Suspension for corrugations

[mjrandom Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close mjrandom]

More to it than just remote reservoirs.

[Rockhop Banned Find all posts View Profile Close Rockhop]

There most definetly is,

Buying suitable shocks for there intended use is paramount, fairy specific prolonged use on corrugated roads this will kill the foam cells ?

Please If you can let us know why you don’t think this is the case that would be great to hear your opinion on the topic.

[Guest Close Guest]

So who do you work for Rockhop?

Having run Ironman on vehicles that see heavy corrugations and rough road work, I haven’t had any issues with overheating.
Some of the remote reservoirs however didn’t last as well.
Only have to ask Photoprado about his episodes with the Robinson MRR remote reservoirs and stranding him just a few thousand kms into his outback trip. He switched to Ironman after that.

[Rockhop Banned Find all posts View Profile Close Rockhop]

I work for my self,

The foam cells are generally a good all rounder and by the sounds of it these re valved units ride even better.

Gee Dee is in Weipa, I can’t understand how you think they would be suitable just ask the person who re valved them I am sure they will agree.

[mjrandom Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close mjrandom]

The Ironman foam cell shocks are big. Foamcells dont fall apart in service and the custom valving by Whitey is pretty much spot on. Not sure what else needs to be said. Plenty of rumour about foamcells from manufacturers who don't offer foamcells. And others who have no idea but read the bad info.

I have no financial interest with Whitey or Zordo. I have been in a position to have four different suspension systems on two Prados over 300,000km. I have seat of the pants knowledge and now know how these different units test on a shock dynomometer. I was also in the lucky or not so lucky position that I was the dummy who did 2,000km on the big bore Billies I have now with stock USA soggy damping. They were shite. And then the intermediate valving for a 5,000km western Queensland trip (better but still badly underdamped) and now the final valving for the last 10,000km or so. Including a rerun of last year's trip completed yesterday! I saw each graph and know how that relates to ride, compliance etc etc etc. I also know how these compare with pretty much the rest of the common offerings so I reckon I can pass judgement on how they will run. Others on here are aware of this (like Piggy and Craig) and anyone who has read my build thread. The others who were lucky enough to get in the group buy have no complaints that I have heard.

At one point I had mismatched damping and spring rates and the Prado was a bitch off road and that was as recommeneded by one of the main 4wd suppliers.

My big bore Billies have a version of Whitey's tune, not as precise as the Ironman foam cells but that is a result of the internal structure of the Billies compared to the Ironman shocks and not an error by Whitey.

The main difference everyone notices with the revalved foam cells is that they just work. Speedbumps are no longer felt and the shocks do their job. Honestly if I hadn't jumped on the Billies I would be running foamcells myself.

As per Piggy's post the MRR's arent the prdoduct they could have been, in my opinion. The outback performance of the one set referred to was pretty poor. I have heard that is not an isolated case either.

I have also been involved with off road racing and rallying. Ran remote reservoir stuff then too. As well as other shocks which were plain simple big hydraulic shocks. Just having a remote res connected by a pretty hose doesn't mean the oil is circulated and cooled effectively. My previous experience of remote reservoirs was that the reservoirs were much colder than the shocks. In fact the shocks were boiling yet you could touch the reservoirs. Pretty sure Piggy will have seen same. We ditched the remote res units. They were fading badly. Extra oil volume in the reservoir was useless. Mind you the jumps we were doing with 14" of suspension travel was pretty tough going.

I am also in the middle of a project car build which has custom gas front coilovers. These need a birthday and I am very close to ditching the N2 charge for retrofitted foam cells. It will depend on what the struts look like inside when I finally strip them. Similarly a mate and I are preparing a toy to do weekend sprints and I will be working with Whitey to set up compression biassed damping and coilovers on that. Probably start with cheapie Chinese units as long as they have the oil capacity.

Anyway I don't mind if people think I am talking out of my arse. My only only concern is people paying big $ for an average or sub average product.

By the way, Whitey has left the forum for his own reasons which are his business. I do know he is flat out but willing to help where and when he can. Pretty sure when the dust settles people will be able to get his custom Ironman shocks from Zordo.

[Guest Close Guest]

I work for my self,

The foam cells are generally a good all rounder and by the sounds of it these re valved units ride even better.

Gee Dee is in Weipa, I can’t understand how you think they would be suitable just ask the person who re valved them I am sure they will agree.

You have no idea of my background so I can’t understand how you can comment I don’t know what I am talking about. Let’s just say I have many vehicles and a number of them have shocks costing around 5 k a corner.

The Ironmams I discussed it Kings would handle Weipa corrugations quite happily.
As you obviously haven’t had any experience in the custom valves Ironman shocks I can understand your naivety.

Not sure what remote reservoirs you are you are commenting on but unless it’s got MCA, Ohlins, Kings or Proflex written on it. I wouldn’t be going there.

If it’s from dobinsons. Run for the hills. Absolute junk from the issues I have seen. (Good $$ markup however for its resellers...).

I spoke to the suspension tech today actually. He thinks they will suit fine and doesn’t agree with your thoughts.

[Rockhop Banned Find all posts View Profile Close Rockhop]

You have no idea of my background so I can’t understand how you can comment I don’t know what I am talking about. Let’s just say I have many vehicles and a number of them have shocks costing around 5 k a corner.

The Ironmams I discussed it Kings would handle Weipa corrugations quite happily.
As you obviously haven’t had any experience in the custom valves Ironman shocks I can understand your naivety.

Not sure what remote reservoirs you are you are commenting on but unless it’s got MCA, Ohlins, Kings or Proflex written on it. I wouldn’t be going there.

If it’s from dobinsons. Run for the hills. Absolute junk from the issues I have seen. (Good $$ markup however for its resellers...).

I spoke to the suspension tech today actually. He thinks they will suit fine and doesn’t agree with your thoughts.

Very surprised by his views,

There are good remote res shocks that are not on your list, ICON, BP51s, FOX, RADFLOW ? but it looks as if you guys are set.

BTW it is KING
kings make rubbish out of supercenter

Good Luck

[mjrandom Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close mjrandom]

Supacentre.

[Guest Close Guest]

So what’s your background and qualifications to quantify your views?

There is hundreds of brands of shocks, just depends how much old mate wants to spend..

I know what we have run on our race vehicles and 4x4’s from tarmac to Gravel rally right thru to Dakar. And what has worked and what hasn’t. Hence my comments.

I dont really see tou offering much much help to him apart from arguing with anyone’s else’s suggestions.

[Rockhop Banned Find all posts View Profile Close Rockhop]

The Ironman foam cell shocks are big. Foamcells dont fall apart in service and the custom valving by Whitey is pretty much spot on. Not sure what else needs to be said. Plenty of rumour about foamcells from manufacturers who don't offer foamcells. And others who have no idea but read the bad info.

I have no financial interest with Whitey or Zordo. I have been in a position to have four different suspension systems on two Prados over 300,000km. I have seat of the pants knowledge and now know how these different units test on a shock dynomometer. I was also in the lucky or not so lucky position that I was the dummy who did 2,000km on the big bore Billies I have now with stock USA soggy damping. They were shite. And then the intermediate valving for a 5,000km western Queensland trip (better but still badly underdamped) and now the final valving for the last 10,000km or so. Including a rerun of last year's trip completed yesterday! I saw each graph and know how that relates to ride, compliance etc etc etc. I also know how these compare with pretty much the rest of the common offerings so I reckon I can pass judgement on how they will run. Others on here are aware of this (like Piggy and Craig) and anyone who has read my build thread. The others who were lucky enough to get in the group buy have no complaints that I have heard.

At one point I had mismatched damping and spring rates and the Prado was a bitch off road and that was as recommeneded by one of the main 4wd suppliers.

My big bore Billies have a version of Whitey's tune, not as precise as the Ironman foam cells but that is a result of the internal structure of the Billies compared to the Ironman shocks and not an error by Whitey.

The main difference everyone notices with the revalved foam cells is that they just work. Speedbumps are no longer felt and the shocks do their job. Honestly if I hadn't jumped on the Billies I would be running foamcells myself.

As per Piggy's post the MRR's arent the prdoduct they could have been, in my opinion. The outback performance of the one set referred to was pretty poor. I have heard that is not an isolated case either.

I have also been involved with off road racing and rallying. Ran remote reservoir stuff then too. As well as other shocks which were plain simple big hydraulic shocks. Just having a remote res connected by a pretty hose doesn't mean the oil is circulated and cooled effectively. My previous experience of remote reservoirs was that the reservoirs were much colder than the shocks. In fact the shocks were boiling yet you could touch the reservoirs. Pretty sure Piggy will have seen same. We ditched the remote res units. They were fading badly. Extra oil volume in the reservoir was useless. Mind you the jumps we were doing with 14" of suspension travel was pretty tough going.

I am also in the middle of a project car build which has custom gas front coilovers. These need a birthday and I am very close to ditching the N2 charge for retrofitted foam cells. It will depend on what the struts look like inside when I finally strip them. Similarly a mate and I are preparing a toy to do weekend sprints and I will be working with Whitey to set up compression biassed damping and coilovers on that. Probably start with cheapie Chinese units as long as they have the oil capacity.

Anyway I don't mind if people think I am talking out of my arse. My only only concern is people paying big $ for an average or sub average product.

By the way, Whitey has left the forum for his own reasons which are his business. I do know he is flat out but willing to help where and when he can. Pretty sure when the dust settles people will be able to get his custom Ironman shocks from Zordo.

Thanks for the civil response.

That is a shame he has left id really like to have a chat. I can’t comment on the MRRs never had anything to do with them nor the new TJM pure, however have had a lot to do with all the others listed above.

All good
cheers

[Rockhop Banned Find all posts View Profile Close Rockhop]

So what’s your background and qualifications to quantify your views?

There is hundreds of brands of shocks, just depends how much old mate wants to spend..

I know what we have run on our race vehicles and 4x4’s from tarmac to Gravel rally right thru to Dakar. And what has worked and what hasn’t. Hence my comments.

I dont really see tou offering much much help to him apart from arguing with anyone’s else’s suggestions.

I have made suggestions and voiced my opinion you don’t agree and that is completely fine with me.

[mjrandom Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close mjrandom]

So what do you sell?

[Guest Close Guest]

No I actually asked your qualifications and background so I could quantify your reasons for knocking some equipment that will fulfill the OP’s original
request.

Weipa is a breeze compared to some of the torture shocks receive on some of the larger races like Dakar.
Its not uncommon to carry around $30 k of spare shocks in the Service truck as even the good stuff dies with the terrain and speed these events contain.

[Rockhop Banned Find all posts View Profile Close Rockhop]

I am not really with you,
are these race cars running foam cells ?

[krypto Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close krypto]

Very strange discussion. Out of curiosity (it's the mech engineer in me) I took heat measurements when I deliberately hammered Whitey's shocks for about an hour on corrugations on a very hot day. They got hot but not excessively, probably due to the size of the shock. What stood out for me was the lack of fade, most of the shocks that I have owned have become harsh (usually gas shocks) or just stopped working when pushed.

Nothing to get worked up about, we are only discussing a mechanical component on a car. And I would be listening to some of the more experienced voices in this discussion, there is a lot of wisdom on this forum