I've got a 2005 TW wagon with 160,000k on the clock. Really starting to feel like it needs new struts and shocks as it is riding quite hard but feels floaty. What are your recommendations for replacements and how much should i be paying (parts only not fitting). I'm not after anything special/hi performance, just want the car riding like it should.

:roll: Wow another thread on suspension. Welcome to the club mate try using the search function! Here is just one of many threads on suspension. http://www.aussiemagna.com/forums/showthread.php?t=84385&highlight=suspension

In summary: You get what you pay for; get good quality parts over a "quick fix". Super Low springs look good, but are not so practical (rough ride, low clearance, not much suspension travel). Low springs are a good balance of looks and driveability. Avoid Pedders (a lot of bad reviews). Get King, Lovell or Dobinsons springs. Get Koni, KYB or Boge shocks. Kings springs and Boge shocks are a popular combination. Check out Mal's very competitive prices at the Mitsfix website. Get a wheel alignment done after installing the new parts. Consider getting a few other thinks fixed/replaced while the strut is apart (eg. strut tops, bump stops, spring seats). A "search" will give you a lot more info/opinions/reviews on all these points.

TiMi Might have the right idea with a sticky thread for newcomers huh? Rather than making them feel "uncomfortable" when they're told "use search", or get comments like;


Congratulations. You are the proud starter of the most started thread on this entire forum, I think it basically sits around 1 new thread a week these days..

TiMi's suggestion (from this thread http://www.aussiemagna.com/forums/showthread.php?t=92571 )could be updated with common questions for new users.


I think we should have a "Welcome to AMC" forum.
Sticky:
What oil do I use?
What exhaust do I want?
What globes do my headlights take?
How long can I leave my timing belt and will anywhere do it for $100?
What can I do to undo my clearcoat peel?
Suspension - Struts & Shocks

As for OP's question; there are several brands to choose from. Depends on your budget and favourite flavour I guess. There are all manner of suspension combinations run by users here. Opinions will vary. I'm running KYB struts all round on "low" King's springs. Relatively cheap upgrade. Better than stock, but I'm no expert as my Magna is only my second car.

A rear sway bar will go a long way to improve handling to. If your car doesn't have one already? Not sure if TW wagons had one standard.

lol, also sometimes I know exactly what I'm looking for, I just don't know how to trick the search function into actually finding it for me, as it brings up threads that seem to have nothing to do with it.

$400-600ish for all shocks. More if you want to put new springs, bump stops, or strut tops on. Depends how far you want to go. Lower, stiffer springs might take away some of the float, but I've never driven a wagon and they have a different rear suspension setup so there could be differences there too.

Quoting myself from another thread regarding suspension:


I was in exactly your position a few weeks ago, I wanted to lower my KH and get shocks, but I didn't know which shocks to go with.

I ended up biting the bullet and going all the way and got myself some Konis on Dobinson Lows. The Konis are apparently the best; and I'm no suspension expert, but I've driven a fair few cars and I dare say my Verada now has possibly the best ride I've ever felt. I like my ride hard, but not bone-shattering, something that feels responsive and can absorb the bumps, but isn't a boat... It's a delicate balance, but as far as I can tell, my Konis (and Dobinsons) are pulling it off amazingly! I spent about $1400 just for the Shocks/Springs and I do not regret it!

Of course, I haven't tried Boges in my Verada, which are supposedly almost as good, but for a lot less. If you don't want to spend too much, I would recommend exactly the same as GONE [which was Dobinsion Low w/ Boge Shocks].

Get Boges with SuperLow is you're happy to sacrifice the ride-comfort a bit, or get Boges with Lows if you want a much better ride. Go for the lows lol

My full suspension setup, which consisted of Koni Fully Adjustable Shocks, Dobinson Lows and some new Bumpstops cost about $1200 including labour, done by none other than the man himself, Mal.

Konis set you back a great deal more as the fronts are not bolt-on, you need to hack apart the existing shocks to make a makeshift "mount" for the Konis.

Thanks for the replies, i'm not offended, just didn't think to use the search function.

Have found the Mits-fix website so i have plenty to think about and consider.

Cheers Diecast

Cheapest way to get back that new car feeling is to replace the rear shocks and front struts with standard good quality gas charged ones. If ride hight is not a concern, keep the original springs.

Front struts will make the biggest difference.

Other people will have to suggest good brands though.

TiMi Might have the right idea with a sticky thread for newcomers huh? Rather than making them feel "uncomfortable" when they're told "use search", or get comments like;

TiMi's suggestion (from this thread http://www.aussiemagna.com/forums/showthread.php?t=92571 )could be updated with common questions for new users.

I've said it before and I'll say it again. We have a DIY and FAQ (http://www.aussiemagna.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=82) section that's perfect for this kind of information. All we need is for Members to actually write the content to fill it!

I would definitely speak to Mal (from Mits-fix) about wagon suspension options. He has a 3rd gen wagon and I believe it took him a few goes to find a product combination on the rear that he was happy with. It might have been Dobinson springs and Boge shocks?

I believe it was Dobinson & Koni that he went with..

I'm a big fan of the Boge/Dobinson Combo - Few dollars extra and you're looking at coilovers though.

SuFz :ninja:

Yeah, I had this conversation with Mal and it's what swayed me to get the Konis.

Mal used to run Boges/Dobinsions, which he says were great; then he swapped to Konis/Dobinsions and he says that they are better. The Boges are great, I'm sure; and there is only a minimal "cruising" difference between Boges and Konis, the real difference starts to come out when you push the car. During MMXi, someone commented on Mal's car (forgot who it was) saying "it was sitting so flat around the corners, I swear I could see the actual body warping".

The way I thought of it, was, I had the cash, if I got Boges I would be forever wondering exactly how much better Konis are; and eventually upgrade and waste twice the amount of money. So I bit the bullet and got them straight off the bat.