dj Patrol replied:

The answer to previous question is yes I fitted Poly Air Bags to my 4.2TD patrol as I tow a heavy van and loaded up in the rear U-Know everything like 3.4 Stessl boat on top of Rhino boatloader,15hp outboard ,tanks fridges, gasbottles, ,tool boxes,BBQ,and everything else on long trips,foldatrailer on front of van,so my load is very large,The bags work great pump up when laden,let down when home,I have since done a full suspension frt & rear springs & shocks Iornman King Springs Rear H/Duty 50mm uplift plus the Poly Air Bags
Std H/Duty Front Springs ARB
Shocks are Nitro/Gas Old Man Emu it has worked out very good for my weight control and excellent handling of the Caravan and rear weight.

Hope this helps you, what you are doing sounds ok.
djpatrol

Footloose replied:

I had my suspension replaced with OME stuff. Not cheap, but a very worthwhile improvement both on and off the road.
I had new (Not OME) shockies on the Padj trip. Lasted as far as Coen before throwing the securing nuts etc. I suspect that they were being asked to do an impossible job :)
When talking tracks such as the CSR, Cape, etc etc even new shocks can kark it. Its all in the way you drive, how much of a load you have, and the lap of the Gods.
Good luck with your decisions.

Keith_A (Qld) replied:

Hi Colin - about to do the same. Already had the Polyairs on, for over 15 months.
Just bought Koni series 82 shocks and having them fitted next week (probably with 1/2 turn on the adjustment). Retail around $800.
Check the archieves re Polyair. If kept at pressure all the time, several posts say they will tear/distort the suspension mounts. So - drop them back to 5 psi when-ever van is off......................Keith

Grandpa joe replied:

Hello Colin,
In reply to bilstein shocks, they are fantastic in the way they function being a monotube design although if you are driving on terrain where you are flinging larger stones they need protection from this as the external tube is the same one the piston slides in and any small dint will result in it failing.
I run tough dog's by 4 WAY suspension as they have a very high oil capacity, use thick steel outer tubes and a 22mm shaft down the middle. A shock that holds less oil will usually get much hotter when driving on heavy corrugations for a long period of time, my friend cooked the paint off a front pair of shocks in his IFS Hilux when we were up in the Gulf (were buggered 2 mths later), Also bear in mind that they were aftermarket shockies...........Rancho adjustables which are a very good product but just don't hold enough oil for the IFS model and when you put the adjustable valve block on a small shockie you lose even more oil capacity.