What Struts and shocks are people running.

[BillMcQuade]

Not being a mechanic I do not know if I have an over-eager suspension guru trying to sell me gear I do not need or a dealer trying to wriggle out of a warranty claim.

Warranty is a waste of time; why fit the same "adequate" junk that is barely a compromise between cost and function

My OEM suspension was absolutely stuffed at the 35k mark

I persisted with it until the 60k mark, where the rear shocks were leaking, and I'd had enough of wallowing through corners, and having 3+ bounce/jounce combos over a speedbump.

I tow a van occasionally, and I probably drive a lot harder through the corners than I should. The OEM rear shocks are criminal. The shocks on my VW Beetle are bigger than the Triton, and last longer.

I looked at all the kits (Dobinsons, Anarchy, OME, etc) and got sick of people telling me what they wanted to sell me. I don't need 400kg+ rear springs for occasional van towing, and I don't need 350kg front springs for a vehicle that will never have a bullbar and winch fitted. Brendan at Ultimate knew exactly what I was looking for, and tailored a kit to suit my requirements

Ultimate supply rebuildable shocks, offer a lifetime warranty against spring sag and don't compromise on the quality of the peripherals that are in the kit. Greasable shackles, good quality squeakathane bushes and a nice slug of steel to space the rear propshaft

[colin b]

O.K, I have done a bit of running around researching this matter.

My first suspension firm (ARB) declared that my suspension was not up to the task and I should spend around $3,500 to replace my springs and shockers and fit a weight distribution hitch.

The second (Pedders) offered a cheaper option of resetting the springs and fitting an extra leaf to stiffen them up a bit. The shockers were o.k. but should be replaced with heavier ones when they eventually packed up.

The inspection by the R.A.C. was non-committal but I spoke to the mechanic who inspected the car who assured me there was nothing majorly wrong with it although an upgrade for towing may be a good idea.

I checked my my caravan's ball weight with a proper scale and it came in at 160kg - pretty much 10% of the van's empty weight which was about typical for caravans. I measured the distance from the wheel hubs to the top of the wheel arch then dropped the van on and it lowered the body only 10mm. The front did not shift at all.

On a recent trip I hooned the Triton along a tight, twisty road and pushed her hard through the corners and she sat on the road as solid as a tank and responded as well as a two-tonne plus ute could be expected to.

Finally, I booked an inspection with the dealership I bought the car from. Their mechanic showed me how they measure the drop - from the rubber bumper to the spring and it was 200mm which is the proper height according to them.

All in all I am satisfied that there are no safety issues and the car handles well with and without the 'van so I will leave alone for now.

Thank you to all those who weighed in with advice and experiences.

[mad992]

Its about time i invest in some ULTIMATE Suspension

[mad992]

Its about time i invest in some ULTIMATE Suspension

Update - Dobinson springs ultimate strut on front
Standard leafs with ultimate shocks on rear

[Bdang007]

hi,
I've been lurking on here ever since i bought a triton and it looks like I will need new shocks and possibly spring. Has anyone used KYB shocks at all? I don't intend on using the triton for any real 4x4, it's mainly to transport things from A to B on road surfaces and the occasional snow trip.

Any ideas on some cheap/value for money shocks and spring setup? whilst still keep the ride comfortable? Thanks in advance

[NowForThe5th]

Welcome along, Bdang.

Cheap springs and cheap shock absorbers are, IMHO, pretty poor value for money. I can't tell you how many times I've read of people on here taking the economy route with suspension, only to post back up a bit later on that the cheap crap failed and they're going with a quality setup.

KYB aren't necessarily cheap and there have been a few that have fitted them but I can't recall any longer term use reports. Have a hunt on some of the websites of the bigger suspension suppliers. They regularly run specials on better quality brands and you may pick up a deal there.

[Bdang007]

Thanks mate, when you say better quality brand, which ones are you referring to? I don't think I would need konis or bilsteins or anything like that. Whats your opinion on pedders foam cell? are they any good? thanks for the help!

[NowForThe5th]

If you read through this thread you'll find one brand that is mentioned consistently - Ultimate. Dobinsons also get a few mentions although, in my experience they're much firmer than the Ultimates. Bilsteins have had a few fails on the fronts, not rears and other brands seem to get only single mentions. Kings springs also have a very good name but you have to match shock absorbers yourself and doing this is a bit of a black art. To me that pretty much tells the story and there are other threads like this one.

If you happen across a Lovells spring and shock package that's priced right then this would be well worth considering. No custom valving like the Ultimates but the same shocks and springs and quite regularly on special.

[snowman]

I am running DMS front struts with DMS rear shocks.

Best front end in a triton out there. guaranteed.

Brilliant but expensive.

i had some issue initially with clearance (or lack of) between the lower front drivers strut and the CV boot but i had the boots replaced with narrower units and now no issues.

All installed by Ultimate.