If you’ve decided it’s time to upgrade your shocks and can’t find a direct-fit part, it might be time to go the custom route. Shocks aren’t a component that you can guess at the size you need, they require a fairly precise measurement. Steve Smith and Trevor Weis from QA1 took the time to explain how you should measure for a custom set of QA1 shocks.

Shocks come in a variety of mounting styles and that’s where you need to start your custom measuring quest. The main types of shock mounts used are eyelet, stud mount, and T-bar mounting options. Your particular application might use a unique size mount, so you’ll need to account when shopping for shocks.

The ride height of your vehicle will ultimately determine how long of shocks you’ll need to order. A best practice is to get your vehicle to set to the desired ride height so you can properly measure for the shocks. If the vehicle isn’t ready to sit on its wheels in a way that will simulate ride height, you can jack the wheel up into position to measure.

Now that you’re ready to measure for the shocks, you’ll need to make sure you’re using the right spots on the shocks to get your numbers. There are a few different ways to approach how to do this, Steve and Trevor do a great job in the video breaking down where you need to measure from. If you’re thinking about ordering a set of custom shocks from QA1, this video is a great tool that will show you how to get the right measurements. You can learn more about QA1’s shock offerings right here on the company’s website.