I've been running stock style hydraulic units, multi-valve twin-tubes, charged mono-tubes.....I've had everything under this rig in the last seven years and have never had a problem with shocks and the swaybar BPE.
I have had some go because I wasn't diligent about bumpstop length and used the shock as the bumpstop. :fuse: But for as much time as I've spent running this thing in both paved and trail use, I've never had a failure I could attribute to the BPE.
I don't believe anyone is making something that requires a specific rotational orientation in order to have it work effectively as it pertains to the internal workings. I think if this were an issue, the instructions would be very clear about it. They make a fairly large point of keeping twin tube designs "can down" and mounting monotubes just the opposite, promoting a "can up" position. But the rotational mounting is never discussed.
EDIT: After reviewing Tenneco's website, the parent of Monroe, their Sensa_trac shocks uses grooves that are in the tube, not the piston, and they allow damper fluid to move around the piston in soft settings and when firmer control is needed, all of the fluid goes through the damper valves as the grooves are not there.
Nowhere does mounting appear to come into play.
Twin Tube - PSD Design
In our earlier discussion of hydraulic shock absorbers we discussed that in the past, ride engineers had to compromise between soft valving and firm valving. With soft valving, the fluid flows more easily. The result is a smoother ride, but with poor handling and a lot of roll/sway. When valving is firm, fluid flows less easily. Handling is improved, but the ride can become harsh.
With the advent of gas charging, ride engineers were able to open up the orifice controls of these valves and improve the balance between comfort and control capabilities available in traditional velocity sensitive dampers.
A leap beyond fluid velocity control is an advanced technology that takes into account the position of the valve within the pressure tube. This is called Position Sensitive Damping (PSD).
The key to this innovation is precision tapered grooves in the pressure tube. Every application is individually tuned, tailoring the length, depth, and taper of these grooves to ensure optimal ride comfort and added control. This in essence creates two zones within the pressure tube.
The first zone, the comfort zone, is where normal driving takes place. In this zone the piston travel remains within the limits of the pressure tube's mid range. The tapered grooves allow hydraulic fluid to pass freely around and through the piston during its midrange travel. This action reduces resistance on the piston, assuring a smooth, comfortable ride.
The second zone, the control zone, is utilized during demanding driving situations. In this zone the piston travels out of the mid range area of the pressure tube and beyond the grooves. The entire fluid flow is directed through the piston valving for more control of the vehicle's suspension. The result is improved vehicle handling and better control without sacrificing ride comfort.
Advantages:
- Allows ride engineers to move beyond simple velocity sensitive valving and use the position of the piston to fine tune the ride characteristic.
- Adjusts more rapidly to changing road and weight conditions than standard shock absorbers
- Two shocks into one - comfort and control
Disadvantages:
- If vehicle ride height is not within manufacturer's specified range, piston travel may be limited to the control zone
Current Uses:
- Primarily aftermarket under the Sensa-Trac brand name
