or heavily loaded vehicles, says Ramos.
“The added lift is a secondary benefit that comes from supporting the coil spring more effectively, making them a practical suspension upgrade rather than a traditional lift solution.”
Tourino says consumers are often under the impression that certain shock brands “ride the best.”
“The ride has little to do with the manufacturer of the shock, but everything to do with the refinement of the environment, geometry and tuning to make all these variables work in symphony,” he says.
The products should be viewed as part of an overall solution, notes Becker.
“Shocks are not the end-all. Shocks are part of a system that will provide performance,” he says.
Reservoir shocks are particularly suited for cooling and off-road use.
“The reservoir adds the ability to control oil flow into the reservoir, and thus the compression feeling of the shock,” says Knox. “You can have a shock that is soft off-road, and firm on road.”
Evans says shops will do well by recommending custom-designed solutions that can serve a wide variety of projects.
“High-performance shocks are for going fast in the desert, but actually they can deliver superior ride and handling on the road also,” he says.
A KEY TO ADVENTURE
The capabilities quality performance shocks add to a vehicle can unlock strong feelings in on-the-go enthusiasts.
“Don’t just sell the shocks; sell the adventure,” says KYB’s Fox. “Help the customer understand that you’re helping them get where they want to go safely, comfortably and reliably. You’re not selling them shocks—you are upgrading their vehicle to support the lifestyle they want to live.”
Street, track or trail, they can increase drivability, says Becker from MetalCloak.
“Promote the real-world uses for high-end performance shocks—not just racing results, but how this can work for towing, daily driving, overlanding, etc.,” he says.
Tourino recommends drilling down to the application and use case for each project.
“Carli offers several shocks, all for varying applications. We have systems meant for on-road, light off-road and then off-road smashers. All Carli systems are custom-valved specifically for these use cases, making consumer education the most important part of ensuring the driver ends up in the right custom-tuned shock for their specific application.”
Burnett from Ridetech believes the most important question is, “What are you going to do with the vehicle?”
“Along with any follow-up questions their answers lead you to, this will ultimately determine what path you need to lead them down when it comes to a damper/shock/coil-over solution,” he says.
Ramos from RubberShox recommends treating every suspension inspection as an opportunity to educate the customer.
“They are more likely to approve upgrades when they understand the real-world benefits. Offering easy-to-install suspension enhancement products can help increase ticket value while delivering better results for the customer,” he says.
Eibach’s Krumme offers two things to consider when selling and installing performance shocks:
• Investigate upsell opportunities for alignment components
including upper and lower control arms, tow arms, camber bolts,
etc.
• Schedule future appointments for shock inspection and service.
“It’s a conversation that’s rarely had, but most performance coil-overs require maintenance,” Krumme explains. “You can look like a hero by making an appointment for the customer, maybe three or four years down the line, for them to come back in for an inspection.
Don’t just sell the shocks; sell the adventure. (Above and below photos courtesy KYB Americas)
(Bottom photo courtesy Van Compass)
Shocks may need cleaned after a hard winter or may require new seals or other service. It’s better to offer this level of support on the front end instead of waiting until something goes wrong.”
The versatility of performance shocks attracts a large pool of potential customers. More customers are looking to improve ride quality, vehicle stability, load support and overall driving comfort, especially in trucks, SUVs and EVs. (Left photo courtesy Van Compass; center & right photos courtesy RubberShox.)
Along with improved performance and drivability, quality shocks also deliver safety benefits, says Laws from aFe Power.
“Most customers go right to wheels, tires and horsepower and that is OK—everyone wants to look good and go fast,” he says. “But, with all that horsepower, what about control and safety? Aftermarket shocks have lots of personal tuning you can add on the fly or can be re-valved for your preference. Even adding a simple sway bar kit to your car or truck can increase that control and safety.”
The versatility of performance shocks attracts a large pool of potential customers, says Knox from Van Compass.
“Don’t just sell customers on off-road performance. Everything on road can work better, too, with a high-quality shock. Whether towing, commuting or backroad adventuring, performance shocks are something you get to enjoy every time you use the vehicle.”
There’s no substitute for product familiarity.
“Education—know the product so you can relay the benefits to the customer,” advises Evans from ICON Vehicle Dynamics.
Preplanned combinations can be a good place to start, says Hidalgo from Cognito Motorsports.
“Choose a package that has been tuned for the specific vehicle and avoid patchworking a kit together to perceptually save money,” he recommends. “It will cost the customer more in performance and money in the long run and that will reflect on your shop.”
DRiV’s McCormick offers three “core pillars” for sales success:
• Product knowledge
• Authentic communication
• Confidently presenting the solution
“Your team should thoroughly understand the specific features and benefits so they can clearly explain the value of an upgrade to the customer,” he says. “Sharing authentic, real-world experience with the product builds immediate credibility. Finally, always provide peace of mind by highlighting warranty information, which reinforces brand quality and helps confidently secure the sale.”
Promote the real-world uses for high-end performance shocks. (Photo courtesy MetalCloak)
