May have a new shock option soon!

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Gottagetone

Gottagetone

10 Year
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Location
Austin, Texas
ProFender is based out of Thailand but someone has started to bring them into the states. They are a forum vendor and Woody always "likes" their stuff on bookface. I checked the US site and they didnt have anything vehicle specific listed nor did it look like they have anything that would bolt up to the Hundy. However, the foreign site does have vehicle specific shocks for the "100 series IFS LandCruiser Prado" shown here - Profender Premium Suspension Stem is 16mm rather than 17 but that should not be a problem.
They also have a "Massive Shock Absorber shown here - Profender Premium Suspension no part numbers listed yet.

I spoke to Ryan here in the states and he said the plan was to bring the vehicle specific shocks in some time soon and that he would contact the peeps in Thailand to see if a set was available now. Ill keep ya posted, fingers crossed for a quality alternative!
 
I saw that too. I am a little leary of a vendor straight out of Taiwan but they have been in business for a long time. One of my concerns (obviously other than the tune, build quality, strength, etc.) is how long is it going to take to send it in to get it re-built? How fast can I get bushings, nuts, washers, seal kits, etc? I guess I am shaking out to be quite the parts destroyer and it really sucks to have to wait on shipping while your truck sits in the driveway.

Who's gonna guinea pig this? Nick...you need a better shock solution don't you?
 
pfran42 said:
I saw that too. I am a little leary of a vendor straight out of Taiwan but they have been in business for a long time. One of my concerns (obviously other than the tune, build quality, strength, etc.) is how long is it going to take to send it in to get it re-built? How fast can I get bushings, nuts, washers, seal kits, etc? I guess I am shaking out to be quite the parts destroyer and it really sucks to have to wait on shipping while your truck sits in the driveway.

Who's gonna guinea pig this? Nick...you need a better shock solution don't you?
Click to expand...

I do need a better solution. More travel. But I have the same worries about this company as you do.
 
2000UZJ said:
I do need a better solution. More travel. But I have the same worries about this company as you do.
Click to expand...

This coming from the guy currently running 3 shocks.
 
The vehicle specific shocks don't appear to be rebuildable and the others wont work...yet.
 
Thanks Ryan!

Need to change that pic in your sig by just a bit.....
 
We have been experimenting with these the last 18 months, the shocks, and valving codes we have used, the remote res units, have worked ok for trhe price, but the bushes are the let down so far with what we have been supplied.
 
Here is a recent article / review of Profender shocks from another site I frequent. I have also been watching these guys enter the US market and see they are contacting a lot of the good websites to get their product out there. Here is a good article where they breakdown the components used in their shocks:
The Profender Smoothie Run Down
 
jgray said:
Here is a recent article / review of Profender shocks from another site I frequent. I have also been watching these guys enter the US market and see they are contacting a lot of the good websites to get their product out there. Here is a good article where they breakdown the components used in their shocks:
The Profender Smoothie Run Down
Click to expand...

Good review. At the $176.00 price point, they are hard to ignore. I like that the tolerances are tight and that the shock is hard to take apart. In the case of 100 owner who is not a shock tuning expert (and does not care to become one), the success of this shock hinges on a two main items:

1. Can I get a properly tuned factory shock set up for a 100 with maybe a couple of tunes available based off the weight of the vehicle?

2. In the event a shock is damaged, how well will Profender's customer support handle the issue? Can I order spare parts and not have to wait 30 days for a shipment to come in from Thailand? If I go from a light rig to a heavy one, will Profender provide me with a tune kit and legible instructions?

I'd like to hear from Profender on these two items.

I don't plan on doing any racing in my truck but I do want a [STRIKE]good[/STRIKE] great shock that is capable of a higher skill level than I am currently at. My hope for my next shocks is that they will afford me with the tools to learn to be a better driver and in doing so allow me to tackle more difficult challenges/obstacles.
 
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The shocks that are vehicle specific are not rebuildable. They are valves for a stock weight vehicle. You can adjust the amount of nitrogen in the res for more or less damping.

That article is about smooth body universal shocks. They are tunable by changing the shim packs.

We do stock parts to rebuild the rebuildable shocks and coilovers. But sometimes we run out. So a delay is possible but unlikely.
 
That was a pretty favorable review. I could never really figure out what the one issue was that he found and was going to call Pro Fender Corp. about?

Pro Fender mistake.webp
"They made a mistake here, it’s nothing that would ever bother you if you didn’t take the shock apart, BUT I’m calling Pro Fender Corporate on this one, ha…"

The only other negative about the shock in the the article was the misalignment spacer for mounting the shocks. I doubt in our rigs that this will ever be an issue since we not getting huge amounts of wheel travel. Never the less it would be good to know if these shocks can be ordered with different misalignment spacers?

I look forward to seeing what Pro Fender USA has the LC 100 in a few days.
Pro Fender mistake.webp
 
ProfenderUSA said:
The ones we have coming for the 100 series will look like this.
Click to expand...

So, those are the $179 (each) models coming in?

1. Are they 2.0 or 2.5?

2. Since you will not provide different tune kits, what are these set up for?
- Near stock but lifted 100?
- Medium weight 100 with front and rear bumpers, and a winch?
- Heavy 100, fully built with roof rack, roof top tent, drawers, tons of recovery gear?

3. Are the spacers in these the same ones that the reviewer complained about that you have replaced?

4. Do you have anything to say about the bushings (per AutoCraft Aus's statement)?

4. Can you confirm that these are not rebuildable?

5. Are these designed to work with original upper control arms or aftermarket UCAs with additional droop (TC, Carl's, etc.)?

Thanks!
 
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