Need advice on shock upgrade after TT

[O.Madsen]

Hey guys.

Need some info - previous experience if u will on upgrading the shocks.

The thing is, that i did a TT to get my 31´s on. After that the ride got stiffer of course. But now the stock shocks are shot in the front And the ride of course is total crap.. Bouncy as hell, and very very unsafe.


What i would like to hear from u guys is your experince with aftermarket shocks. Especially OME, KONI and IRON MAN. But also in general.

I need shocks that are "stiffer". Giving more resistance to the torsion bar. Cause after the TT - the increased preload has caused the rebound the be quite severe.

I know KONI makes the heavy track RAID´s, which is in fact adjustable in rebound. That is what im thinking about getting. But. Theyre awfully pricey ned to non adjustable shocks from OME and IRON MAN. Besides that, specs are relatively similar to the KONI´s - but for half price.

What would your advice be on this matter? And will these beefier aftermarket shocks even have that higher a resistance that its worth trying out?

Reversing the TT, is an option i really want to skip - as it will render my 31´s useless. And i spent a lot of money on that..

Im not looking for a "perfect" smotth ride of course. Thats never going to happen and im totally fine with that. But the increased preload needs to be controlled better as it gets incredibly jumpy at times and feels quite unsafe.

Looking forward to your input.

Thanks,

Ole

 

[rwenzing]

The front shock is the rebound travel limiter. Cranking the torsion bar adjusters excessively will make the shocks top out far more often and more harshly than at the factory setting. This is what degrades the ride quality and shortens shock life. Adjustable rebound shocks may help somewhat for awhile but they can't change the basic problem.

 

[Elessar65]

I have a set of Bilsteins on my truck and I love them. I have a firm ride with the TT and lift leaf pack in the rear, but the Bilsteins control it nicely. Its firm, but not harsh. Well worth the $$$ IMO. I got them from a vendor on this site, ShockWarehouse. They have a 5% discount for EF members as well, might have to do a search to find the code though.

 

[O.Madsen]

The front shock is the rebound travel limiter. Cranking the torsion bar adjusters excessively will make the shocks top out far more often and more harshly than at the factory setting.

I have been testing the shocks for "bottoming out" - and they dont. That makes sense as with a TT you dont get more travel - But just reduce the amount of the downtravel since theyre adjusted "closer to the bottom"

The lower bumpstops makes sure the shock doesnt bottom out. I checked for that. Besides, maybe i explained it wrong - my stock shocks are old anyways - the TT just made them wear out even faster. I guessing it was because of the changed "default position" that made them die little by little.

In the beginning the stocks were not perfect. But not powerful enough. Thats what i wanna change. : )

I have a set of Bilsteins on my truck and I love them. I have a firm ride with the TT and lift leaf pack in the rear, but the Bilsteins control it nicely. Its firm, but not harsh. Well worth the $$$ IMO

what about pot hole behaviour and suck. Speed bumps etc?

Mine is like "bouncing" an xtra time when going over one of those ( bing ones - like a short 1/2 meter "ramp" onto a 2 metre plateau and then down again.. ) When the front goes down, it presses the nose down, and it should come up, but because if the rebound its like it "jumps too high" .. and then down once more.. : /

I have been wondering about bilsteins, but i cant find any who carries them for 4x4s.. Im in Spain, europe so i got different stuff here.

But basicly, will any given "beefier" aftermaket shock get me closer to what i want u think?

Thanks in advance

Ole

 

[Elessar65]

If your stock ones are shot, then ANY shock will be an improvement.

As far as behavior of mine, they dampen anything out without bouncing. Its still rough over pot holes and speed bumps though. Thats not because of the shocks though, its because of the stiffer spring rate from the TT.

Bilsteins are great, but if you can't find those I would go with any major aftermarket shock. I had a lowered car with Koni shocks on it and they worked great, i don't have any experience with them on an X or any truck/SUV though. They are a good company with a good product, and I would expect the same level of quality as their other products.

Like I said, if your stock ones are shot then anything will be an improvement. I personally would go with a monotube design with a high pressure nitrogen charge. Thats pretty much any good quality aftermarket one I think. Just be sure to get application specific ones, not universal. That way the valving is setup right for the weight, etc. of the X.

 

[O.Madsen]

If your stock ones are shot, then ANY shock will be an improvement.

No way of denying that.. :

Anyways, i have set myself upon the cheaper Old Man Emu nitro shocks. Im afraid that using the xtra dough ( almost double ) on the KONI RAIDs won't make enough difference to justify the price.

So im going with the OME's.. They have a good rep and IF i ill not be happy with the result, ill go for new Tbars with higher rating and adjust the setting for my needs..

Thanks for the replies, guys. Much appreciated.

Regards, :notworthy

Ole

 

[Elessar65]

You'll be more than happy with the OME's. They are made by ARB (or is it the other way around?), and are a quality product.

 

[O.Madsen]

just got them on

You'll be more than happy with the OME's. They are made by ARB (or is it the other way around?), and are a quality product.

And yeah. I AM.. Just finished putting them on - with a little interruption from the the local p*gs who told me i couldnt fix my car on the street ... actually that was kinda funny, cause 3 patrols went by without giving a rats a** but then the "scooter cops" came, starting amking a fuzz about how illegal it is repairing your car on the street.. : / Well i didnt know that, honestly. I dont get why. Anyways, they wanted me to stop, but i explained that my ride for sure would be illegal to drive - even to my garage without shocks, so they let me finish...

Well anyways. MAN. Im SO happy. These shocks are awesome. My ride were stiff already, but really bouncy in the front. Found the left side shock to be dead. Like completely. I compressed it.. Nevber went up. Like. never.. The OME feels great. I cant really explain, but it just feel much safer. Muach safer even when the old shocks were actualy working.

To make it short. Im happy i didnt spend all that green on the KONI´s. I bet theyre great, but at less than half price and considering the result, the OME´s really is the ****.. Even the back, where my shocks seemed totally fine i fell a big difference. They just feel more controlled. Cant explain it better really.

But man, i feel like i got a new ride..

Thanks for helping me choose, guys. I love this place!

Have a nice weekend all..

Ole