FORMULA, MCA, RIVAL Adjustable Remote Reservoir Shocks

Adjustable remote reservoir shocks are built for vehicles that work their suspension hard enough to overheat a standard damper.

The reservoir gives the shock more oil and better cooling, and the adjusters let you tune damping to suit the load and the terrain rather than accepting one fixed setting for every situation.

What Remote Reservoir Shocks Are and How They Work

At their core these are conventional monotube or twin tube shock absorbers with one significant addition, which is a separate reservoir connected to the shock body.

That reservoir holds additional oil along with nitrogen gas, kept apart from the oil by a floating piston or a bladder. Separating the two is what makes the design work, because oil and gas mixing is the problem a hard working shock runs into.

Every time the shock compresses and extends, it forces oil through valving and converts movement into heat. A standard damper has a limited volume of oil and nowhere for that heat to go, so on corrugations or a long rough descent the oil temperature climbs steadily.

The extra volume in a reservoir takes longer to heat, and the reservoir itself sits in open air where it can shed that heat. The result is a shock that holds its damping characteristics when a standard unit has already started to fade.

Why Standard Shocks Fade and How a Remote Reservoir Stops It

Two things go wrong in an overheated shock and they are worth separating.

Shock fade is the loss of damping control as oil gets hot. Hot oil is thinner, it passes through the valving more easily, and the shock stops resisting movement the way it was designed to. The vehicle starts to feel loose and floaty, the suspension moves further than it should, and every corrugation feels worse than the last.

Cavitation is the second problem and it is less widely understood. As the piston moves, it creates low pressure areas in the oil, and under enough load the nitrogen begins to mix with the oil and form bubbles. Oil with gas in it is compressible in a way that oil alone is not, so the damping becomes inconsistent and unpredictable.

A remote reservoir addresses both of those failures. More oil means slower heat build-up, better cooling means lower peak temperature, and keeping the gas properly separated under pressure means cavitation is far less likely to start.

Tuning Remote Reservoir Shocks: Compression and Rebound

The adjusters are what separate these from a fixed valve shock, and knowing what each one does is the difference between tuning the vehicle and guessing.

High speed compression controls how the shock reacts to fast, sharp impacts such as potholes, sharp edges and rocks. Increasing the setting makes the shock firmer and reduces bottoming out on big hits. Decreasing it softens the response so the shock moves more freely over sharp bumps.

Low speed compression controls slower suspension movement, which is what happens during cornering, braking and gradual changes in terrain. Increasing it makes the vehicle feel more stable and responsive, and it reduces vehicle sway when cornering or towing. Decreasing it gives a softer, more comfortable ride.

Rebound controls how quickly the shock returns to length after being compressed. Increasing the setting slows that return, which keeps the vehicle more settled and less bouncy. Decreasing it lets the suspension rebound faster, which can feel floaty or unsettled over uneven ground.

Systems vary in how many stages of adjustment they offer, from a single compression adjuster through to independent high speed compression, low speed compression and rebound with multiple positions on each. More adjustment means more scope to tune, and it also means more to get wrong without understanding what you are changing.

Adjust one setting at a time and drive between changes. Changing everything at once tells you nothing about which adjustment produced the result.

Are Remote Reservoir Shocks Worth It

A fair question, since these cost considerably more than a standard replacement shock.

If your vehicle is a daily driver on sealed roads with an occasional trip away, the honest answer is probably not. A good quality standard or heavy duty shock will do the job, and the extra capability will sit unused.

If your vehicle tours, tows, carries touring weight or spends real time on corrugated dirt, the calculation changes. Corrugations are the specific case where a standard shock struggles, because the suspension is cycling constantly and the oil never gets a chance to cool. That is exactly the condition a reservoir is designed for.

The adjustability argument matters as much as the cooling one. A vehicle that is empty during the week and loaded for a fortnight every few months is being asked to work at two completely different weights, and a fixed shock is a compromise for both. Adjusters let you set it for what the vehicle is actually doing.

There is a longevity argument sitting alongside all of that. A shock that is not overheating lasts longer, and a suspension that is not bottoming out puts less stress through bushes, mounts, the chassis and the gear in the back.

The clearest signals that an upgrade is justified are harsh or unpredictable ride quality on rough roads, damping control fading on long trips, excess vehicle sway when cornering or towing, running out of adjustment on factory shocks, and heat related fade in demanding conditions.

Benefits of Adjustable Remote Reservoir Shocks

• Consistent damping control that holds up under sustained heat and heavy load
• Greater oil volume and external cooling, which resists fade on corrugations and long descents
• Reduced cavitation, so damping stays predictable when the suspension is working hard
• Tunable compression and rebound to suit load, terrain and driving style
• Improved stability and traction on rough surfaces
• Less vehicle sway when cornering, towing or carrying weight
• More comfort when unloaded, because the settings can be softened
• Reduced bottoming out through firmer high speed compression when needed
• Longer component life, since less impact and vibration reaches the rest of the vehicle
• Better control at speed on unsealed roads, where fade shows up first

Who Adjustable Remote Reservoir Shocks Suit

Touring 4WDs are the obvious case, particularly anything carrying a canopy, drawers, tanks and gear across long distances on unsealed roads.

Towing vehicles benefit for a different reason, since ball weight changes how the rear behaves and the ability to firm up low speed compression makes a towed load feel considerably more settled.

Vehicles that are loaded and unloaded regularly get the most from the adjusters, because a setting that suits an empty tray is wrong for a full one and being able to change it takes seconds.

Off road and high speed unsealed driving is where fade resistance matters most, since repeated impacts at speed generate heat faster than anything else a suspension does.

Anyone who has already fitted a lift and found the shocks are the limiting factor is also a candidate, because a lifted vehicle works its dampers through a longer range than the factory ever intended.

Remote Reservoir Shock Fitment and Lift Height

Fitment on these goes beyond make and model, and getting it wrong is an expensive mistake.

Shock length has to suit the ride height. A shock built for a standard vehicle fitted to one with a two inch lift will run out of travel at full droop, and a shock built for a lift fitted to a standard vehicle will bottom out internally before the suspension does.

Suspension type matters just as much, because a solid axle vehicle and a dual cab with independent front suspension need different shocks at the front even where the rear is similar, and coil over designs differ again from separate spring and damper arrangements.

Mounting arrangement is the third consideration, covering eyelet ends, stem mounts, and the bracketry the reservoir needs since it mounts separately from the shock body and has to sit somewhere protected with the hose routed safely.

Check the lift height, the suspension type and the mounting style against your vehicle as it currently sits rather than as it left the factory.

Reservoir Mounting and Installation

The reservoir is what makes installation different from a standard shock change.

It connects to the shock by a hose and needs mounting somewhere it is protected from impact, away from heat sources such as exhaust components, and where the hose can run without kinking, stretching or chafing against anything.

That mounting position needs to account for suspension travel, since the shock end moves and the reservoir end generally does not. A hose that is comfortable at ride height can be stretched tight at full droop, and that is the failure people discover after the first serious trip rather than in the driveway.

Checking clearance through the full range of travel before calling the job finished is not optional on these.

Fulcrum has been working on suspension since 1976, with 16 Service Centres across Australia and 200+ authorised workshops. Having the shocks fitted, the reservoirs mounted properly and the initial settings dialled in for how your vehicle is loaded is what the network is there for.

Setting Up Adjustable Remote Reservoir Shocks After Fitting

Start from the manufacturer's baseline settings rather than the extremes, and load the vehicle the way you normally run it before making any judgement.

Drive the roads you actually use rather than judging on a smooth run, because a setting that feels firm on smooth bitumen may be exactly right on corrugations, and a setting that feels comfortable empty will be too soft once the vehicle is loaded for a trip.

Change one adjuster at a time, note where you started, and give each change a decent drive before deciding. Most people end up with a touring setting and a loaded setting, and the point of adjustable shocks is being able to move between the two.

If the vehicle is bottoming out, add high speed compression. If it feels unsettled or sways through corners, add low speed compression. If it feels bouncy and takes too long to settle, add rebound.

Find Adjustable Remote Reservoir Shocks for Your Vehicle

You'll also find these shocks as part of complete setups in our adjustable remote reservoir lift kits, alongside the full range of 4x4 lift kits.

Select your vehicle to see the adjustable remote reservoir shocks available for it, with fitment matched to your lift height and suspension type. Book installation through Click and Fit, or talk to your nearest Service Centre about which setup suits the way your vehicle is loaded and driven. Everything we supply is backed by our warranty, a fitment guarantee and the support of a nationwide workshop network.