QA1 adjustable shock review

Discussion in 'Performance Mods' started by Jumpingjoe628, Mar 1, 2020.

  1. Jumpingjoe628

    Jumpingjoe628 Full Access Member

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    So I received my new QA1 shocks in the mail the other day and since I been searching around on here I really never saw a decent review. There may be some in depth talk about them or other brands but I haven’t seen anything but “I have these” or “I just got them and their great”. So I thought why not add an up to date review of these shocks.

    New in the box 18-way these adjustable shocks appear to come with hardware. The instruction sheets are basically from the manufacturer and displays all the different models and some basic info on how to select the proper shock, certain types of install prep and blah blah blah. Nothing specific about the SRT-10. Ok, this isn’t rocket science, it’s just a couple of nuts and bolts to deal with and besides using some drive up ramps or a jack you can basically turn the wheel from side to side in order to access the front mounts. For the rear, just crawl under there and there’s enough room to get er done. I will add that on the drivers side rear shock you need to remove the splash guard in the wheel well to better access the upper bolt.

    Starting with the front I wasn’t able to use the provided hardware on the bottom mount due to the hardware being larger than the existing holes in the lower control arm. My OEM splined pressed in bolts were fine to reuse but I was looking forward to having all new pieces. The new locking nut / bolt combo would’ve been nice had it been similar to the nicely designed OEM piece. I’d hate to have to get a wrench up inside the control arm to tighten or even loosen the bolts for the next service. The OEM hardware is splined and drops through from the inside so you don’t need a wrench up there.
    So sizing up the QA1 compared to OEM Bilsteins it appears as the rubber bushing that comes with are like half the size and barely cover the hole in upper control arm. Not a big deal but it might’ve been nice to get a poly bushing with this kit.

    Onto the rear, after removing OEM shocks I size up the provided hardware and once again they fall way short of being anywhere close to being the right size. Have to reuse stock hardware again. Sliding the OEM bolts through the QA1 eyelets there’s a lot of slop in there that really needs to be addressed and I’ll most likely source a nice shouldered bolt in the future. They bolted up nice and tight but I did hear a slight jingle somewhere back there when hitting small choppy potholes in the road, no matter what the setting.

    My first test was at full hard setting (18) and boy was is stiff. I def liked that if I was racing or wanted to do auto cross this would be a better option than stock. The second time out was at full soft (0) and it was a pleasant smooth rise but definitely noticed more pitch change over things like smooth railroad tracks or a dip in the road. Choppy bumps were way more pleasant and actually if you’re just looking to smooth out the ride and never really drive too hard than this setting would be for you. I ended up in the middle at (9) and I’ll probably leave it there for now. Good overall feel in the clicker adjustment throughout the range.

    The settings as I see them, measured in clicks starting from all the way out (soft).

    (Soft) 0-6= daily driving with the wifey

    (Mild) 7-12 = more for what I do with it, going on spirited errands by myself.

    (Aggressive) 13-18 = race mode and a tad stiffer than stock.

    Overall I’d say they were worth it. I’d really prefer larger poly bushings for the upper front mounts that were closer in size to OEM, their too small IMO. The front lower hardware would not fit through the existing holes without drilling them out, I reused the OEM hardware for now. The rear eyelets should’ve come with nice shouldered bolts or the proper sleeves.
    On a side note, I’ve serviced and revalved my share of Dirtbike forks and shocks over the last 30 years and at one point being at the pro level racing I’ve acquired a particular taste for my suspension. I guess the same goes for my vehicles but at least my body won’t be the second half of the components here, lol. Very glad I got them, price is on the high side but I really wasn’t going to take a chance on the cheaper stuff just to not like it. Plus I’ve spent like double that on the bike in one sitting so I really can’t complain, haha.

    Cheers!
     

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  2. Srt10650

    Srt10650 Full Access Member

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    Great review! When you get a chance can you post part numbers and price? Thanks.
     
  3. Jumpingjoe628

    Jumpingjoe628 Full Access Member

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    I went through the JMB Performance site, they’re a vendor here. There are selections for RC / QC and also lowered and stock heights. I dealt with Mike over there as I also ordered a couple other things and he was nice enough to reach out to me concerning quantities of an item to make sure I was straightened out. Great communication!

    https://jmbperformance.com/product/qa1-adjustable-shocks-front-rear/