Opinion on shocks please

[Niel]

Hi

I am in need of 4 shocks for my 04 KZTE DC (4X4) and started my usual calling around. But salesmen are lekker “gladdebek’ So, I have been told that OME are the best option by some. At R3800 for 4 fitted at R&D Off-road is the best price to date on the OMS’s. Safari Centre = R4000 (approx) and 4x4 Mega Bucks = R 3840.

R&D also recommends Ironman at R 3000 for 4 fitted …

LA Sport has TJM’s at R 3800 (carry a 50 000km and or 3year warranty for what that is worth OME only 40 000km and 2years).

Bilstein at R1250 per shock “Lekker maar ouch!! Apparently can be refurbished.
My question to the “gesoute manne” is:
1) your comments on the above shocks
2) personal experience
3) comment on if it is good vale for money
4) Alternatives
5) Where to get them from in Cape Town area

I will “upgrade” the suspension in a phased approach as and when needed and the budget allows.

Looking forward to reading your replies.

[BenHur]

If you can afford the Billstein then obviously that would be the best choice since they can be overhauled as you said, so in the long run it will save you money.

I have only heard good things about the IronMan FoamCell shocks and their price is very competitive. Regarding the rest of the gas shocks available like OME, TJM, ProCom etc; I believe it they are fairly on par with each other so price would be the deciding factor here. I can easily find you examples of guys being happy with all these brands.

Many guys that do not do extensive over landing are happy with the cheap (oil filled) Gabriel Safari's which also comes in longer travel shocks. The advantage that gas filled shocks (which also contains oil but all air has been replaced by gas) have over normal oil shocks is that they take longer to heat up and thus will take longer to fade if used doing "high" speed especially over rough terrain like over landing trips. If you do rough trails the advantage of the Gabriels is that the work just as well in these environment but are much cheaper to replace if the get damaged do to the extreme terrain with a lot of deep ditches, ruts and large rocks.

[pietpetoors]

Bennie, I fitted Gabriel Safaris just after I got my bakkie and I am sure that they are gas filled. When you get them they have a strap that keeps it in, when you remove the strap it pushes itself out. According to me gas shocks does that and oil shocks you will have to pull out.

I cannot understand the big wow about the shocks. According to me the important thing is the travel. I had Gabriels (Oils) on my Terrano and now on the Hilux. We did thousands of Kilos off-road and nether had problems.

I think I paid R530 for two rear shocks for the Hilux.

[BenHur]

I do not know the Gabriels personally some of my friends use them and are quite happy, but as far as I understood they were oil shocks. If they are gas, then it makes them just so much better value for money.

As I said above the gas shocks have a “duty cycle”, if you can call it that, then so they take longer to overheat and fade away when too hot.

On the Pajero I would not consider oil shocks as I do tend to work my suspension rather hard doing high speed driving on Gauteng's highways and byways, but if I need to buy new ones for the Lux I would go Gabriel.

I need to replace my steering damper and the Lux soon. Gabriel is R300 compared to over a R1K for any of the other brands.

[Riceburner]

Hi Niel, Procomp ES9000's shipped to your door. call me on 083 307 6192 for a price and details. TX

[pietpetoors]

Hi Riceburner, I see that you are not a man of many words?

[BenHur]

Hi Niel, Procomp ES9000's shipped to your door. call me on 083 307 6192 for a price and details. TX

Dis wat ek het.

[Cookie Monster]

I fitted armstrongs at the back of my van and they only costed me R400 They seem to work ok however they have yet to really proove themselfs maybe someone here as experance with them

[SYRON CONVERSIONS]

About 3 years back, I fitted OME Landcruiser shocks all round, If I remember correctly they cost in the region of R1 600. each, but the problem that most of us do, we do not check them again, I have never removed them to check their function.

[Harold]

On my singel cab I fitted Kubu shocks about 30000km ago. Vey happy with them. One front shock had a problem and they (Midas) replaced both front shocks - no charge. I am happy with the Kubu shocks.

On my d/cab I have just replaced (yesterday) with Ironman: total cost R2780. I have now trasvelled about 100km with them and they seem fine. About 75 km was on corrugated roads.

Harold

[BenHur]

I am also considering Ironmans for my Pajero since they are a bit cheeper then the OME.

Another nice shock is the Rancho series. But they need to be imported since they do dont have a local reseller currently as far as I know. But these guys do make serious long travel shocks and they have a nice set of adjustable ones for which a control can be mounted in the cab, so you can adjust the stiffness on the fly. That is not something realy needed on a Lux but would be nice on the Pajero, but they do not make shocks for the Gen3 currently.

[Cookie Monster]

Hi Bennie

What shocks do you rekon works best for the DC and of cause the best value for money

[BenHur]

If you are going to do a lot of high speed driving, over corrugated terrain like long stretches of over landing or a lot of long distance touring, I would say go for a more expensive gas/foam filled shock. If I have to buy those “higher performance” shocks, I guess that the IronMan seems to be the best value for money currently. BUT remember that the gain in performance over gas shocks is not nearly as much as the price difference between them and the Gabriel Safaris.

On my Lux t the next set of shocks will most probably be Gabriel Safaris at less than R300 per shock. Up to now Charmaine used to drive the Lux during the week with the kids, so that influenced my decision on shocks, brakes and tyres. I bought tyres that are more road based and the choice in shocks all had to do with good road handling on tar and especially wet tar as my families’ safety was my main concern.

Now I will have the Lux for myself so in future I will buy things more with off-road performance in mind and since I am more of a obstacle and trail type 4x4er the Gabriel Safaris is better suited for my need, reason being they do the job just as good off-road, but is much cheaper to replace if they do get damaged by say breaking off an eye under extreme flexing or being bumped by a large stone.

You must maar decide for yourself how much of your money are you willing to part with.

[d4d]

Buy the Safari's,... the Oil range are discon and now only the GAS range.
Boere gebruik Safari's al vir jare, for just under R1000 you can replace al 4 Shocks with longer gabriel safari's in a SFA lux, should be more or less the same for the IFS, just the coil over shocks like in new D4D range thats a bit more expensive.

Nice to have re-furbishable shocks, but that mean you'r vehicle stand still for this time, schlep of getting it to who ever does this and will obviously not be to cheap.
Then rather swap them for another set of out the box shocks again and they are available everywhere should you go on to rof.

Rather spend that other 2-3K on some other nice goodies, oh yes and include a night
night out for the wife..... next time she will be more forgiving when you spend
another few riksdalers on the van...

[BenHur]

Buy the Safari's,... the Oil range are discon and now only the GAS range.

That is very good news to hear!

So there you have it. Gabriel Safaris seems to be the best value for money.

Have someone checked out the physical dimensions (circumference of the body of the shock) of the Safaris compared to OME/Ironman/Procomp?

I have seen on steering dampers that some of the replacement steering dampers were much thicker then the original dampers. My Procomps were also a bit more bulky then the original shocks we took out.

[george]

Hi CM
I also went for the Safari setup.And am very happy.

[Niel]

Hi

Thanks for the information. I fitted already.

[BenHur]

Hi

Thanks for the information. I fitted already.

Gabriels?

[Niel]

Hi Bennie

Yes, 4 kubu's for R2050. I fitted before Riceburner sent me a PM.
Let's see how they do.
Your comments on the Kubu?

[chizz]

Hi, Bennie I have a 1989 2.4 dc the back started haning so I had the leave springs reset. The fitted land cruiser safari shocks I am very happy with the resalts it now drives like a new bakkie. So safari shocks will be my choice to.