Shock absorber opinions

[Warb]

My SWB S2A needs new shocks. The choice of the lower cost shocks seems to come down to:

Boge $80 each (Roverparts)
Armstrong $55 each (Roverparts)
Gabriel $80 each (Supercheap etc.)

I have also been offered Monroe at $175 each from Repco, but that makes a set of shocks worth more than the entire vehicle.......

Does anybody have any opinions or experiences (good or bad) with the above products, or any alternative sources/brands that I should be considering?

[rangy01]

I used a set of boge from roverparts on my 88 rangy, vehicle was completely bog standard, I was very happy with them.
Andy.

[peterg1001]

I've got Armstrongs with parabolic springs. No problems at all.

Peter

[JDNSW]

With leaf springs the shock absorbers are far less critical than with coils (significant damping is provided by interleaf friction), so I suspect it will make little difference - plus few owners of 2as today use them as designed, so durability hardly becomes an issue.

John

[Warb]

With leaf springs the shock absorbers are far less critical than with coils (significant damping is provided by interleaf friction), so I suspect it will make little difference - plus few owners of 2as today use them as designed, so durability hardly becomes an issue.

John

At present this vehicle has only 3 shocks (in all likelihood none of them work), no rubber in the spring bushes etc. However I'm just about to rebuild the suspension and I intend to chamfer and put UHMW tape on the leaves to reduce friction - the vehicle is a "toy", and therefore open to experimentation!

Longevity probably isn't an issue in terms of highway km's though, as you say. However it is likely to become my main off-road vehicle for use around the farm, so it will probably see more rough ground work, possibly with reasonable loads.

[Johnno1969]

My SWB S2A needs new shocks. The choice of the lower cost shocks seems to come down to:

Boge $80 each (Roverparts)
Armstrong $55 each (Roverparts)
Gabriel $80 each (Supercheap etc.)

I have also been offered Monroe at $175 each from Repco, but that makes a set of shocks worth more than the entire vehicle.......

Does anybody have any opinions or experiences (good or bad) with the above products, or any alternative sources/brands that I should be considering?

I'm in a similar spot. About to fit a new set to the IIA and not finding much around. I've had basically the same quotes for Boge and Armstrong, and am keen to see if there is anything a bit different about that can come straight off the shelf and onto a IIA 88. I've also had some quotes from the likes of Dobinsons..... very expensive. I'd be keen to trial some of the ones we always see in the British magazines, like DeCarbon, as they sell pretty cheaply in the UK......but Paddocks and the like won't send them air-freight.

I'll probably end up grabbing some Boges in Brisbane.....

John

[Warb]

Just in case anybody is interested, I've just stumbled on an eBay seller who is currently advertising rear shocks for the SWB at $67 a pair as a 15% discount "special". These are AC Delco gas shocks, stated as being rebadged Gabriels. Given the Gabriel shocks are $80 each at my local store, this seems a good price. These shocks are not strictly the correct model, being 2mm shorter on full extension and 4mm shorter fully compressed, with the same eye size. However I don't think those tiny differences will have any noticeable impact on the IIA!

As my IIA only has one rear shock at the moment, and that has no bushes or resistance to movement, I think I'll try a pair - even if it's just a temporary measure!

[Wallydog]

Just in case anybody is interested, I've just stumbled on an eBay seller who is currently advertising rear shocks for the SWB at $67 a pair as a 15% discount "special". These are AC Delco gas shocks, stated as being rebadged Gabriels. Given the Gabriel shocks are $80 each at my local store, this seems a good price. These shocks are not strictly the correct model, being 2mm shorter on full extension and 4mm shorter fully compressed, with the same eye size. However I don't think those tiny differences will have any noticeable impact on the IIA!

As my IIA only has one rear shock at the moment, and that has no bushes or resistance to movement, I think I'll try a pair - even if it's just a temporary measure!

Ive got those Delcos on mine. they do the job fine. W