Severe Rock/ Gravel chip damage on rear shocks and frame

[DinnyJon]

Has anyone else experienced rock chips this bad on their rear shocks?

There's typically twenty threads for every type of issue out there but I haven't come across any specifically for this.

The rear shocks and even the frame around the hitch are getting absolutely obliterated with rock chips. These are the Bilstein-tuned TRD 2.5 inch lift shocks and I had them installed less than 4 months ago. I've probably driven less than 4 hours total on dirt roads but I do tend to drive at excessive speeds when possible. Still, seems like a lot of damage to occur in such a short time/ distance.

The OEM take off struts had similar damage but not to this extent, I had the oem tires on the whole time i had those shocks on so I don't know

I'm assuming a big part of this is due to the tread on the 285,75,17 KO3s I put on at the same time as the trd lift but I'd assume more people would be running into this same issue if that was the sole cause of this. I have full skid plates and sliders, maybe those are deflecting rocks towards the rear axle instead of bouncing off of the transmission and all of that like they normally would?

Anyways, the main reason for this post is to see if anyone has experienced the same issue and if mud flaps took care of it. Not a huge fan of the way mud flaps look but I'd get over that pretty quick if it stopped the rock blast my poor underside is dealing with. I've seen plenty of comments confirming flaps saved the paint on the fenders and such but what about down under?

Icon makes a little bolt on plate that protects the shocks but this won't save my frame. Had to mount the huge spare in the bed so it's pretty exposed down there

Thanks in advance!

Here's my 2025 TRD Off-Road MT

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[MT-Taco]

I’ve easily got over 10K on gravel/dirt roads. Your under side look good

 

[Cappaworks]

It’s a pretty common thing on every vehicle that carries any kind of speed on a gravel road. Can’t really do much about it until something starts leaking. Replace part and repeat.

 

[DinnyJon]

I’ve easily got over 10K on gravel/dirt roads. Your under side look good

Well that's reassuring.

I’ve easily got over 10K on gravel/dirt roads. Your under side look good

Well that's reassuring

 

[DinnyJon]

It’s a pretty common thing on every vehicle that carries any kind of speed on a gravel road. Can’t really do much about it until something starts leaking. Replace part and repeat.

Interesting. I had a Rubicon in high school and I don't recall this issue, maybe I just didn't care back then.

I have to assume all these chips will start rusting when winter rolls around here in Colorado.

 

[MT-Taco]

Interesting. I had a Rubicon in high school and I don't recall this issue, maybe I just didn't care back then.

I have to assume all these chips will start rusting when winter rolls around here in Colorado.

Nothing abnormal with mine after 2 Montana winters. I do spray my rock sliders with black rust oleum every summer, they take most of the beating.

 

[Cappaworks]

These are some shocks I’ve had on the rear of a Jeep Gladiator. The 2.5-inch reservoir shocks had a lot of miles on them. The other shocks with the plastic guards only had a few thousand miles. I also had a Ford Raptor where the rear shock guards literally wore away from rock chips. The shock shafts on that Raptor eventually got chipped and the shocks leaked. These were all shaft down mounted shocks.

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