1985 rocky f75

[alex.tas]

Hey im new to the boards. bought a rocky a while ago and took it into pedders, and found out that i need to spend $2100 to get the suspension fixed, needs all sorts of new stuff. there is a 50mm slope to the drivers side due to leaky shocks, as they are the original ones.

Do pedders offer competitive prices? I think i can do a bit of the work myself, but i was advised against it my another mechanic.

Are the parts pedders use good quality for their price tag? I was told i should maybe look at bilstein or old man emu.

[wacky]

I can't see it costing that much, Pedders is well known for getting people to spend big dollars after one of their "$14 28 point safety check", and they put the fear of god into you that basically you're gonna die anytime now unless you spend the big bickies, with them.

I'd do the work yourself if you're mechanically minded and save a bundle. If you're unsure about something just ask, and if it seems too hard get some mates around to help.

[alex.tas]

Cheers for the advice. any recommendations of suspension brands that are any good?

[flyinwall]

it is not hard to do the work yourself get yourself a workshop repair manual and the parts you need from repco, supercheap etc (or your local parts supplier) and remember you can always post a question on here as most on here will be able to help you out if you get stuck

1. you save a lot of money that can be used to do other mods
2. you learn more about your car and you will be able to fix it out on the trail if you have to

[BundyRumandCoke]

The lean to the drivers side is a common issue with leaf sprung Rockys. It is exacerbated if you have suspension lift, as the standard front panhard rod pulls the right hand side of the body further down. If you look at any decent suspension catalogue, you will find the 2 front springs are different, to take into account the lean to the drivers side. I believe the lean is due to the combination of, driver, battery, and offset transfer case all placing more load on the right hand side of the vehicle.

Theres no way I would spend 2100 bucks on suspension. Pedders are a rip off, they are the last place I would go, just marginally behind Midas.

If you do play with the suspension, look at removing the front sway bar, and panhard rod. Both actually inhibit your suspension travel. If your half mechanically minded, you should be able to do a suspension change with a little bit of effort. I personally would not go for poly bushes, use rubber instead. And if you get new suspension, and cannot fit the bushes yourself, get them installed into the springs before you pull the old ones out.

As for companies, try Dobinsons, or Ironman. You should get out of it for $1500 at the most.

[Shambles]

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/4WD-SUSPENSION-L ... 518aa41096

AU $1,363.50 with all new parts and a lift on standard

[alex.tas]

Shambles, thanks for the link, had a look at that. Not too sure if i want any extra lift on it, as its already pretty high, and the higher it goes, the more it will sway around. I dont use this car solely for off roading, i use it to get about town too.

BundyRumandCoke, how come you would go for rubber rather than poly?


Anyway, here is the rundown sheet i got ffrom pedders:

Front:

Shocks fail - soft lacking control, recommend replacement $254
Springs fail - Uneven, reset $285
Steering Damper fail - original and weak $125
Leaf spring bushes and U bolts fail - eye bushes worn require replacement $51
Panhard rod fail - Worn $53
Wheel Bearings or Hub Assemblies fail - Excessive movement, requires adjustment $65

Rear

Shocks fail - leaking require replacement $254
Springs fail - uneven reset $285
Leaf spring bushes and U bolts fail - both eye and shackle bushes worn $51 + $63 + $57
Rear brakes fail - shoes 40% worn, wheel cylinders leaking $130

Plus a wheel alignment $55
Plus labor $475

Totals around $2100


Thats for the pedders sportsryder suspension

Any thoughts?

[BundyRumandCoke]

Put it this way, Rockys dont have the softest of suspensions. The firmer poly bushes dont give as much, and I found I used to flog them out on a regular basis. Rubber bushes have more give in them.

Your list from Pedders is fairly extensive, I bet about 10-20% of it is whats really needed.

What gets me is, they claim your wheel bearings need adjustment, and quote $65 for it. Yet they have a $475 labour content at the bottom. I think Pedders are just trying to scare you into parting with your money.

[wacky]

I also like rubber because when rubber bushes "fail" they stay-put, poly when they fail like to chop out and fall to bits causing thuds and scary suspension-itis.

[Shambles]

Your list from Pedders is fairly extensive, I bet about 10-20% of it is whats really needed.

What gets me is, they claim your wheel bearings need adjustment, and quote $65 for it. Yet they have a $475 labour content at the bottom. I think Pedders are just trying to scare you into parting with your money.[/quote]

I thought the same.

[BundyRumandCoke]

And another point to consider, Your rear U bolts are a fail, at $57. Whats the $57 for? If they have failed, then your rear axle would be floating all over the place, as they would be broken. If the $57 is to tighten them, again, that is labour which should be in the labour content. And of course, if they replaced the rear suspension, as they suggest should happen, then they are undoing and tightening the U bolts anyhow, again in the labour content, not a seperate item of its own accord.
And anyhow, whats a mechanics labour charge by the hour? $60 maybe, in that case they reckon it would take an hour to tighten the U bolts, 8 nuts to tighten, with a rattle gun would take about 1 minute. 4 U bolts replaced, and 8 nuts done up, would take about 15 minutes. It would take me less than an hour to do, with no rattle gun and on the ground, let alone a hoist.

Look around, get other quotes. Take it to a 4wd workshop and ask them.

[cookiesa]

That is probably replacement of u bolts, if they have worn and the axle is moving they may well be dangerously thin (have a look at them yourself and see if they all look even or some are thinner) likewise shackle pins, if the bushes are gone metal on metal will wear very quickly, remember these items support the weight of your vehicle. While they may be charging more than is needed, they ahve also actually looked at the vehicle. As you have said it already sits high, who knows what has been done to it in the past and possibly what short cuts were taken.

Rubber V Nolathene style bushes, rubber is softer and chews out much faster, nolathene lasts much longer but is more expensive (hence manufacturers love the rubber, much cheaper and more supple suspension on the test drive)

Shocks - Their job is to control the springs, the springs are there to hold up the weight and locate the axles, New shocks can't fix worn springs, it will seem better initially but the life span of your shocks will be much less if you fit the to stuffedd springs. Not usually worth getting them reset, they sag very quickly. Usually it isn't that much cheaper than new ones. TJM also do suspension for the Rocky, as do 4wd ssytems in Adelaide. OME do shocks for some models but not all, no springs. Monroe make a shock to suit the rocky.

Most of it you can do but first step is to get under there and have a look at how worn it all appears.

[alex.tas]

hey just an update, I'm wondering what you guys think about tough dog "nitro gas" shocks and how they compare to rancho RS5000.

Here is an online link:
http://www.4wd1.com/daihatsu.htm

Cheers

[mid9-5's]

efs 2inch lift new everything shocks springs bushes ubolts nuts ect,

$1200bucks cost me took me half a day to put it all in,

i wouldn't worry about it ever getting soft and sagging, ive got a steel arb bullbar with winch an lights, front hasn't dropped at all, and i found it wouldn't flex enough to the point where it wasn't even reaching full flex it would stop even before the bump stop, and as for the rear ive got a draw setup full with tools and i even took the load leafs out to try and soften it up cuz its still a hard ride, my tool trailer weighs about 1.3-1.5 tone and it would be lucky to make the back of the rocky drop 10mm when i hook it up, its nice to drive when it has a load on, but what ever suspension you go for it will be bumpy unless its standard and flogged out.
good luck seriously if you want to do something good put some coils under it or try maybe making up a set of leafs from something and using another setup dont just rush out and buy something like i did but i deff wouldn't be letting pedders work on my car
but if u have the time play around with it u might surprise yourself

[alex.tas]

I've been getting a few quotes from around the place, and as you all have explained to me, pedders are trying to wingle me out of my money.

I've got some quotes and it seems that its not going to cost much more to get new springs rather than getting the old ones reset.
Is it worth paying a little extra for new springs? oh and has anyone had any experience with rancho RS5000's?

[cookiesa]

Definately get new ones if you can, reset springs very rarely last very long before they sag again, even when the top spring makers do it. It is like using retreads, great at first but soon leed to disapointment

[tabrocky]

I put Lovells leaf springs under my Rocky about 6 years ago to give a 2 inch lift. No sagging at all and I have transfered them onto a second vehicle. A very good spring that isnt too firm.
http://www.lovells.com.au/
Highly recommend them however they are possibly more expensive than some others. But thats the price you pay for Aust made and OneSteel.

Most others are import even Old Man Emu.

Using Rancho RS9000 Adjustables. OK, no problems but would possibly look at something else next time. I havent heard a lot of good reports about tough dog. Over priced and very firm but no personal experience so take it as you will. Have heard good reports about Dobinson but not sure if they do anything for Rocky's.

Cheers.

[cookiesa]

only the OME leafs are import. rest are australian made

[alex.tas]

got a quote for a poly bush set, 2" lifted efs springs and efs elite shocks for $1400. Is that a reasonable price? and what are the efs components like?
Cheers

[alex.tas]

Finally got around to ordering it all in, should be about $1300 for new efs springs with 50mm lift, efs enforcers, new bushes, and ubolts.
Going to try and drop it in early next week.

Should i remove the panhard rod, and/or the sway bar? With the extra 50mm of lift will the extra body roll be noticeable? I do a bit of highway driving, so high speed cornering will happen (although the rocky isn't very fast to begin with).

[BundyRumandCoke]

Yes, leave them both off. I ran for about 10 years without them, and no hassles.

[alex.tas]

Cool, I'll rip out the panhard when i do the suspension changeover.

Also at the risk of looking like an idiot... I don't think i have a sway bar attached. can you confirm this?

[BundyRumandCoke]

Nope, yours is gone. The mounts are, the 2 small vertical plates with a hole, on each fitch plate, and the 2 pair of vertical plates on the leading edge of the front cross member.

[alex.tas]

awesome. Thought so. I'll take out the panhard too and see how it goes.

[Shambles]

I 'm going to pull out my panhard the next time I go for a 4WD. I've just got it going again with new springs and diff. I hope I don't fak it as I'm runing out of spares.

[BundyRumandCoke]

Well, think about it. Why does the leaf sprung Rocky even run a front panhard rod? What does it do? Answer, nothing. A panhard rod, on a coil sprung vehicle locates the axle laterally. It stops it moving side to side. The leaves do this job on a leaf sprung vehicle. Have a look at virtually any other leaf sprung 4wd, Toyota, Nissan, ect, You wont see a panhard rod on other leaf sprung vehicles, because they are not necessary. If they were, then the Rocky would have one on the back as well. And so would every other leaf sprung vehicle.

In fact, on a Rocky with lifted suspension, a panhard rod is going to exacerbate the drivers side lean. Look at Alexs pic. The panhard rod mounts on LHF axle, and RHF chassis rail. Now put lifted suspension in, and the LHF goes up, but the RHF cannot, as the length of the panhard rod is constant, and to go upwards, sideways movement of the entire front axle, towards the drivers side, is necessary. But of course, the design of the suspension itself, (fixed front hangers and rear shackles) doesnt permit this sideways movement. The only way to get lift on the drivers side is to get an adjustable or longer panhard rod, or to remove it completely. Removal will actually free up suspension movement.

[mid9-5's]

i had 2inch body life an 2inch lifted springs on my other rocky, an i pulled out the panhard it flexed alot better and worked well offroad,

my current rocky just has 2inch efs lift thats all and i had taken the panhard out but put it back in because i found when i had my tool trailer on or even just sittin on 100kms down the highway or helped keep it straight so if i was u doing alot of road driving id just leave it in, and if your really that concerned about that lil extra flex take it out if u wanna play around on the weekends, just leave it in an c how it goes, and btw u wouldn't be able to run your swaybar even if u wanted cuz it wont reach once u put your lift in anyway, i cut my swaybar mounts of and smoothed them back so i could fit my winch in haha GOOD LUCK m8

[alex.tas]

Mid9-5's
Did you need to get an extended panhard rod? because the standard one wouldn't fit to a lifted rocky would it? if it did, it would pull the drivers side down

[tas80]

I removed the panhard rod from my rocky briefly after fitting 2" lifted springs and extended 3" shackles, used to run 33's with this setup. There was a quite noticeable amount of lateral movement from the front diff with no panhard in. I had an adjustable panhard custom made by superior engineering.

[mid9-5's]

nar its the stock one still, the rocky still sits fine, any more lift an i would need an adjustable one, u will be fine,