I replaced my AHC system with a Tough Dog kit about 6 months ago. My vehicle is mostly stock (LT tires, sliders & drawers) lightweight, and I'm probably a bit particular about ride/handling. I spent a good deal of time tuning/tweaking (swapping shocks & springs and adjusting torsion bars) until I was happy with the results. In the process, I now have an assortment of torsion bars, springs and shocks (from multiple manufacturers/vendors) sitting on shelves in the garage.
My current configuration:
Just Differentials Nitro UCA
Trail Tailor Extended Sway Bar Links
Trail Tailor Diff Drop
Tough Dog Torsion Bars
Tough Dog 41mm shocks
OME 2865 rear springs
Tough Dog 45mm Adjustable Rear Shocks (set to #5)
~20.25” front (3.25” droop)
~21.5” rear (~ 1.25” rake)
Lessons learned:
OME 60000/60002 ride very differently than the Tough Dog equivalent (on the same vehicle with the same springs).
Don't over tighten the nyloc nut on the top of the Tough Dog shocks, you'll just crush the bushings and lose "droop".
Too little droop sucks just as bad as I remembered.
The bushings on the Nitro UCAs take a whole lot more lube than I expected.
The adjustments on the 45mm rear shocks actually do something, unlike some other "adjustable" shocks I've had.
Overall, I am very happy with the ride and handling of the Tough Dog kit. Unlike the OME shocks on the same vehicle, the wheels/tires actually move up and down over road imperfections, instead of (the OME) losing contact with the road and all of the movement seeming to be in the vehicle as a whole. At some point in the future, I may try bumping the front up a little more and swap the taller rear springs back in, but for the moment I'll enjoy it as it is.
How to describe the ride...
- Sections of rough road that used to overwhelm the AHC system (on #3) are no problem for the Tough Dog kit.
- Comfort is somewhat similar to AHC on #3.
- My son's "armored" middleweight 100, with an OME kit, can take neighborhood speed humps at a higher speed, without becoming unsettled, but the overall ride is much less pleasant.
Since I have a spare pair of 53mm front shocks sitting in the garage, I'm half tempted to order another set of 45mm rears, so I can replace the OME shocks on my son's vehicle with Tough Dog.