ARB USA contacted me today and confirmed one of them was bad, although they are replacing both with new ones. They said they're sending back the faulty one to Australia for quality control analysis, but they suspect a faulty valve.

They obviously stand behind their products! The shocks had a two-year warranty, but they never asked me to produce a receipt to prove when they were purchased, or even if I was the original buyer. I'm impressed with their customer service!

So Sparkem, you have new shocks coming your way. In a year let me know if they're still good.