need advice

[frankentrike]

my shocks on my trike are worn out if not completly useless[i think].shroud surround on one is hanging on around the bottom and the other one is complete.not leaking[could be completly dry for all i know,was that way when i got it].thing is,trike rides pretty smooth as it is so,,,,am i getting any benefit from having shocks?do i even have shock support?should i replace with stock or better or just remove for looks sake. i've heard that on trikes that there's not enough weight to even really need shocks,what with the torsion bars and i've seen pics where shocks are not present.don't mind spending the money but,don't want to spend it for something i might remove two days after i put it on because of a super hard ride either.i'm leaving it up to any and all of you much more informed trikers to give me the benefit of your hard earned wisdom...thanks in advance,,,bob

[chromedome1964]

Go with stock (cheap) VW shocks. The only real danger of going without shocks is having oscillations induced from going over multiple bumps in a short distance, such as over a washboard dirt road or interstate rumble strips. These can cause a situation that could make the trike shake violently and become very hard to handle.
Chances are you won't notice much of a difference in ride other than it may be a bit smoother than it is now.

[BladeRunner]

Shocks are a SAFETY feature! They keep the tires in contact with the road surface. It's not only a matter of ride. Ever seen a car / truck driving down the road and it's bouncing up & down like a boat on the water after every dip in the road surface?..Defective shocks! I would respectfully suggest you replace the shocks..and ride safe.

[Rsw]

I too would go with shocks. They are also a link between to suspension parts.

[frankentrike]

i understand they're a safety feature.i simply don't know if the ones on it now are functioning or not.as old as they are it stands to reason that they are worn out and not 'shocking"as they should be.if i put new ones on,will my ride stiffen to the point that it's not comfortable anymore?remember,it's a trike,not a full veedub with body ,interior, an extra seat ,you know,,,weight.i can't but believe the lighter weight will ride different than a full bug.just don't want to lose the wife to a big bump...thanks...bob

[classicfins]

My VW trike would get a side to side "wobble" on certain roads with my wife on the back. I replaced the worn out stock vw shocks and that went away. Trust me. It won't ride rough at all for your wife. My wife loves the ride from the rear because it is so smooth. I, on the other hand get beaten to a pulp because of the lightness of the front end.

[frankentrike]

ok,will take your advice and buy new oe shocks.don't believe i need anything stronger or fancier than that.probably best way is to remove one and take it to autozone or oreillys for comparison.thanks for the advice...hmmm,,wonder how much an air ride system would cost,,,,naaaahhh.

[Gorilla]

JC Whitney sells them

[BladeRunner]

It's pretty easy to tell if a shock is working, just press down on one corner and release..if the corner comes up & settles..the shock is probably good, if it bounces up & down a few times..your riding on springs only..time to replace.