Front Spring/Strut Choice - What is everyone using???

[Ranger J]

Hey all,

Just looking to get the front of the new NP up off the floor. It currently has a 2" tough dog lift in the rear with polyairs, as the car has done a bit of towing prior to my ownership.

I hear the words lovells and bilsteins bounced around a bit, but just wanting to know what the rest of you run and are happy with. Looking for about a 2-3" lift, keeping in mind I will be fitting an ARB bar and winch to the vehicle very soon.

Cheers,

[wilyum]

I have had Tough Dog springs and foam cell struts and shocks for 70,000Km. They are performing extremely well in all conditions. They certainly do the job.
Cheers,
Wilyum.

[nervis]

I have Lovells in mine all round, very happy with them.

[Pathy]

bilsteins and kings in mine very happy.
Marc

[hobbo]

KYBs and 2" HD Kings all round, rides sweet, not too hard and not too soft, should have done it 12 mth ago.

[mrbitchi]

Bilstiens and Kings, however the Kings seem to be a bit prone to sag after a while. Would get Lovells if doing it again.

[Snapcatcher]

I have Lovells in mine all round, very happy with them.

Hey nervis, Im very interested to hear that you are are happy with your setup. Im also searching for a lift, and enquired about the same set up you have (dobinsons & lovells) through Suspension Stuff at Slacks Creek, as thats what they list as their 'mates rates' kit.

They said that they dont reccommend the lovells shocks/struts for Pajero's anymore, cause they had a few people come back and complain that they were too stiff. They now reccommend their own brand shock/struts. It seems a bit dubious that they offer their own brand as an alternative.


So my question to you is: Have you found your setup to be too stiff at all, and do you have the HD springs for load carrying or normal ones ?

.

[Zed]

Very happy with my Lovells and Bilstiens allround, I have the raised std duty and still carries load in the back with a camper in tow real well, the std duty coils are near twice as big as the stock ones, a mate has a NM with tough dog and proforms equally as well.

[Richo-NT]

if I had my time again I would have gone the Lovell / Bilstein combination. Instead I have OME Sport springs and shocks and really not very impressed.

[Ranger J]

Very happy with my Lovells and Bilstiens allround, I have the raised std duty and still carries load in the back with a camper in tow real well, the std duty coils are near twice as big as the stock ones, a mate has a NM with tough dog and proforms equally as well.

Zed, your's sits quite nicely, and is how I would like mine to be.

Just wondering how it would go with a steel bar and winch on the front though.

Rexy ??? and the others with winches and steel bars, what are you running?

[Snapcatcher]

Zed, your's sits quite nicely, and is how I would like mine to be.

Just wondering how it would go with a steel bar and winch on the front though.

Rexy ??? and the others with winches and steel bars, what are you running?

You can get Heavy duty springs to cater for the extra weight your steel bar and winch. When ordering springs ya tell them what accessories you have, and they will advise which spring rating is best for you.

[dbdb]

I have just installed dobinsons springs / sus stuff shocks combination from suspension stuff in Queensland. So far very happy with ride / height etc, but haven't really tested them out. I'll know more by end of September after a few thousand ks of corrugations and sand hills.

Richard

[Zed]

You can get Heavy duty springs as snapcatcher said but I'm not convinced you need them,
how heavy do you think would be between alloy bar (40kg?) and a steel bar (60kg?)
How heavy's a winch?
I can load the rear cargo area up with 100kg approx and a camper with 130kg ball weight and only have about 25mm sag in the rear.
I did consider HD springs when looking but got talked out of it and glad I went with SD ones. I recon the SD lovells are like HD OME ones.
Have a look in Photo's to see before and after shots.

[Snapcatcher]

I have just installed dobinsons springs / sus stuff shocks combination from suspension stuff in Queensland. So far very happy with ride / height etc, but haven't really tested them out. I'll know more by end of September after a few thousand ks of corrugations and sand hills.

Richard

Just wondering if you took measurements to see exactly how much lift that kit gave you ?

.

[CeeJay]

I have steel bar, winch and dual battery which adds around 100kg to the front. I have HD Lovell springs and they are 45mm above OEM standard height (after 8,000km of corrugations and dunes). I'm glad I went HD, I think i'd be down to a 25mm lift by now otherwise. I have HD's in the rear also, these are now at 60mm above OEM (they were 70mm , and drop to 50mm when I'm loaded up to GVM for touring.