[Sethster2]

Gentlemen, after much searching, even "Googleing" Terrafirma shocks, I have not been able find any information beyond their sales information. Has anyone any experience with these shocks?

I picked them up at British Pacific yesterday to replace my factory installed Bodges with 153K miles on them, so I'm sure they will be an improvement. At $75.00 each they are priced between $55.00 for the Bodge replacements, and Old Man Emu's at $95.00, and far less than the $150 for the Bilstein 5150s which I’d really like (I think.) The chap at BritPac, said they were new to them, but they liked the quality of the part, but had no actual experience with them. So I volunteered to give'm a try. Before installing them I wanted to know if anyone had any experience with them. As far as I can tell they have a larger shaft than the OMEs, but don’t have the warrantee. They also look to be possibly not the highest quality of construction. So would they last is my next question? I have found them in use on a few Discos and Defenders but none on the P38s. Please advise.
For some back round, I drive my Rover 600 miles a week mostly on California highways, and on the occasional weekend go offroading in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. So The Factory replacements would be fine I'm sure, but I was looking for something in between stock, the OMEs and the Bilstein 5150s. I have the Arnott Gen IIIs on my ride which were a great improvement. But lacking the funds at the moment, I can't justify the 5150s (which I’d prefer on the weekends I’m sure, but may not Monday to Friday) and the height sensor extensions to do it all properly.
Before I commit to these your input would be great. Thanks Seth.

 

[BreezeWaveFun]

Its a bit off topic but since your a new poster, Where in California are you located and/or regularly driving through? There are a couple members on here from Cal, one at least has Bilstines. It would be great if a few cars with different brands of shocks could get together one day and drive over the same stretch of road and get some good comparisons. I'm getting to the point of looking at shocks myself, but its hard to know what "soft" or "firm" people are reporting means when there isn't the same starting point. Just an idea.

 

[Rich998a]

AS a distributor of Terrafirma, what I have been able to find out about them is that they are very close to OME. In fact, I suspect (reading between the Allmakes4x4 lines), that is exactly what they are with a different paintjob.

 

[hammerma]

Did you call AB directly? didnt see them on their web site.
Am also looking for new shocks and dampner.

 

[vinniman]

SS2.

Since you're residing in Cal., check out http://www.doetsch-shocks.com which offer their Series 8000 Pre-runners @ much better value.
These twin tube progressive rated shocks are ideal for the P38's, an ideal match for airbag suspension systems of your beast !

They come standard with an additional 2 inches of travel, so are a perfect match for the EAS equipped trucks or on raised coils.
I think 'Kmag' mentioned in an earlier thread that he was the first P38 Rangie to fit these a while back and is very happy so far ?

Cheerio,


Vinniman
'88 Highline
Perth, W.A.

 

[Rich998a]

The Terrafirma codes are TF125 and TF126 and they are listed as the Adventurer Twin Tube and they are specifically for the p38 with EAS. I retail them at £37 each + VAT if that is any help.

 

[LIRA]

Hi Rich, would the Terrafirmas give a softer ride than Koni heavy Track shocks do you know, these Konis I've had fitted are a bit harsh

 

[Rich998a]

Having not actually used them, I can't say. I have used Koni Heavy Trac and they were too harsh.

From what I have been told though, if you are going to use gas dampers, only use smaller units, such as the de-carbon or monroe ones.

What I would say is, Allmakes (Terrafirma/Lightforce etc) have put a lot of time and effort into making a quality unit which is also pocket friendly. They actually have tried to offer suspension kits of Defender and Discovery specifically for the vehicle se-up and weight. So you can buy a standard duty kit for a standard Defender, a meduim kit for a lightly armored Defender, or a full blown heavy duty one for a Defender with extra fuel, roof rack, winch etc... To my knowledge, none of the other LR parts suppliers have done this development before.

I've actually been tempted to try a set to see how they ride, and when I was talking to another local LR workshop owner about trying it, he confirmed the Old Man Emu link.

I know you are using HD coils. Are you using standard bushes Lira?

 

[LIRA]

Yes Rich standard rubber bushes, I've had the front ones replaced for the mot recently, I think the harsh nature of the shocks have destroyed the front bushes, the rears will need doing shortly.
I've got a few things to fix first likle a leaky steering box, got a second hand replacement off a low mileage Rangie then a few ball joints on the O/S. Come the spring (no pun intended) I look at replacing these shocks, I think they're more suited to a fully laden vehicle or one doing a lot of towing which mine does neither, I concede that the HD coils will contribute to a firmer ride too but I'll go with the shocks first and see how it goes.

 

[rfsimoes]

The Terrafirma codes are TF125 and TF126 and they are listed as the Adventurer Twin Tube and they are specifically for the p38 with EAS. I retail them at £37 each + VAT if that is any help.

Are there any measurements of these shocks?
This shocks along with Arnott GENIII air spring that have the extra 2", are a good combination, meaning, are this shocks 2" longer than stock ones? If so, what about the lower position? Does it have to be raised too? Higher bump stops? How long?
This upgrade if very badly documented, I hope I can contribute for a better explanation to us all.

 

[customrv]

Hi all,

I don't have the part numbers but from their site I got some lengths:
Model Extend Compr Travel
Adventure 110, 90, disco1 23.43 14.17 9.25
All Terrain 110, 90, disco1 23.62 14.57 9.06
Adventure Disco II 23.23 14.37 8.86
Adventure Disco II 23.23 14.17 9.06
Pro Sport +2"110, 90, disco1 25.59 15.55 10.04
Pro Sport +2"110, 90, disco1 24.80 15.35 9.45
Extreme LT +5"Omni 27.95 16.93 11.02
Remonte Res 110, 90, disco1 23.62 14.57 9.06
Remonte Res 110, 90, disco1 23.43 14.76 8.66

I could not find a set specifically fro the P38 off their web page.

What I have found is a OME set that will fit GEN III bags correctly.
I want to use the std length bump stop but make full use of the GEN III added length.

I removed my bags from the vehilce and had it sit down on the (very tatty torn) bumpstops and then measured the shocks:
Front - Center of eye to shoulder of pin - 375mm
Rear - Center of eye to shoulder of pin - 317mm

I started with these as my collapsed measures.

In front you can add 8.5" travel based on GEN III specs, but when the vehicle is on the bump stops the GEN III's are below the minimum length specified.
On bumpstop mount-mount = 150mm. Min specified is 158mm. So +- 10mm of the shock travel on compressed is strictly not permitted. So you need 8.5" (216mm) + 10mm = 226mm travel. So my extended length must be 365(giving some safety margen) + 226 = 591mm

OME N175 = 363mm - 603mm and specified for a Defender 110 rear. This gives a little more safety on the bottom and 12mm more than spec on the top.

For the rear the shock is at an angle of aprox 30deg. this reduces the travel requirement of the shock vs actual axle travel. Starting from a measured 317mm compressed going to 10"(254mm) axle travel through the 30deg angle requires 200mm of shock travel. In this angled installation the force on the shock is amplified and to match the damping of the front needs to be slightly higher. Even more so if you are loading the vehicle for touring.

OME N79 = 307mm - 507mm and specified for a Land Cruiser II rear. This gives some safety at the bottom end and 10mm short at the top, but due to the angle it will mean restricting aprox 15mm of axle travel. If you have seen the angle of the GEN III bags at full extension, see here: viewtopic.php?f=3&t=34519 I am happy to restrict this by 15mm! :shock:

For me these are 99.9% perfect fit for a P38 with Arnott GEN III bags without having to replacing the bumpstops with longer ones and thereby limiting your wheel travel. Most of these +2" lift shocks require that you fit extended bump stops to stop them from damaging the shock on full articulation onto the OE bumpstop. Forgot to mention that you will have to custom make some bushes for the top eye mounts or just use some spacers on the sides of the supplied bushes.

These are my findings from measuring my vehicle shocks, a 2000 P38 4.6 V8 Vogue. I am also building it to be an offroad tourer therefore requiring some extra damping which the OME's are specified to be. This could make them a tad harsh when not loaded.

Hope this helps some people with GEN III's `)

Cheers,
CRV.

 

[vinniman]

Well done CRV.

I think "DB" in the prior post had the right solution, simply taken to an expert crowd to match the correct length dampers to the vehicle specific Arnott GIII's dude !

There are a whole heap of other issues with the P38's running increased height range airbags all-round, including the axle location changes with panhard rods and what normally happens with shock failure is constant performance at both extremes, which is why the "bump stops" are so important as stated by manufacturers ?

Each owner has to drive their Rangie in various places around the globe & our dampers will perform better in different areas, which is why OME's comes from Oz.

Cheerio,


Vinniman
'88 Highline
Perth, W.A.

 

[customrv]

There are a whole heap of other issues with the P38's running increased height range airbags all-round, including the axle location changes with panhard rods and what normally happens with shock failure is constant performance at both extremes, which is why the "bump stops" are so important as stated by manufacturers ?
Vinniman
'88 Highline
Perth, W.A.

Exactly why I want to stick with std heights all round for normal driving and only have access to the 3" more when in abnormal terrain. Hence the shocks that can compress to the same length as OE but can extend to make use of the extra GEN III movement.
Currently I have 265/75/16's on my P38 and I can still use the same OE hiway setting and even access height without turning.
My vehicle is close to 2900kg when packed and 70% of the surfaces traveled are corrugated/rutted gravel and sand.
The OME's are perfect for my build

CRV

 

[david despain]

Hi all,

I don't have the part numbers but from their site I got some lengths:
Model Extend Compr Travel
Adventure 110, 90, disco1 23.43 14.17 9.25
All Terrain 110, 90, disco1 23.62 14.57 9.06
Adventure Disco II 23.23 14.37 8.86
Adventure Disco II 23.23 14.17 9.06
Pro Sport +2"110, 90, disco1 25.59 15.55 10.04
Pro Sport +2"110, 90, disco1 24.80 15.35 9.45
Extreme LT +5"Omni 27.95 16.93 11.02
Remonte Res 110, 90, disco1 23.62 14.57 9.06
Remonte Res 110, 90, disco1 23.43 14.76 8.66

I could not find a set specifically fro the P38 off their web page.

What I have found is a OME set that will fit GEN III bags correctly.
I want to use the std length bump stop but make full use of the GEN III added length.

I removed my bags from the vehilce and had it sit down on the (very tatty torn) bumpstops and then measured the shocks:
Front - Center of eye to shoulder of pin - 375mm
Rear - Center of eye to shoulder of pin - 317mm

I started with these as my collapsed measures.

In front you can add 8.5" travel based on GEN III specs, but when the vehicle is on the bump stops the GEN III's are below the minimum length specified.
On bumpstop mount-mount = 150mm. Min specified is 158mm. So +- 10mm of the shock travel on compressed is strictly not permitted. So you need 8.5" (216mm) + 10mm = 226mm travel. So my extended length must be 365(giving some safety margen) + 226 = 591mm

OME N175 = 363mm - 603mm and specified for a Defender 110 rear. This gives a little more safety on the bottom and 12mm more than spec on the top.

For the rear the shock is at an angle of aprox 30deg. this reduces the travel requirement of the shock vs actual axle travel. Starting from a measured 317mm compressed going to 10"(254mm) axle travel through the 30deg angle requires 200mm of shock travel. In this angled installation the force on the shock is amplified and to match the damping of the front needs to be slightly higher. Even more so if you are loading the vehicle for touring.

OME N79 = 307mm - 507mm and specified for a Land Cruiser II rear. This gives some safety at the bottom end and 10mm short at the top, but due to the angle it will mean restricting aprox 15mm of axle travel. If you have seen the angle of the GEN III bags at full extension, see here: http://www.rangerovers.net/forum/viewto ... =3&t=34519 I am happy to restrict this by 15mm! :shock:

For me these are 99.9% perfect fit for a P38 with Arnott GEN III bags without having to replacing the bumpstops with longer ones and thereby limiting your wheel travel. Most of these +2" lift shocks require that you fit extended bump stops to stop them from damaging the shock on full articulation onto the OE bumpstop. Forgot to mention that you will have to custom make some bushes for the top eye mounts or just use some spacers on the sides of the supplied bushes.

These are my findings from measuring my vehicle shocks, a 2000 P38 4.6 V8 Vogue. I am also building it to be an offroad tourer therefore requiring some extra damping which the OME's are specified to be. This could make them a tad harsh when not loaded.

Hope this helps some people with GEN III's `)

Cheers,
CRV.

i am using toyota FZJ 80 rear shocks on the front of my P38 (Old Man Emu N74E compressed length 14.6 in extended length 24.4 in). i would not recomend this. see here: http://expeditionportal.com/forum/showt ... hp?t=24127
and here:

 

[nickm347]

Does anyone have any personal experience with these yet? I am considering going with the longer Adventure shocks:

http://www.rover-renovations.com/Terraf ... lash-6.htm

It says they are slightly longer than OEM. Anyone know how much longer? Or was that all in the above info that I missed?

 

[Rich998a]

Most of their springs are about 1.5inches longer than standard so I would say probably 2 inches extra travel. They do also offer extended dampers though. Not got their catalogue in front of me at the moment... :doh:

 

[Scotty]

I put Terrafirma Shocks on all four corners of my Rangi about 6 months ago. Which were also purchased at British Pacific. I also put Heavy Duty Coil springs on my Rangi (OME) 751 in the rear and 759 in the front I just added some Good Year tires 265x75xR16's TA's the tires were provided to me by Jeremy who is a great guy thank you Jeremy!!
Here's the point, I have had this rig for two years now at this point in time my Rangi, rides better then it has since I have owned it! I don't want to argue the point of springs or air suspension I really like both, for me the springs were the best choice at this time. Just to put the question to rest I went through all the EAS issues out there and with the help of shupac (Dennis) I was able to repair and have an excellent working EAS system when I pulled it out! With this combination of springs and shocks, when I hook up my boat 2050 Bayliner the back of my Rangi drops about a 1/2 inch and it rides great!

I do have several complete sets of EAS stuff available on my website.

 

[NikeCheck246]

so much for the coils being a secret Scotty...

and they are Wrangler TD's :thumb:

and you promised me pictures...

 

[LIRA]

I put Terrafirma Shocks on all four corners of my Rangi about 6 months ago. Which were also purchased at British Pacific. I also put Heavy Duty Coil springs on my Rangi (OME) 751 in the rear and 759 in the front I just added some Good Year tires 265x75xR16's TA's the tires were provided to me by Jeremy who is a great guy thank you Jeremy!!
Here's the point, I have had this rig for two years now at this point in time my Rangi, rides better then it has since I have owned it! I don't want to argue the point of springs or air suspension I really like both, for me the springs were the best choice at this time. Just to put the question to rest I went through all the EAS issues out there and with the help of shupac (Dennis) I was able to repair and have an excellent working EAS system when I pulled it out! With this combination of springs and shocks, when I hook up my boat 2050 Bayliner the back of my Rangi drops about a 1/2 inch and it rides great!

I do have several complete sets of EAS stuff available on my website.

Cheers for that Scotty, that's what I've been waiting to hear. I've currently got Koni Heavy Trac shocks with HD coils and the shocks are way too firm, they keep destroying the bottom shock bushes in fact. I'll be going for Terrafirmas all round in a couple of weeks and it'll need new tyres too before the depths of winter set in, I'm thinking about 265/70 or 75 Grabber AT2's for a bit more sidewall and clearance under the diffs.

I'll give Rich a call in a couple of weeks for the shocks

 

[leftlanetruckin]

and you promised me pictures...

You and me both mate..... :lol:

Martin