I’m going to order new shocks for my truck. I’m trying to deciede between KYB GR-2 or KYB Gas Adjust. The GR-2 are a conventional gas pressure twin tube design where the Gas Adjust is a newer monotube design.
The monotube is supposed to be quicker reacting so it gives you more control and a smoother ride, but it also raises the vehicle and if the outer case gets a dent, the shock is ruined.
My biggest question is, how much do they raise the vehicle? I have a 97 Nissan Pick UP 2wd and I don’t feel it needs to be raised any higher. A 1/4" to 1/2" would be ok but I’d have serious reservations if it was any higher than that.
I’d say it depends on your driving style. If you were into slaloming, you might detect a slight performance edge from the Gas-Adjust shocks. I’m a plodding, cautious driver so personally I would probably never notice the difference between the two. The GR-2’s are a premium replacement for OEM shocks so they would be good enough for me.
I have a 2WD '89 Toyota and I’m always running over construction debris on jobsites and I’ve dented a few rear shocks so I don’t think I’d want the monos for that reason.
I am curious about the monos changing the ride height. How is that possible?
From the literature on the net that I’ve read, its because the gas is stored in the bottom of the shock under a floating piston, and the gas is pre-charged to 350 psi instead of the 100 psi in the GR-2.
I may slalom once in a while, but not in the truck. The monotube shock has a larger piston and piston rod, but claim a smoother ride because it reacts faster to changing conditions. I’m thinking that I would like a smoother ride and that a larger piston would last longer, but a higher ride height and being easier to damage are real negatives for me. For the truck, I want a good ride and durability.