Kings or Dobi?

$300 Aus isn't bad... The problem with eBay is the NZ-Aus$ exchange rate isn't ideal, and if you go over $400 then the Gov. wants 15% on top for GST upon entry. And then there's shipping...

I'm seriously tempted to go with the $385NZ Dobis with a 2yr warranty and free freight, as there are no Kings in the country until next year. If one snaps it's not the end of the world as we don't have anything like the outback in NZ, you're never more than 100km from a garage unless you're on the West Coast somewhere.

On another note, my steel wheels are currently at the tyre shop! Will be going to pick them up shortly! Excited for my D697s. Great price, $600NZ for 4 brand new, fitted and balanced! I'm glad my wheels have worked out this well anyway. :monkeydance:
 
I've kings in mine, they top out a lot. but then again i drove a foz with dobis and they were so stiff i doubt the shockers could actually do anything.
 
idw said:
I've kings in mine, they top out a lot. but then again i drove a foz with dobis and they were so stiff i doubt the shockers could actually do anything.
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So you reckon std height springs could be better? Trouble is I want the lift.
 
I've raised kings and i wouldn't take them out for anything now, the load benefits outweigh the cons imo. just the ride is noticeably worse, while to settle in, then its not so bad but my fronts still top out which isn't good for the valves in the struts.

If i get the time next month I'm going to see how it handles with raised springs and a 1" lift block in the rear and 2" block in the front with the standard springs.

https://www.gorillaoffroadcompany.com/product-detail.cfm/prd_key/52 <-- though of spacers at all? Most guys on here with raised springs have 1" blocks which seem to work well on the sg. in the tests i did with spacers in mine they do tend to compress suspension travel a little with the sway bars connected, which might make the differences to stop the struts topping out.

Just got to remember raised springs reduce your suspensions travel.
 
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Problem here is any kind of block is illegal off the bat. I reckon raised in the rear/std in front could be the goer.

And my current suspension has 209km on it. It's fine with just me, but put ANY weight in the back and it starts floating. I noticed this today coming home with my tyres, was fine with just me on the way to Mosgiel but coming back it was floaty/bouncy. Those steels + AT weigh 25kg apiece (on the bathroom scales, weighed them when I got home, the alloys + roadies in same 215/65r16 size weigh 18.5kg each) so I had only 100kg in the back...

TLDR: Basically I need new suspension so may as well lift it legally.
 
thats why i ended up with my setup, i had 4 busted struts when i bought the car at 150,000k. As for the spacers they are technically illegal here in aus to my no one seems to care
 
^ Methinks that you are talking at cross purposes, Id. It seems that KF is talking about strut top blocks, not wheel spacers. The latter should be illegal everywhere, IMNSHO.
 
Yes I am talking about strut top blocks/spacers. In NZ these count as a 'body lift' and require certification. I've done the crawling on offroadexpress.kiwi and have heard of people fitting strut top spacers to Hiluxs etc getting caught up at WOF time (yearly fitness check).

I'm tempted by Dobi for the stiffer rears over Kings, but the 250lb rate for the front seems excessive and would limit wheel travel. I reckon raised kings in front and raised Dobis in rear would suit my needs best. Would look funny though, green + yellow.

I really want to get it lifted by christmas but it doesn't look like a going thing now, what with my trip to Aus and all.
 
Yea in Victoria in Australia we don't need to have the car checked each year, which is a good and bad thing. And ratbag, when i was talking to vicroads in September, coil spacers and strut top spacers are illegal modifications, but ime the gorilla and subtle ones are pretty difficult to notice. but our laws are pretty stupid at the best of times for modifications.
 
kiwifoz said:
Would look funny though, green + yellow.
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They're Aussie colours! :lol::monkeydance:

Ratbag said:
not wheel spacers. The latter should be illegal everywhere, IMNSHO.
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I disagree. Bolt through spacers & non-hubcentric spacers should be illegal. Bolt on hubcentric spacers are fine!

idw said:
when i was talking to vicroads in September, coil spacers and strut top spacers are illegal modifications
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First I've heard of that :(
 
NachaLuva said:
They're Aussie colours! :lol::monkeydance:



I disagree. Bolt through spacers & non-hubcentric spacers should be illegal. Bolt on hubcentric spacers are fine!



First I've heard of that :(
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Actually that's true. In that case, no way am I mixing it up...

Agree with you on the spacers.

There are currently no raised front Kings in NZ until January, so I'm now thinking standard on the front (don't want to ruin the struts by topping them out, whichI've heard the raised Kings can do) and raised on the rear to make it even with a load on. My front struts are still fine so I'll just get 2 new KYBs at the back.

I could probably get away with a strut block in the rear, especially with a black plastic one to match the engine crossmember spacer from the factory. In the front, I was thinking of getting the strut top covers off an early air suspension Legacy to cover the blocks, but decided against this as it's still easy to see them from the wheel well.
 
rear raised springs + spacers will need camber bolts to get the rear wheels to wear evenly. just the raised rear springs you might get away with having the tyre changed from rim to rim left/right like i have to get them to wear a little longer.
 
NachaLuva said:
I disagree. Bolt through spacers & non-hubcentric spacers should be illegal. Bolt on hubcentric spacers are fine!
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The VSBs make it absolutely clear that all wheel spacers are illegal on all passenger vehicles. Regardless of what Autobarn etc might say ...

The reasoning is probably to do with the fact that it shifts the thrust plane of the wheel and rim to a different position in relation to the wheel bearings and therefore the stub axle. These are fundamental design parameters involved with all sorts of safety and handling characteristics of any car.

[EDIT]

This can be seen here:
https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/r...Tyres_Suspension_Steering_V2_1Jan_2011 v3.pdf

at section 4.2.2

[end edit]
 
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I think NL is referring to the fact that the safety of hubcentric spacers is fine compared to other styles, not their legality.
In reality, the use of hubcentric spacers has the same effect as fitting wheels of a wider offset.

Have you ever considered a lift RB?
 
I should clarify that bolt on hubcentric spacers are completely safe & should be legal. Non-hubcentric spacers & bolt through spacers are both dangerous.

My front struts have been topping out now for 46,000kms still going strong :iconwink:
 
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NachaLuva said:
I should clarify that bolt on hubcentric spacers are completely safe & should be legal. Non-hubcentric spacers & bolt through spacers are both dangerous.

My front struts have been topping out now for 46,000kms still going strong :iconwink:
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Right, okay then. I feel like after 209,000km I should be replacing the front struts but they don't seem to need it. The rears are bad.
Although in saying that, would a dying strut make a weird graunching noise when going over bumps? My front right seems to have that noise intermittently.
 
kiwifoz said:
I think NL is referring to the fact that the safety of hubcentric spacers is fine compared to other styles, not their legality.
In reality, the use of hubcentric spacers has the same effect as fitting wheels of a wider offset.
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Not at all. They move the centre of force applied by the wheel/rim in relation to the wheel bearings, stub axle and other suspension components. That's almost certainly why they are banned (unless fitted as standard equipment by the OEM ... )

Have you ever considered a lift RB?
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Yes. 1" strut top blocks at the back. The suspension height would still be within factory tolerances.
 
Ratbag said:
Yes. 1" strut top blocks at the back. The suspension height would still be within factory tolerances.
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Yes, it's such a pity that that type are banned here. Otherwise I'd do it in a heartbeat. In having said that, the other day I saw a red SG parked by the side of the road with a suspiciously high rear end and no coloured springs... If I see them again I'll put a note under their wiper with this website. although they've probably found it anyway.
 
^ It's pretty hard to detect a 1" strut top lift without pulling a few bits off the car. No policeman is ever going to do that.

Chances are, a 1" lift will still be within the OEM spec, which allows plus/minus about 20 mm from 'spec'. Mine is around 10 mm under the middle ground spec at the rear. Fitting 25 mm blocks there would leave it just under the maximum OEM measurement.

BTW, it is my understanding that strut top lifts are perfectly legal here under the VSBs (Vehicle Safety Bulletins - VSB14 deals with what is and is not allowed as regards modifications to vehicles to which the ADRs apply). There are strict limits, however. Plus 50 mm lift from all modifications combined (including tyres - themselves subject to strict limits) is the total lift allowed.
 
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