Shock absorbers have a hard life especially on Australian roads. Whilst dampening suspension spring movement to keep the road wheels on the ground they must also provide a comfortable ride for the passengers and good handling for the driver. Manufacturers try to provide the best of both worlds but as we all know, everyone has a different opinion on how they think their car should handle.
Shock absorbers come in many shapes and sizes, different bump and rebound settings as well as price ranges so choosing the correct one for your customer can be challenging. In some instances, cheaper aftermarket parts can be of questionable quality and limited life expectancy that can lead to other vehicle problems such as tyre wear. Then there are those that will lighten your hip pocket!
Ultima Shock absorbers are a direct OEM replacement product that have been developed and tested for Australian conditions for over 13 years so we jumped at the chance to test a set out.
Here at the Northern Sydney Institute our Stage 3 students carried out an experiment between the Original equipment and Ultima shock absorbers. Firstly the students took our Subaru Forester for a drive around a set out track on campus before installing a set of front and rear Ultima shock absorbers and heading back around on the same track which they thoroughly enjoyed.
The Ultima Shock absorbers when ordered by VIN number and were an exact match. When bleeding the shock absorbers you could tell they are a quality product and the test drive confirmed this.
Whilst the original equipment shock absorbers provided a comfortable ride it was agreed the Ultima shock absorbers were firmer, had less rebound over speed humps and provided better handling when cornering. Both the students and I were impressed with the results demonstrating you can improve the handling of a vehicle without spending huge amounts of money on suspension upgrades. After upgrading our Subaru Forester I can’t wait to test a set of Ultima 4 X 4 shock absorbers off road and away from the urban jungle.
Tester – Adam Watkins TAFE NSW