Thread: Shock absorbers, whats the difference between standard and heavy duty ?

Originally Posted by Kimsl70

Is the ride height different between the two ? No
Do I need special bushes for the heavy duty ? No, should bw supplied with bushes anyway
Will they be considerably stiffer than the standard ? Maybe

I'd contact the seller and ask the question.
The HD are bigger diameter so larger oil capacity. As a shock absorber works it generates heat which causes the oil to thin and the damping is reduced. A bigger capacity of oil should mean more distance before the damping is affected.

They may be made from thicker material, have stronger welds, better damping etc. Unfortunately you probably won't know till you get them.
What brand are they ? No mention on the website......

Finally, what are you going to us the vehicle for when it's finished ? Do you actually need HD shock absorbers ?


Colin

Originally Posted by Kimsl70

Greetings all knowing Land Rover gods,
I'm getting to the point where I'm putting the Maggie back together. I've noticed two different sets of shocks available and was wondering if anyone has had much experience with the two.
Land Rover Parts - 5: SHOCK ABSORBER (FRONT) 88" 1954-84 HEAVY DUTY + 109"/109" V8 STANDARD
Land Rover Parts - 5:SHOCK ABSORBER (FRONT) S1 1954-58, S2+S2A+S3 SWB STANDARD

Is the ride height different between the two ?
Do I need special bushes for the heavy duty ?
Will they be considerably stiffer than the standard ?

Cheers,
Kim
P.S. just wanted to say thanks for all the help that has been provided so far, its been great.

I don't have any direct experience with those you're looking at, but typically heavy duty shocks are shocks that can dissipate the heat better than standard. This allows for the driving on poorer road conditions with lower risk of performance of the shock dropping (potentially failing).

Performance wise (I.e. ride height, are they stiffer etc) - I'm not sure, however I would expect that if you're planning on needing the heavier duty, the bushes etc should be uprated to in order to help manage the risk of them failing under the tougher conditions.