Monday, Sep 02, 2013 at 14:05
I'm not going to recommend one type or brand over another, because it's a bit like the Nissan VS Toyota VS Range Rover arguments - they all do things differently and all have different design features. What works for me, might not work for you.
This archived thread below touches on many points - but at the end of the day, a good brand aftermarket shock absorber with increased size and damping ability over the originals, is going to provide you with better damping than what you have now.
http://www.exploroz.com/Forum/Topic/58778/Foam_Cell_or_Gas_Filled_shockies.aspx
One has to keep in mind, that although you have around 150kgs on the towbar - when your ute hits a bump, the ute is effectively lifting and lowering another 850kgs (approx half the van weight) each time.
This
places a vastly-increased load on the shock absorbers. You no doubt also have around 350 kgs of passengers and 100-200kgs of cargo in the ute as
well. Coupled with the van, this all adds up, to place a heavy loading on shock absorbers as they try to control the rebound of a lot of weight that is moving up and down.
Yes, a good WDH will also make a difference - because the WDH does a similar job to shock absorbers, in that it dampens any excesssive up and down movement of the ute and the van, after a bump has been hit.
However, an investment in a set of good quality heavy duty aftermarket shock absorbers will also be an investment in roll stability as
well.
Have a talk to several
suspension shops and see if you can sort the sales BS from useful advice. You need to talk to at least a couple of shops to see what's on offer, and to see what might appear to suit your budget and your vehicle requirements.
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