Shock Relocator Brackets

When it comes to your suspension, there are two things you need to make sure are working well: Your springs and your shocks. Most of the time your springs will just keep on keepin' on, but shocks require a little more attention. And should you need to move your shocks because you're doing airbags or something similar, well you might need a shock relocator kit. Fortunately, we've got some options for you.

Before we get into the specifics about what a shock relocator kit is and what it does (although we're sure you could probably guess), let's talk about the purpose of a shock to begin with. Your suspension has a spring and a shock. The spring suspends the weight of your vehicle, and allows the suspension to travel up and down while the vehicle is still supported. The shock, in contrast, dampens that up-and-down movement, allowing you to have a comfortable ride.

Now we're in the business of modifying suspensions here, and if you're on this page, chances are you're doing a little bit of dabbling yourself. Sometimes the shock absorber gets in the way of what you want to do. For example, we sell a ton of airbag kits for fullsize Chevy trucks. On the 1988-1998 bodystyle (known as the OBS), the coil spring sits in a pocket on the lower control arm and the frame. The shock absorber sits inside of that spring. If you replace the spring with an airbag, your shock has nowhere to go. The solution? A shock relocator kit.

In this scenario, you would get a front shock relocator kit. These usually have an upper mount that's welded or bolted to the chassis, and a lower mount that's positioned on the suspension, usually the lower control arm. The idea here is the same principle found in the original design, but now the shock is on the outside of the suspension — still functioning normally — but placed in a different spot.

For front shock relocator kits, you need to be sure to tuck everything as tight as possible to the suspension. Your front wheels steer your ride after all, and you don't want your tire or rim to rub against your shocks. That can also limit your turning radius, which is another thing to consider.

Now sometimes you have a shock that's already on the outside of the coil spring, and you may think you don't need a shock relocator kit. For example, 1963-1987 Chevy and GMC trucks have their shocks positioned that way. But when you bag one of those, your suspension is now lower and you need a smaller shock. Usually those don't offer enough travel for an airbagged setup, so what do you do? Get a front shock relocator kit, naturally. These extend the height of your upper mount and bolt into place. This allows you to run a longer shock with more travel, and eliminate any issues you may have.

The rear of your vehicle may also require a shock relocator kit. Lots of rear-wheel drive vehicles have the shocks mounted off the rear axle, but sometimes they're inboard of the frame, other times they're outboard. When you install airbags, you may need to position things differently depending on your situation. Or, your truck may just need shocks positioned on a crossmember, which is just another type of shock relocator kit. Point is, there are lots of options, and it just depends on your application.

Whatever it is you're building, if you need a hand, let us know. We're here all the time, and we're just a phone call or email away. Don't hesitate to reach out and ask.