Best high end shocks for the LC80
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No mention of Radflo. I have 2.5s w/remote reservoirs front and back with Slee springs and they’ve been great…. For a long time.
Hard to say just by looking at the pics, but they look like they are covered with oily muck from something that is leaking from the front of the truck that is blowing back onto them. Rear link and axle looks to have same stuff on it (oil w/road grime).
Does the engine, trans, tcase have any leaks?
Shocks are like shoes. They are different depending on application. If you ask a woman about open-budget best shoes she might say Louboutin. Ask a runner and he will say Nike. A hiker might say Timberland.
What are you planning to do? That's the question.
If you are going to drive really fast over washboard, then you need something with fast valving and a remote reservoir. If you are rock-crawling, you need super long travel like King coilovers. If you are doing regular overlanding with a lot of crap on your back, you will need shocks with slow compression and rebound to avoid bouncing around too much (but useless on fast washboard) and maybe Dobinsons or OME will be the right fit.
Probably forget about adjustable shocks. The first week or month you will be excited to get out of your truck and adjust the shocks a few clicks each time you change terrain. But later on you will say 'fck that sht' and just set them in-between for good.
So if money is no object, just buy the most adjustable and expensive ones, have fun, YOLO. But you will stop paying attention to them sooner than you think and your truck won't run much better than on OME or Dobinsons or Bilstein or anything within that price range.
What are you planning to do? That's the question.
If you are going to drive really fast over washboard, then you need something with fast valving and a remote reservoir. If you are rock-crawling, you need super long travel like King coilovers. If you are doing regular overlanding with a lot of crap on your back, you will need shocks with slow compression and rebound to avoid bouncing around too much (but useless on fast washboard) and maybe Dobinsons or OME will be the right fit.
Probably forget about adjustable shocks. The first week or month you will be excited to get out of your truck and adjust the shocks a few clicks each time you change terrain. But later on you will say 'fck that sht' and just set them in-between for good.
So if money is no object, just buy the most adjustable and expensive ones, have fun, YOLO. But you will stop paying attention to them sooner than you think and your truck won't run much better than on OME or Dobinsons or Bilstein or anything within that price range.
Highly unlikely. OME are very robust shocks. They are used all over world on trucks daily driven which never see tarmac, millions in use. If they were not built defective, there is very little that will blow them from tarmac use, excluding trauma from a crash. Hard to tell from photo if they are leaking or if dirt/oil is from some other source in the driveline. If your mechanic is >90% certain they have failed/blown have hime remove them and bench test them by manually compressing them and watch the rebound. If blown, compression will be easy and rebound will be very slow. If they are not blow then the reverse. Also, if blown, they should be covered by warranty if manufacturing failure. Good luck
wjkimmerle
SILVER Star
Thank you sincerely so much, this is so incredibly helpful.
Very welcome. As ThatCableGuy also notes, just because there is grime/oil on the rear shocks that doesnt mean the oil is coming from within them. May I gusset you clean the outside surface of rear shocks with citrisolve or brake-Klean drive the truck and check for leaks in a few dozen miles? Also, have you done the rear end bounce check? Jump up and down on the rear bumper and fee/see how the shock compress and rebound.
wjkimmerle
SILVER Star
Thank you! No, the vehicle was coated by the prior owner in a European version of Ziebart (asphalt-based undercoating, tar-like). The shocks are newer than that. I cleaned with brake cleaner yesterday to get a look this coming week at any changes. Thank you so much!
100%. I run King 2.5" remotes on one of my FZJ80s, Dobinson IMF on another and OME on yet another. The King, after you dial them in for your use, provide a significantly improved over the OME or Dobinson, but their price reflects it. BTW, I ran Aussie DMS for years on my rally cars, they are brilliant beasts!