I've got a 98 TF Sports (all original parts except for the whiteline rear adjustable sway, and new rotors all around that I put on yesterday). The change in handling after putting on the new sway made me think seriously about what else I should do. The suspension seems ok to me but the car has 195k on the clock and I've been told the shocks will almost certainly not be working as they should anymore. Though they weren't sure if springs wore out too.

I've been reading the forum topics involving suspension and I gather that Boge shocks and King springs are the current favorites. However I notice that most people seem to refer to these in the context of lowering their cars.

I understand that the TF Sports is already lowered off the factory floor by about 10mm. I'm quite happy with the height and with the "comfortable" ride on rough (roadwork) roads, and quiet (low road noise) city driving. So I'm concerned about lowering it further and thereby making the ride harder. However I'm not completely opposed to it if it would make the handling a fair bit better.

I mainly drive city roads, but with the amount of road works going on around Canberra at the moment I don't want to get stuck in a pot hole. However, I enjoy the feel of a car that takes corners as though it didn't notice the road wasn't straight. I do enjoy a "spirited" :woot: drive but it's only a 3l stock engine so I'm not exactly trying for formula 1 stuff :tired: .

So, what should I be looking for? Any recommended sellers? Is it possible to stay at the same "Sports" lowered height?

Hey mate I just replaced my suspension in My TJ Wagon with boge shocks & Kings standard height springs/Heavy duty in the back & the handling on the car has improved 10 fold. I would recommend this set up but you may only need shocks & your springs could still be alright but good suspension shop should be able to tell you that

i recently replace mine with pedders sprots ryder comfort shocks and sport ryder low springs ( they are about 1 inch lower than stock) the ride quality is not compromised at all and she handels like its on rails!
i got the comfort shock because i was worried about the ride quality, but judging how good they are i probably could have got the sports ones.... with springs there is 4 options from pedders... raised springs (which you dont want lol) pedders standard springs and 2 types of lower springs (one set being 10mm lower than the other) i went with the lowest because i wanted my car lowered, but if you are happy with your ride height, i suggest the standard height springs or the other lows. :) Magnas do look great a little bit lower ....and if you can have it lower without compromise then i say why not!

Thanks Saint. I'll get the suspension tested before I act. Good to hear there are standard height options in the Kings.

Thanks for the info Wilson, though I have to say I think that's the first time I've come across someone saying nice things about Pedders stuff on this board. I'm surprised that with an inch of lowering you didn't notice any decline in ride quality. Perhaps I will consider lowering a little more. I've read people have been lowering their cars as much to get rid of the Magna "boat" characteristics as much as for the looks. And if this can be done without hurting the ride quality then that sounds like a decent option after all.

TJ Executive sedan; King springs - lows, KYB shocks and (dare I say it) Whiteline rear sway bar. Handling is EXCELLENT! Dramatic improvement, cant overstate it enough. No clearance issues yet with the low springs and so far the rear sway bar hasnt fallen off despite the shady brackets its shipped with. Handling has reached a point where the car can out corner the cheap tyres I have.

yeah i have seen lots of posts on here of people not liking pedders... dont know why... lol mine are great!
only compromise is sometime it hits the bumpstops if u go over a speed hump too quick, and more risk of scraping but as far as ride quality... its still the same, if it is any different its not much!
only resason i did it was indeed to get rid of the magna "boat" characteristics lol

STAY AWAY FROM PEDDERS! Mine was done a year ago with brand new shocks and springs and from the day i left the workshop with them i HATED the ride quality. I already have new king lows to replace with just getting shocks now. . Worse investment ever :(

STAY AWAY FROM PEDDERS! Mine was done a year ago with brand new shocks and springs and from the day i left the workshop with them i HATED the ride quality. I already have new king lows to replace with just getting shocks now. . Worse investment ever :(

Completly agree with you jamie! We got pedders springs and shocks fitted on our pajero with a 2 inch lift and the ride handling now is attrocious! Feels like a monster truck!!

Sorry i know its not a magna, just more negativity for pedders!

Also avoid KYB if you can, they are ok and better than pedders but very harsh. Just ask Grelise as he is a member who went from KYB to Boge and was raving about the better ride immediately.

My recommendation, Kings or Dobinsons with Boge or if you are really serious go for Koni, I am make a yellow insert for the fronts so you can go yellows all round but they are a little bit more expensive than the Boge and more again than the KYB

Is a matter of you get what you pay for. Boge have lifetime warranty, Koni can be rebuilt quite cheaply if needed as well, KYB are over gassed to get the stiff effect but this means that rebound is affected and on a rough road you will really feel that

Also avoid KYB if you can, they are ok and better than pedders but very harsh.

Dammit.

I have driven a friends Magna with Pedders springs and shocks (don't know which) on 17" wheels with Falken 452 tires.
The ride wasn't terrible, and at the time to me it was still very comfortable, but it was a lot worse than standard for sure. In fact it was worse than my other friends Verada with 19" rims on hotbits street coilovers.
The handling of the Pedders suspension + Falken tires was actually quite good. I was surprised at how well it stuck to the road considering the limited work, old suspension (it wasn't new when I drove it, and the car had 200Kkm), and size of the car.

This was also in Canberra, and if you are pedantic about comfort then I will not recommend the Pedders stuff (I assume it was the sports stuff not comfort though).

I have driven a friends Magna with Pedders springs and shocks (don't know which) on 17" wheels with Falken 452 tires.
The ride wasn't terrible, and at the time to me it was still very comfortable, but it was a lot worse than standard for sure. In fact it was worse than my other friends Verada with 19" rims on hotbits street coilovers.
The handling of the Pedders suspension + Falken tires was actually quite good. I was surprised at how well it stuck to the road considering the limited work, old suspension (it wasn't new when I drove it, and the car had 200Kkm), and size of the car.

This was also in Canberra, and if you are pedantic about comfort then I will not recommend the Pedders stuff (I assume it was the sports stuff not comfort though).

lows or superlows?

MR SPL, I could not tell you, I just know it was Pedders suspension, and it was quite worn when I drove it too.

Also avoid KYB if you can, they are ok and better than pedders but very harsh. Just ask Grelise as he is a member who went from KYB to Boge and was raving about the better ride immediately.
I would disagree. While I can't comment on how they compare to the Boges, I quite like how my KYBs ride. It's definitely firm, but I definitely wouldn't call it harsh or uncomfortable. If I had my time again I would probably go the Boges (they weren't around when I had my car lowered), but I would still recommend the KYBs nonetheless.


I'm surprised that with an inch of lowering you didn't notice any decline in ride quality. Perhaps I will consider lowering a little more. I've read people have been lowering their cars as much to get rid of the Magna "boat" characteristics as much as for the looks. And if this can be done without hurting the ride quality then that sounds like a decent option after all.
Achieving better handling is done in part by installing stiffer springs. Whether you keep the car at standard height or lower it, you will be looking to firm up the ride somewhat to improve handling.

If you're not overly keen on lowering a lot, my suggestion would be to look at Kings and Dobinsons, who make springs that will lower a Magna around 30mm from stock. This is around 20mm lower than a standard TF Sports, but if you're still on the original suspension after 200k, I'd say it's sagged a bit already and the drop may not be quite that much. Couple that with some good shocks and I think you'll be quite happy.