Hello all,
I figured I'd save some of you trouble and enlighten you with my experience having my '92 RRC's BOGE self-leveling unit 'reconditioned' at W.W. Shock Absorbers (Brisbane, Australia).
Quick backstory:
A few weeks ago, I decided to have my repair shop perform the arduous task of replacing all—28-year-old—suspension bushings/ball joints with OEM parts. When they pulled the self-leveling unit out to replace the fulcrum bracket bushings/ball joints, I figured it'd be the perfect time to send it off and get rebuilt so I needn't worry about it for another ~28 years...
So, I recently took a leap of faith and sent my RRC's BOGE self-leveling unit to W.W. Shock Absorbers to get rebuilt... I figured with so many people recommending them on various forums (and charging less than 'ZF Tradition' in Germany), I'd go for it... I sent it out via USPS, and a week later it had arrived at W.W. Shock Absorbers. I received an email 2 days later stating it had been
"reconditioned' and ready to be paid for and picked up...". I wasn't provided with any details on how weak the unit was, which parts were worn, any fluid leaks—nada... So I paid them and arranged for DHL to pick the package up from their facility. Upon receipt, I unboxed and inspected the unit, then proceeded to take it to my repair shop for the reinstallation. Upon completion of everything, I picked the vehicle up and found that the ride height was higher in the rear and a ton stiffer. The bushings made a world of difference in ride quality everywhere else, but the rear end was bucking like a bronco over bumps and very firm—something that made me really upset, given how gracefully our vehicles glide over bumps.
I reached out to W.W. Shock Absorbers and asked whether or not the unit needed time to 'settle', to which they replied:
"...the unit is gas-filled and needs zero time to settle and will sit higher and be stiffer than before...". I frantically replied and asked if they'd removed the internal components within the unit and simply charged it with gas (as it's filled with fluid, seals, valves, chambers, etc.) to which I didn't receive a response... I repeatedly specified that I'd need to know if it was gutted of its internal components as I had intended to send it to 'ZF Tradition' to get rebuilt to its original specifications, and no response was received. Finally, I had politely noted that I hadn't expected to be reimbursed as it was my mistake for not asking enough questions and to please provide details of the work done to my unit, to which they replied:
"The unit is completely disassembled and all wearing components are replaced".
Unless you intend to have your complex, wonderfully-supple BOGE self-leveling unit turned into a simple gas-filled shock absorber, PLEASE DO NOT send it to W.W. Shock Absorbers... Now, I have to decide whether to take a risk and send my 'reconditioned' unit to 'ZF Tradition' (unknowing if they can rebuild it, with internal parts potentially missing) or plunge ~$2500 for a Kingsley Cars unit...
Until I decide what to do, 320lbs worth of salt in the cargo area helps level the suspension and soften the ride quality:
Sadly, after W.W. Shock Absorbers' 'reconditioning', the self-leveling unit no longer self-levels...