How do I tell if the shocks are gone

[beattiedh]

Hi

I have a 300TDi disco I bought for my wife and it is very boucy and noisy on the the road.

I suspect the shocks.

How do I tell if they need replacing.

IF so how easy is it to do the fronts.

Backs seem logical enough.

thanks

Duncan

[Disco-Ron]

Jump on the front and back, it should go down, then up, then stop, if it does more cycles than that, the shocks are knacked.

Rears are quite easy, the fronts involves removing the shock turret, 4 nuts, and the nut on the bottom of the shock, and one of the top.....

[landroverkeith]

8)  and there normally a pig to undo too

[VogueSe_paul]

doing mine today, fronts are easy when you have a gas axes  :D

[Range Rover Blues]

Yeap, I've cut through the shocks before now to get them off.

Are the current shock just the black OEM type?

If so the very fact that you suspect them is evidence enough that they need changing.

Standard shocks are ok, on a standard car.  Fit 235 tyres or a bit of extra gear and they can easliy be bettered.

Cheap option, Monroe gasmatic are good but watch the top eye on the rear cshocks as they aren't welded to well :roll:  lets them down a bit.

ProComp, good, I use them a lot.  Very nice once they are run in and good handlling.  Bit of a firm ride when you first fit them though.

DeCarbon, I also like.  They are called 'comfort' but TBH very similar to ProComp.  I have a pair on Blue and they are good.

Old Man Emu, expensive I think, but you pays your money....

GAZ adjustable (Rimmer's) not used them, don't know anyone who has on a LAnd ROver but they make good shocks for classic Fords.

Obviously there are others (I use KYB on a lot of cars, not on LR so far though).

[beattiedh]

Thanks for the adive. This is for SWMBO's road car.

What are the best for affordability/ride. Haven't got loads of bucks but need something to give her a smooth ride (No comments please) It looks like ProComp look like a good bet.

Looked in the manual and it mentions replacing the bolts on the front turrets with new locking ones.

Any guidance would be great.

thanks

Duncan

[Disco-Ron]

'IF' the nuts on the front turret ring come undone, then yeh, replace with nylocs if you can, however, it is a lot easier to replace the rings aswell.... only a few quid, and it makes life easy....er!!

procomps are good value to my mind..... plus they come with new rubbers!!

[beattiedh]

So how bad are the fronts to do.

Is it worth buying the bits and chucking a few quid to my local 4x4 man to do it.

Duncan

[Disco-Ron]

I would do it myself, it's not that hard, cos as said, if you're putting new parts on, you can trash the old ones!!

[Range Rover Blues]

Yeap and I have a little trick with the securing rings on the front, don't waste time undoing them, over-tighten them and they snap off, out of the way.  They snap off anyway about halfway up, so beat them to it.

Fit HD securing rings from Paddocks.

Yes Pro-Comp are good, buyt from Explorer UK and get the limited lifetime warranty on them.

Monroe are good and under £30 a corner, perhaps slightly softer too, but you can't go wrong on Pro-Comp.

[thermidorthelobster]

So how bad are the fronts to do.

Is it worth buying the bits and chucking a few quid to my local 4x4 man to do it.

Do it yourself, but plan for snapping the securing rings and have replacements to hand.  It's not a bad job, and if you've not done it before it's good practice.

[beattiedh]

Without making me sound like a muppet, everybody has to start somewhere.

What are the securing rings?

I have fitted Diff guards, snorkel and breather kits so I know my way around enough once i know the direction I am to go in.

thanks

Duncan

[chris.hunt22]

They are also known as turret rings, they go on top of your spring and clamp the shock absorber turret down using 4 nuts - MEGA TIP... if you are getting new ones don't loose the old nuts, they are a strange imperial thread and are a pig to get hold of

[Range Rover Blues]

Get the HD ones from Paddock, they make them using Metric bolts which are made form steel rather than cheese (like the original ones) and come with new Nylocks.