Suspension Upgrade?

[greyone58]

My previous post asked about bullbars. The news of the new Rhino Evolution bar solved that problem. Moving right along...

Is asking who or what does/is the best suspension upgrade(s) the same as 'how long is a piece of string'? They seem to range from anywhere between $1000 to $1500. A recent visit to the Illawarra Camping, Caravan and 4WD Show didn't help at all. The Ultimate Suspension kit was expensive but came with a spiel of how they weight and calibrate the suspension at each wheel etc. On the other hand, Ironman was just over $1000. What's the difference, given that they were both quoting the basic (nitro?) kit.

I'm only after something that will give the car a lift, and help it cope better with a full load of the usual camping paraphernalia (and a Rhino Evolution with winch).

Value for money is my mantra.

[deeman111]

It is a very hard subject to research. I have been told to stay away from Ironman as they are "chinese crap", but china is making some quality gear these days. My local suspension shop is quoting me $2000 for height adjustable coils with remote adjustable reservoirs. Or pedders quoted me $1500 for there 4x4 lift kit - non adjustable shocks.

In the end i think all you can do is read lots of reviews and try to make an informed guess on what is good

[Anthony]

Regardless of the brand you buy, load your car with camping gear, spare parts, consider weight of trailer on the tow ball (if you've got one), food, extra water & fuel etc, plus factor in the weight of people in the car, then take it to whoever you settle on to do the suspension upgrade. This ensures you get the right set up with no rear sag from the weight of your gear. I didn't do this & now I'll have to get another suspension upgrade. I've ARB / old man emu (no affiliation) for 2 reasons; 1) fairly close to home, 2) ARB are pretty much all over the place for warranty / spares.

My previous 4wd was a new yr 2000 Patrol. I had Lovell springs & Bilstein shocks. The rear shocks were changed at about 11 yrs, & the front changed at 13 yrs. Replaced with Pedders.

Stick to the better known brands & you can't go too wrong.

[gbrought]

My last vehicle (Pajero NM Did) I had the lovells/bilsten combo for more than a decade that was problem free (once the rear wheel alignment was properly sorted). And before that on a Landrover County 110 I had lovell springs that were excellent. At this stage I have only had the lovell spring installed as the OEM shocks are pretty decent. No connection with Lovells - unless you consider a very happy returning customer!