Review on KYB 565045 MonoMax Gas Shock by Duane Ramos

If you'd rather not spend $87 on a Bilstein shock with its very stiff ride, this $50 KYB Monomax shock is a very good value . The lifetime warranty is decent enough, so save your receipts for purchase and/or installation. Because these heavy-duty shocks come with no compression straps (meaning they are not compressed in the box), installation is not a typical do-it-yourself job. Those are very, very hard punches. against the Bilsteins. You will not compress them manually. No way. The only work around IMO is building a jig so you can use a bottle jack in the upright position to compress the shock to at least 12 inches. Stretch a wire or strong string around both shock necks to hold this compression. Along with the jack and jacks you will need to remove both front tires (OEM 21mm lug nuts) in order to remove the old shock absorbers and install these new ones. If you live up north, make sure to soak your old shocks' fittings with several cans of PB Blaster or something similar over the course of a few days. You will need a breaker (18"-24") as well as deep sockets on the 17mm lower fitting to remove it and a 14mm nut on top. Due to a rust problem in the North I usually use a very large (cheap) channel lock to hold the top of the shock while I turn the top 14mm nut (I usually break the bolt completely!) the leak bushing is installed. (Forget the silly things shown on You Tube to do this if you live in the Rust Belt). You CANNOT use some of the new parts supplied by KYB, namely 2 rubber washers, 3 domed washers and 2 nuts. Rubber (RUBBER) washers simply do NOT work. For the installation, keep the 2 old metal convex discs sticking on the top bracket; Don't remove them unless they are genuinely warped or missing, and keep your old rubber washers unless they are genuinely warped. 4 metal dome washers are required for final installation; KYB offers 3 so make sure you keep the 2 I mentioned earlier which are supplied by the OEM. As I mentioned above, these shocks do NOT compress like many others with compression bands. In addition, they are slightly higher than standard shock absorbers. So, unlike cheap shocks, you have to manually compress them with a tool up to 12 inches long. Use wire or strong twine around both necks to maintain this length for installation. Cut off when you are sure both ends are secured in place and the bottom bolt and locknut are secure. Not earlier. Lubricate all threads with marine grease before installing and tightening. I wouldn't use a "lock nut".