News

“There seems to be a lot of misconception about what a shock absorber is and what it does. Can you explain its function?” The function of the shock absorber is to, as far as possible, keep the tyres in contact with the road surface thus ensuring safe and controlled vehicle handling. It does this by controlling the action of the spring and suspension movement. There are several types of shock absorbers but for the purposes of this article we will only be looking at telescopic, hydraulic shock absorbers as used on our 4x4’s. Some of these are plain hydraulic shock absorbers, many have gas charg...

“How do you know when your suspension needs to be replaced? Is there a simple home test? How do you test the leaf springs, coils and shocks? Do you have to replace the shocks more often than the springs?” A vehicle’s suspension system does not have an infinite life span. Component wear may be gradual with replacement needed at some stage. Shock absorbers can fail suddenly, and springs can break. Here are some things to look out for: Shock Absorbers: Leaking or broken shock absorbers and shock absorber mountings are easy to spot. A shock absorber that has had an internal failure is harder to s...

What is the difference between the Original suspension and an Aftermarket suspension upgrade such as Ironman 4x4 for my 4WD? A question I get asked most by 4WD enthusiasts. We use our 4wd vehicles in a variety of situations. These include our daily commute, Mom’s taxi, long haul highway driving, dirt road driving, trail riding, dune riding, towing, holiday overlanding Safari vehicle, etc. This is often done carrying no loads and at times carrying heavy loads or towing. To cater for this, the OE suspension designer has to design a suspension system that will work well in most cases and ends up...