Clear as mud

[nofx]

Hi all

So over the last couple of days I have read every thread on the first five pages of this section. I would like to write down what I think I understand from them and see if I am on track.

I have a six month old 2012 d22 dual cab with canopy, dual battery and alloy bar. I am unlikley to get a winch. I will get some sort of roof basket touring (not sure how big yet).

Ok, I had just written a huge post about my proposed suspension etc and then some questions and realised it was way too long. So the guts of it are:

I think I'vew decided that I will buy some after market UCAs. In Queensland (so I understand) any main roads certified mechanic can mod plate stuff if it meets main roads requirements. But I can't find a list of certified guys anywhere. Does anyone know a certifier in Ipswich or at least Bris West suburbs? Or can Zordo do it since he knows suspension stuff inside out ? (I know he is northside). How hard can it be to certify UCAs if they are engineered by the after market companies to do the job?

Brand of suspension choice seems to come down to personal choice based on what you read on places like this and how easily you are swayed by advertising and price. I was thinking of going tough dog with the adjustable shocks. Having said that, I am happy to mix and match brands of springs and shocks if a better setup can be had for similar dollars. A lot of people have mentioned bilstein and konie but I know nothing about them.

Given that UCAs seem to be about $600 delivered, and a tough dog set up is about $1900 (from memory, maybe that includes install), if you were going to spend $2600 (including UCAs), which way would you go? Mix and match or off ther shelf kit?

Bugger me, still a long post.

Thanks for your help

 

[180degrees]

I doubt you will get UCA's certified.

If you are paying $1900 for tough dog made in china crap pay $100 less and get a Bilstein and EFS kit from Fulcrum in moorooka comes with everything you need (new EFS tbars, EFS rear leaves, 4 Bilstein shockies, Ubolts, greasable shackes and poly-urethane bush kit)

 

[nofx]

Yeah, see this is exactly what I'm talking about. I've heard a lot of people rag EFS. Have you used tough dog? What was wrong with them? The tough dog shocks I had on my troopy were good. Why won't I get UCAs certified? Why are Bilsteins good? Have you used them? Have you used EFS? For how long?

There are posts all over the place saying that these are good and those are crap, but hardly any saying I used these and they were no good because....I didn't say it very well in the original post, but I guess I want peoples experiences with brands and reasons why they are (or aren't) good, not just opinion.

ANy help?

 

[loco12]

I have the upper control arms engineered under the ncop here in tas so I'm sure you will be able to up there, just call the engineer to check before parting with the cash.

 

[RustyNav09]

UCA can be checked and blue plated(mod plate) by anyone who can do mod plates. Completely legal in qld. I'm hoping the minister approves mine when the locker goes in

 

[RustyNav09]

Also as for suspension I had efs with absolutely no dramas. Only reason I chaaged to sax 3sds gear was I was changing my path of thinking and wanted a touring vehicle not a weekend offroader. Give Zordo a call and he will set you up with the right kit and rock bottom prices. You will still need to get your own ucas and install them plus get them mod plated. I had my refs gear installed for $1295 that's not including torsion bars. So you can have refs + uca upgrade all for under $2000 if you install it yourself

 

[180degrees]

Yeah, see this is exactly what I'm talking about. I've heard a lot of people rag EFS. Have you used tough dog? What was wrong with them? The tough dog shocks I had on my troopy were good. Why won't I get UCAs certified? Why are Bilsteins good? Have you used them? Have you used EFS? For how long?

There are posts all over the place saying that these are good and those are crap, but hardly any saying I used these and they were no good because....I didn't say it very well in the original post, but I guess I want peoples experiences with brands and reasons why they are (or aren't) good, not just opinion.

ANy help?

As far as shocks go in moderate use 4x4's the best is either Bilstein or Koni the rest are all second rate as far as I am concerned, do some more research EFS make a good spring, Lovells and Dobinson also make a good product, had EFS springs on my first D22 and no reason to complain, anyone bagging out Bilstein or Koni doesn't know what they are talking about though, Had bilsteins on my first car, best shocks ever loved them so much.

If you want tough dog by all means buy em but they are not worth $1900, ring around you can get a tough dog setup for about $11-1400. Anyway my opinion is these cars ride like shit anyway so anything is going to be better then stock.

 

[loco12]

Just a question, if you guys in qld are using the ncop now, does that mean having to do a lane change test with lifts over a certain height? I had to here in tas, just curios.

 

[nofx]

Thanks everybody for chipping in. Still keen to here more experiences.

 

[ben85]

blue max are good and cheap, i havent tried any others so i cant compare between brands but theyre a lot better than stock!

 

[qqc d22]

no one ever knows about them but oztec. http://www.oztecsuspension.com.au/
I run a set of these shocks in my old ute for 7+ years and they were still golden when i sold it. one fell off the top mount and dragged for two hours down dirt roads and bush tracks before jaming itself under the tray, bent the floor up in the ally tray the shock was still straight and got bolted back on there no issues. well it look like it had been dragged about for 2 hour but thats cause it had haha. from memory they were quiet cheap the local place i bought them from i know the guy that runs it quiet well through work and he said they will stand behind there lifetime warrant. my 2cents.
oh and have a mate with a hilux with tough dog gear reckons it was shit and cousin had efs in his old hilux and hated it. My cousins probably a bit of a whiner but

 

[joffo81]

XGS gold shocks from TJM are great. My EFS leaves will go in soon thanks to RustyNav

 

[RustyNav09]

XGS gold shocks from TJM are great. My EFS leaves will go in soon thanks to RustyNav

I was just about to pm you about them to see how you went. Let me know how you go.

Cheers.