I am going to lower my TJ Sports over 18s next weekend am all set to buy either KYB or Munroe GT gas shocks during the week.

Questions are:
- it's only got 50,000km of open road driving on it and the current shocks feel great > do I really need new ones?
- Given the 'Sports' shocks are firmer than regular models > will they suffice?
- Are the KYB/Munroes that many on here seem to use any shorter than OEM Sports shocks?

There's no doubt that new shocks would be ideal, just curious whether those in the know feel it's a must when installing the abovementioned spring combo :confused:

I've searched for hours and not found this specific question pre-posted, so here 'tis!

mate this has been covered a few times
if your installing new springs you dont have to replace the shocks
people only do it to save doing the same thing twice
they normally get a set of KYB shocks and springs either kings or lovells and just swap them over with the current shocks in the car
makes life that much easier
its up to you whether you replace your shocks or not

I put Kings lows in the wagon years ago now.

I ended up changing the shocks because the wagon rear suspension has less travel so therefor stock shocks wernt doing the job at all.

I ended up putting Monroe GT Gas all round. I only kept them for about a month because they were so firm it just didnt suit what i wanted.

I then put Mitsubishi sports (yellow) shocks all round and they are great. Perfect compromise between stock and hard.

Dont ask me what the yellow bit means. I spoke to heaps of parts guys at dealers and aparently there are sports shocks and then yellow sports shocks. to the best of my understanding, the sports shocks are just stock standard shocks and the yellow ones are the slighly firmer ones. Someone else might be able to shed some more light, but i went with the yellow ones (the shocks arn't yellow, just the name) and i am wrapped with them.

My brother has a KJ2 (sedan)and he has put kings lows as well and he didnt change the shocks and that is fine, because there is more travel in the rear suspension with the IRS and therefor sahocks can still handle it.

i put my kings low all round on with my car at 60000kms. No problems, still handles better than stock springs.

Thanks guys - I have gone with KYB Excel-G. Will install it all on the weekend!

Will hang onto my 'sports' shocks/springs in case I need to change back later

I ended up putting Monroe GT Gas all round. I only kept them for about a month because they were so firm it just didnt suit what i wanted.

I then put Mitsubishi sports (yellow) shocks all round and they are great. Perfect compromise between stock and hard.

.

I am thinking of putting lows on and due to your post i think i will do my shocks at the same time.
I dont mind a firm ride but not too firm as my wagon is also a family wagon.
how bad were the munroes and was there much of a $$ difference between them and the yellows you are talking about?
Also do you have a part # for the yellows?
Oh and have you done anything else to your suspension ie sway bar etc?

Sorry for all the questions but what with the rears being different on the wagons its not so easy to find as much info on here doing a search as everything that comes up is usually sedan related.
Cheers
Damo

i thought TJsports factory shocks were OEM monroeGT's ....

no?

Hey there damroc.

Maybe just try changing the rear shocks first as that was where the problem was with the wagon.
I changed to kings lows and kept the origional shocks to start with. The problem was when you had anyone or even some luggage in the back and you went over a bump in the road, the rear would continue to bounce up and down 2,3,4 more times while you were driving down the road which was so embarrassing. Just wait till you get a few people in the back, it would bounce 6+ times bottoming out on the bump stop every time.

For memory, there wasnt a huge price difference between monroe and origional mitsub. The monroe's were way to firm. Almost felt like there was no play in the rear at all.

Every now and then if i have 3 people in the rear and full of luggage, it will bounce over bumps but only once or twice but that is a heavy load. Its not very often u have 5 adults and a load of luggage in the rear so it doesnt bother me. I'm sure the monore gt's would totally solve this with heavy loads but its a compromise and considering the car rarely has that sort of load in it, i chose the softer Mitsub shock.

All i have done to the wagon suspension wise is lower it with kings lows and put those Mitsub Yellow shocks all round in it and thats it.
I have to say, before i did this, i had no confidence at all in the cars handeling even to the stage where when you were on a country road and you get those advisory speed limits round corners, i was doing less than that it felt that floaty and bad.

New springs and shocks, and its one of the most confident feeling cars i have driven recently. I regularly do 20+ k's over those advisory speed limits without feeling unsafe at all it feels that good on the road.

Since lowering, i have never found the need for any other suspension mods like a sway bar etc. The wagon doesnt seem to lean or roll that much at all once lowered so have had no need for further mods.

As for the Shock part numbers, i cant recall what they were. All i did was ring up a Mitsub parts department and ask for the shocks out of a TJ sports wagon and thats when he told me there were 2 options and as far as he could tell me, the 1st option seemed to have the same part numbers as a standard wagon and then the yellows seemed to be different so we assumed they were a firmer setting which ended up being the case.

Thanks very much for the info
After reading that i think i might go for the munroes. I use my wagon for work and often have a fair bit of weight in the rear so i guess i might have to put up with it being a bit firm when it is empty. I am guessing cornering wasnt compromised with the munroes?
I know what you mean re feeling floaty. I think i might do shocks and lows all round and see if that stiffens up the front a little.
Once again thankyou for the info.
Cheers
Damo

See if the replacement shocks are adjustable. I bought some Koni's for the rear of my Pulsar SSS a while back, and the standard setting was WAY too firm. I could hardly push the back down. I had them taken out and adjusted to softest setting (push centre rod in as far as you can and then turn counter clock-wise), then re-installed. This made a huge difference. They were still firm, but not stupidly so. :bouncin:

Hey there Damo.

You will be totally satisfied with the kings lows and monroe's all round. It will totally transform your car.

The only other thing that i have done to the wagon which made the road holding even better was just upsize the tyres slightly. I have a KH which come stock with the 215/60 16 and i just widened them slightly to a 225/55 16 and this has also made a huge improvment to handeling without effecting speedo, on top of springs and shocks but not totally necessary.

Let us know how you go with the suspension job.

Nige.

I put Kings lows in the wagon years ago now.

I ended up changing the shocks because the wagon rear suspension has less travel so therefor stock shocks wernt doing the job at all.

I ended up putting Monroe GT Gas all round. I only kept them for about a month because they were so firm it just didnt suit what i wanted.

I then put Mitsubishi sports (yellow) shocks all round and they are great. Perfect compromise between stock and hard.

Dont ask me what the yellow bit means. I spoke to heaps of parts guys at dealers and aparently there are sports shocks and then yellow sports shocks. to the best of my understanding, the sports shocks are just stock standard shocks and the yellow ones are the slighly firmer ones. Someone else might be able to shed some more light, but i went with the yellow ones (the shocks arn't yellow, just the name) and i am wrapped with them.

My brother has a KJ2 (sedan)and he has put kings lows as well and he didnt change the shocks and that is fine, because there is more travel in the rear suspension with the IRS and therefor sahocks can still handle it.

Yes I remember doing that for you lol.

To be honest, I would keep the SPorts shocks front and rear with King Lows for now. The rear shocks in the wagn are easy to change, sedan are a little harder.

The sports are similar to the Monroe GT anyway, the KYB are ok but tent to be a little overgassed for my liking. Not saying that they are bad.