shock absorber upgrade

hodgo

hodgo

Active Member
I upgraded to koni shocks on my 2011 dmax with excellent results
I have since up dated that magnificent ute with a 2015 LSU
I really think the new beast could also benefit from the same treatment also,I don't want to lift it,just fit new bilstens or koni's
however I note the newer model has front struts & may not be as straightforward from a DIY perspective as the earlier model
has anybody done this to the front and how hard is it?
I'd appreciate any recommendations for these brands or others and suppliers of the same in the NSW region

Cheers
Bryan
 
T

Tink

Well-Known Member
I have a 13 Dmax with Bilsteins and Dobinson coils. 20mm lift. Very happy. Still going strong at 140K. Fitment is easy
Tink
 
Neddysmith

Neddysmith

Well-Known Member
I have Bilsteins on my Ranger and find them fantastic, installed just before a trip to central Aus and did the mareenie loop and Oodnadatta track didnt miss a beat.

DIY was easy, just take your time and get the front struts pre assembled.
 
hodgo

hodgo

Active Member
thanks guys
I spose what I was getting at was, do you have to pull half the front end apart and modify the struts with new shocks or do you buy the entire strut and replace
I thought maybe you could change the shock within the strut in place
I dont want to fit new springs or anything just the shocks
 
dno67

dno67

Well-Known Member
Struts have a replacable cartridge inside the leg, can be done back yard. I'd still recommend having a chat to ultimate.
Things alway work better when matched or custom manufactured to suit a specific requirement.
 
Hoyks

Hoyks

Well-Known Member
dno67 said:
Struts have a replacable cartridge inside the leg, can be done back yard. I'd still recommend having a chat to ultimate.
Things alway work better when matched or custom manufactured to suit a specific requirement.
Click to expand...

Not all, my old Sigma had a cartridge that bolted into the strut but the Ranger/BT50 and a lot of newer vehicles the spring perch is integral to the strut. You pull the strut and spring out, take the spring off the strut, bin the whole strut and put in a new one.

Its a bit of messing around, but you can pull the strut out with a jack and basic tools. Getting the spring on and off again can be a mission and I wouldn't do it again. Stock springs aren't too bad, but with taller springs, even with heavy duty spring compressors I felt I was risking fingers and my face if something let go. Just pull the strut, take it to the suspension guy that will be able to swap the springs in 5 minutes with proper tools and no risk.
It will probably need an alignment after playing with it, so if the budget will stretch that far, paying someone to do the lot is easiest.

Here is a write up a bloke did swapping them out on his Ranger, D-Max would be similar.
http://newranger.net/forums/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=1590
 
dno67

dno67

Well-Known Member
You should never fess up to having owned a sigma. Iol Must admit mine was a beautiful car to drive though.
Yes there are some that are a bolt in assembly, and yes you need to be careful disassembling them. They can and will hurt mash and distroy your fingers given the chance.
 
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Hoyks

Hoyks

Well-Known Member
dno67 said:
You should never fess up to have owned a sigma.
Click to expand...
It was even the Chrysler Stigma, not the Itsashitty incarnation, but, Hey, it turned me into a mechanic.
I used to look at Land Rovers and dream of having something as nice and reliable like them:oops:.

It got punted up and down some good tracks into camping/fishing spots long before I could afford a 4x4, hence my familiarity with replacing struts:cool:.
 
dno67

dno67

Well-Known Member
I had the last Chrysler model sigma, GE SE
Stuffed plenty of diffs and engines flogging it stupid. Was a beautiful car to drive, had shit electrics though.
 
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