| A properly adjusted shock absorber safely dissipates energy, reducing damaging shock loads and noise levels. For optimum adjustment setting see useable adjustment setting graphs. Watching and "listening" to a shock absorber as it functions aids in proper adjustment. To correctly adjust a shock absorber, set the adjustment knob at zero (0) prior to system engagement. Cycle the mechanism and observe deceleration of the system. If damping appears too soft (unit strokes with no visual deceleration and bangs at end of stroke), move indicator to next largest number. Adjustments must be made in gradual increments to avoid internal damage to the unit (e.g., adjust from 0 to 1, not 0 to 4). Increase adjustment setting until smooth deceleration or control is achieved and negligible noise is heard when the system starts either to decelerate or comes to rest. When abrupt deceleration occurs at the beginning of the stroke (banging at impact), the adjustment setting must be moved to a lower number to allow smooth deceleration. If the shock absorber adjustment knob is set at the high end of the adjustment professional scale and abrupt deceleration occurs at the end of the stroke, a larger unit may be required. |