What shocks are you guys running on your Classics?

[m3 bavaria]

I had an OME/ARB rear shock break in half this weekend. Atlantic British recommended Bilstein replacements due to the weight of my LWB. I'm having second thoughts though...

What are you guys running?

[Snagger]

I have had my RRC for ten years and 100,000 miles and the DeCarbon dampers fitted by the previous owner are still going strong.

[86inch]

In my humble opinion, the best spring and damper combination is the one that comes from the factory in the form of Genuine Parts.
These offer the best ride/articulation compromise at the best price. Contrary to popular opinion (certainly in the UK) Land Rover's engineers are not a bunch of muppets upon whose talents you can improve by spending £300 on an aftermarket spring and damper kit :-)

[Colin Hughes]

We had Bilsteins on our Classic. Rode very nice.

[oryxexpeditions]

One of the real advantages of the factory Classic suspension is its softness and compliance which gives it really good flex compared to a Disco or other Rover. Any stiffer spring and shock, particularly the lift kits out there, will limit this flex to a degree, as well as the comfort level. I agree that the factory shocks work best with the soft factory springs. However, under abuse, they don't last as long. They are still available new though. Another option is the Terrafirma All Terrain shocks, which are their lower line ones. I put a set of these on my last Disco and they are much softer than the OME's I had before. I think I'll try a set of these on my Classic next and see how they compare to stock.

I'm a big believer in staying with the stock springs and rear Boge load strut on the Classic, without sway bars. An alternative to the strut is to run Firestone air bags, or equivalent, inside of the rear springs and air them up or down depending on load.

An option for softer lift springs is to take the factory rear springs and move them to the front and replace the rears with a set of factory NRC4304 police spec springs. This combo will keep it soft and give a 1.5 inch lift. For a little extra lift (3/4") you can add the front rubber isolators from a Disco II and an extra set of factory rubber isolators on top of the springs in the rear. Add some two inch longer brake lines and shocks, and you can loosen up the flex even more.

You also don't need big tires to run a Classic pretty much anywhere you want to go. Stock works fine, but slightly larger sizes such as 225/75R16 or 215/85R16 work well with the stock springs.

David

[Douglas S.]

Bilsteins. I have absolutely no complaints.

[AxeAngel]

Another option is the Terrafirma All Terrain shocks, which are their lower line ones. I put a set of these on my last Disco and they are much softer than the OME's I had before. I think I'll try a set of these on my Classic next and see how they compare to stock.

As someone who has used Terrafirma/Bilstein/OME. I would recommend Bilstein and OME not terrafirma. Their springs are fine but go with a shock from elsewhere.

-Sam

[JackW]

I ran Bilsteins on my classic with some custom made 1" lift springs and 245/75R16 tires - rode well but I did break the top mount of both rear Bilsteins one at a time. That usually happened after a long stretch of rocky trail where the shocks got overheated. They were replaced under warranty and I'm still running Bilsteins on my D-90 and my Series truck.

The ultimate shock is the Koni Raid but they are pretty pricey

[Colin Hughes]

I can't say the RRC drives better without sway bars. I've had both and the one with the sway bars was a much better and safer drive.

[oryxexpeditions]

As someone who has used Terrafirma/Bilstein/OME. I would recommend Bilstein and OME not terrafirma. Their springs are fine but go with a shock from elsewhere.

-Sam

I was just recommending the Terrafirmas for their relative softness compared to OME's I've had. I haven't run them long enough to comment on durability, just ride, which I think is nice. I have never run Bilsteins. No doubt they are better quality than the Terrafirmas, but they also cost twice as much. . .