Tough Dogs

[GQAndrew]

Now, I have heard mixed reports about these shocks, some people say they are great, others say the durability is crap. Anyone got any experience with these on a GQ (I believe they would just be the standard TD shocks). The shop I went too really seemed to know what they were talking about, and they said (and had photos to back it up) that the main car that came through their workshop was GQs, and TD are the only ones they install.

I have heard that OME are better all round?

Any advice would be great

cheers

Andrew

[duncan]

Go Rancho any lenght 5000s for about $115 a shock cant beat them

[JemmyBubbles]

I have the BB 4" TD kit in my Shorty.
The shocks are a matched set w/ the coils, I would have preferred them to be a little longer but then again I have no probs with coils dislodging either the system works

Be aware that the hardest setting is very-hard and kind of good for fastish stuff.

They are a huge shock and will start to foul on things much sooner (if you get me) especially if the vehicle is a shorty and the diff is being rotated up for a Double Cardinal setup.

They don't quite fit over the rear lower mounts properly and you bump stop contact plates need to be shaved off ... 10 mm ??

GREAT SHOCK...

I love em mmmmm adjustable....

[embryo]

Go Rancho any lenght 5000s for about $115 a shock cant beat them

i thought that the 5000 dont exsist any more and where do you get them for $115 please

[ludacris]

I like pro comps.Only $135 each and have an awsome reputation.

[bagsy]

Now, I have heard mixed reports about these shocks, some people say they are great, others say the durability is crap. Anyone got any experience with these on a GQ (I believe they would just be the standard TD shocks). The shop I went too really seemed to know what they were talking about, and they said (and had photos to back it up) that the main car that came through their workshop was GQs, and TD are the only ones they install.

I have heard that OME are better all round?

Any advice would be great

cheers

Andrew

i love mine. With the adjustable shocks you can run no sway bars and still have reasonable on road handling , just turn em up. shane.....

[CJ Burns Esq]

I love my TD's as well, but they were not fitted correctly and the front ones had the bottom twist on corrugations and ruin the adjusters and the rears fouled the rear spring in a 4" lift.
Simple fix, make sure they are right when installed and use a couple of extra washers to pack out the rear lower mount and to take up the slack in the lower mount at the front.
All up, great shocks. I just did 9000k's over outback roads and it was all good.
CJ

[Fathillbilly]

i used

Rancho 5000's, 9000's and 9000X's
OME
Koni
Tough Dog
Gabriel
Tokico
Pedders

and i have got to say for the price you pay for the tough dog they are hard to beat, i set up a GU wagon with OME's on a 4" lift and they guy wasn't real happy, i put a set of TD's under it and he loves it, the ride is totally different, and a hell of a lot better, this guy lives 25k's out of town and 20 of that is dirt and the TD's handle the pot holes corrugations with ease.

Stu

[lwbmav]

Now, I have heard mixed reports about these shocks, some people say they are great, others say the durability is crap. Anyone got any experience with these on a GQ (I believe they would just be the standard TD shocks). The shop I went too really seemed to know what they were talking about, and they said (and had photos to back it up) that the main car that came through their workshop was GQs, and TD are the only ones they install.

I have heard that OME are better all round?

Any advice would be great

cheers

Andrew

well I got rancho 9000"s on a gq wagon when i bought them i was told they where the best . but hell they just dont do it . Go to auto alliance and they will now tell u that 32- 35 ml shocks "ranchos" dont work on the big cars "but they did at the time": anyway buy the bigest u can afford

cheers scott

[OnPatrol]

Here's my experience with the 43mm adjustable TD shock:

I've had the shocks installed in my GU since November '03. I'm happy with them when they are working, but there are some problems to note with these shocks. The yellow boots fowls up inside the front shock towers and they bunch up in the rear shocks. I removed the yellow boots after a few weeks cause they were all ripped apart. The front shocks twists and because these shocks are so big that the adjusting plastic dial hits the front control arm. The front shocks twists around because there's a bit of slack at the bottom mount. I had the thread at the bottom mount re-tapped so that we could tighten them up. I may add another washer to make double sure.

I broke the rear passenger side TD shock back in January '04 The shock came off the bottom mount whilst driving up Rocky Track at Toolangi....not the best place to loose a shock. I ended up bending the 43mm shaft. The bottom eye mount is so big that the nut has just enough thread. After replacing the shock, we used loc-tites to make sure they don't come off again.

Last weekend the rear driver side shock leaked oil. After a hard trip around Bunyip and Gembrook, the rear shock packed it in. It appears that the internal bump stop didn't protect the shock all that well. It's dissapointing to break the TD shock this time since I expected these big shocks to cope with the GU truck.

Before I installed the TD shocks, I used Ranchos. I went through a set of of 4 Ranchos per year for the last 3 years. I use my GU every weekend if possible in some of the best tracks in Vic so I suppose one set of shocks per year is to be expected, but the TD didn't last all that long, given the GU has been off the road for at least 3 months during the dual cab conversion.

I don't know if others have had the same problems with these TD shocks, but the only advice I can give is to make sure that they are installed as tight as possible. Add washers in the bottom mount for the front shocks and use loc-tites specially at the rear shocks.

My next shocks will be a set of of Konis. At least I can have these re-built if I break them.

[OnPatrol]

Deleted double post!!!

[MD4x4]

I didn't know the tough dog big bore adjustables were available last year. They only came onto the shelf in Newcastle earlier this year.
Anyway I have just changed to the TD's from Ranchos on my SWB GQ with 3" lift in the springs. I had Rancho 9000's before this and they were supposed to be the best. They only lasted 9 months. I was wallowing around town on the hardest setting and it felt like I had no shocks on the car.
The TD's were fitted and made a huge difference to the handling of my rig both on and off road. I have only had them for 2 months and have had no problems at this stage.

MD

[viperguy]

the tuff dog big bore shocks are working very nicely on my mav shorty. i had 4 inch lift coils with these shocks and never had a problem. ive fitted 6 inch coils now and still cant fault them. i removed my sway bars and the truck still rides fine with body roll under control. they take a bit of playing around to fit them so they dont foul on anything but if u take the time and keep checking on them they are fine.. u pay a bit extra but its definately worth the dollars seeing they are covered by warrenty. talk to simon at tuff dog at blacktown in sydney.. he will set u up right..

[OnPatrol]

I didn't know the tough dog big bore adjustables were available last year. They only came onto the shelf in Newcastle earlier this year.
MD

I used the 6inch lift TD big bore which was available since the Melb 4x4 show last October. I'd say that I was one of the first to have them installed in a GU. The 4inch version wasn't available until early 2004.

[Bitsamissin]

Alberto, I'm debating whether to go the TD adjustables or custom built Koni's.
I had Koni's for 4 years and just cannot fault them.
But I really like the adjustable feature particularly for onroad without swaybars.
Did you try the 4" lift TD's ???

[ludacris]

An ajustable shock.Wouldnt that just be an extra thing to go wrong.Personally I have pro comps and they flex very well and on road with a six inch lift I can keep up with cars with very little body roll.I also have not heard one bad thing about them.They come with warranty aswell not that you would need it.Cheers.I guess everyone to there own.

[OnPatrol]

Frank, I never tried the 4inch TD shock. The TD's perfom well enough....just not sure about durability. They just haven't been in the market long enough to make long term claims.

If you decide to go TD's, why not just buy a pair. You only need to crank up the rears to have a good ride without swaybars.

[embryo]

konis are adjustable anyway arent they? just gotta drop one end off and rotate it i think its 4 stage adjustmment, never used them personaly, mates had em in hes 3inch lifted GQ patrol for just over 12 months and he abuses that car somethin ferce i almost cry some times, but he cant speak highly enuf about them, father inlaw has them in hes 60 series and has had for years and he thinks they are the ducks guts AND they are rebuildable

[Bitsamissin]

Yes the Koni's are adjustable (5 stage) but as you say you have to unbolt one end and twist to adjust. I did this a few times but it is a pain.
If only they had an easy to use adjuster knob like the Rancho's or TD's they would be absolute king of shocks IMHO.