GenV gravel suspension? So confusing....

[Cunneen]

Righto,

G'day all and hope everyone is having a merry christmas
First time posting on here been searching hear and all over the internet for answers and it seems the more I read the more conflicting it becomes so hoping someone on here has some experience with daily driving and gravel roads and hopefully share the right advice.

I'm driving 2013 liberty GT sedan. I clock up about 600ks on average per week and about 60 % of that is on fast gravel roads with the occasional bit of air time.
The roads can get quite rough for some of the year.

I used to drive a 4x4 but love driving the liberty it goes well, is comfortable and fun to drive not to mention cuts about half an hour of my trip time each way . I've gone down a wheel size to a 17" and fitted some 215, 70, 17 A/T'S it has made a huge improvement already but want to look at upgrading the suspension. It rides pretty good but dosent handle the hard bumps and feels like im going to break somethig.

So I was going to get some gravel coilovers because I was thinking they will handle the hard stuff but I'm reading that they are no good for daily driving to harsh/bouncy without rally tyres.
I also read they will probably only last about 60k kms due to the dirt?

So what should I get?
Would I be better of with a good set of struts?

[bigBADbenny]

I'd find 10+ likeminded GenV owners and get Shockworks or MCA on the case.
Shockworks are brilliant on rough roads bc of the digressive dampers.
As these cars age, and the shocks start wearing out there will be a compelling case for development.

Depending on your budget, you could kickstart the process.
Any decent local mfg will be able to accomodate modding existing product for your platform.
It's usually down to stuff like matching the shock stroke, damping range, spring weight, and then finding what top and bottom mounts are compatible. If I bought a GenV and found the suspension lacking it's the very first thing I'd get sorted as when it's done it makes the car so much more capable and enjoyable.


Failing that, consider getting the stock shocks or eg Bilsteins etc dampers revalved/upgraded by eg hart brothers, fulcrum, quadrant or iirc Heasmans: make sure you ask for gravel spec valving. Sport valving might be too harsh.

[Cunneen]

As far as budget is concerned I probably wouldnt want to spend more than 2 grand if I did it would have to last a long time and be awesome so I think getting some coilovers built is probably out of the question.

I am fairly happy with the current ride its only when I hit something hard like a bit of a pot hole it will bottom out to easily.
I wonder if getting some progresive rate springs would be better?
And maybe bigger bump stops too.

Also I have been looking at the current suspension are these still a coilover ? They are essentially a coil over a shock so what makes these so different the other coilovers that are available . Maybe it will help me better understand what I need to do.

[bigBADbenny]

The advantage with Shockworks is heavy duty hardware, a massive damper body, relatively soft springs, proprietary digressive damper technology, custom valving and maximum useable suspension travel.
The damper technology negates the need for uprated swaybars, and the system has great longevity and reliability, plus local service and warranty support when and if ever required.
MCA has a similar strategy afaik.

[Adrian2627]

Murray Coote, Murry Coote Automotive(MCA) is the man behind many of Australia's top rally cars and their suspensions. He'd certainly be able to sort you out but 2 grand would be a starting point. Not that he's expensive he just does things the right way and you're starting with a platform that wasn't intended for gravel roads. If you were starting with an Outback it might be a little easier but the GT Liberty has very limited shock travel to start with so it's going to take some doing to maintain suspension balance. It can be done but just not "on the cheap".

[Cunneen]

Thanks Adrian, yeah sounds like I'll probably have to get in touch with him or someone like that.

I don't really get how travel would effect shock balance? I'd assume the travel even if limited would be similar all round as the springs would effect the weight distribution and balance.

Are more setups available for the outback? I would think they would fit pretty easily in a lib of the same generation?

[Adrian2627]

Not shock balance but the balance of the whole suspension system. To maintain traction and control on gravel surfaces you need soft springs to allow the suspension to react quickly to the constant changes in the surface. Rally cars for example run fairly soft springs on long travel shocks with
sofIsticated damping systems. The problem with the Legacy is you don't have a lot of stroke to play with so running soft springs means you'll be crashing through the travel before the damping can control the movement. There are ways to deal with it but it's not something that the standard Bilsteins are set up for.

[Gyro Gearloose]

It seems that my Gen4 GT has woefully short suspension travel, always hitting the bump stops on the country roads I live on .
I guess Bilsteins are better dampening and that may be the direction I go with some slightly higher rated springs, but King dont have any standard height springs for the Gen4 (lowering my car would not be suitable here)

I could go coilovers but they all seem to have ridiculously high spring rates

[HardwareBoB]

It seems that my Gen4 GT has woefully short suspension travel, always hitting the bump stops on the country roads I live on .
I guess Bilsteins are better dampening and that may be the direction I go with some slightly higher rated springs, but King dont have any standard height springs for the Gen4 (lowering my car would not be suitable here)

I could go coilovers but they all seem to have ridiculously high spring rates

Call MCA - they can do what you need. Australian company, good support - http://mcasuspension.com/

[bigBADbenny]

Guys, a digressive damper as found on Shockworks, KW, probably MCA etc makes the best use of any short travel platform, and can do so with relatively soft springs (7f 7r Shockworks) and using the OEM swaybars (once again, Shockworks).
I asked and any softer with spring rates and the shocks loose the ability to prevent excessive body roll.
Overall it's setup for maximum compliance, travel and grip.

Basically the damping increases with compression reducing or eliminating harsh bottom outs and excessive body roll in corners.
It just works: on a track, the street & freeway and on dirt gravel etc.
It's a small price to pay for a world class solution IMHO.
It's a preconception buster

The worse the roads the better the effect, I'm wanting a set of gravel rims n tyres it's so good.
I'm even contemplating a Vic - NT trip

[Manaz]

I'm even contemplating a Vic - NT trip

There are surprisingly few gravel roads on that trip unless you specifically go looking for them - I think I did maybe 10km on gravel (on a detour) when I did Syd-Mel-Ade-Alice in 1999, and they've only increased the number of tarred roads since then.

[pyrox41]

Just drive out to Big River rd, lots of gravel Or go to Albania, their roads are literally not even kidding about 75% pothole 25% tar. Not fun in the village van/taxi haha