Old Man Emu MT64 Shocks - How the New 2.8" Shock Stacks Up

Old Man Emu's MT64 (monotube, 64mm piston) is raising the bar on the mid-tier segment of shock absorbers for light trucks and SUVs. The MT64 has a class leading piston at 64mm - all those race shocks use a 60mm piston, and a maintenance free approach to ownership.

The BP51 shock that Old Man Emu released a few years back are only matched by the Dobinsons MRR - rebound adjustment really puts these shocks ahead of the market for the kind of offroading most of us do - rocky trails, geared up for a weekend or a week in the wilderness. The MT64 will now bring that quality of shock and ride comfort to a more affordable level.

These are not BP-51 shocks without reservoirs, and these are not the shocks that we'll see on the Tacoma Trailhunter models. The MT64 is a monotube IFP (internal floating piston) shock, with a 64mm high-flow digressive piston. To put the piston size in perspective, most of the competition is using a 60mm piston in their 2.5 race and performance series shocks. Due to the design and sealing system of the MT64 shock, Old Man Emu is touting very little to no maintenance required on these shocks. That's in stark contrast to the 30-50k mile service interval of the race-shock alternatives of King, Fox, Icon, and others.

The MT64 rounds out OME's shock lineup now, with good / better / best options available for a wide range of applications in the coming years. There's over 20 applications currently in development for release in 2023 and 2024, and we're positive we'll see a lot more being announced in the next 12 months.

Ride Height Adjustment

You cant enter the shock game and expect to compete without offering some sort of leveling ability to your shocks on the front of IFS vehicles. The MT64 will feature 6 positions of height adjustment through a configurable spring seat. Some applications will see up to 2.5" of lift, perhaps even 3" - though that's ill advised on a factory spring in serious offroad situations.

Which are better, the MT64 or BP-51?

If there's no budget in mind, the BP-51 is the ultimate shock package from Old Man Emu. If there's a budget in mind, and you're concerned whether or not you need all the features of the BP51, then the MT64 is probably for you. In order to get the most out of the BP-51, the vehicle would be seeing a lot of dirt, making adjustments to the compression and rebound depending on the vehicle's loadout, and near-future terrain. If you dont want to fuss with settings, or not pushing hard on the trail, then the MT64 is going to be the better option.

What's the ride going to be like? How does the MT64 compare against others?

We have deep experience here, separate from any influence from ARB/OME and other shock manufacturers. We've put many similar products to the test already, along with putting most of the competition through the ringer on our own vehicles here at Shock Surplus. We've tested and ridden in plenty of Bilstein 6100 applications, along with the Icon 2.5 EXP shocks - both of which are 60mm piston IFP shocks with built in height adjustment.

Icon also uses a high flow digressive piston, to address some of the cons of a digressive shock, that being too firm on-road or on the easy trails. Drivers want a bit more comfort and not to feel every bump in the terrain. High flow pistons are more forgiving in this sense, allowing the shock and suspension to move a bit more on the chatter.

Bilstein is the king when it comes to handling, they're unapologetic about it as well - digressive is control, and control is confidence. The 6100 shocks are a great shock in that they've been pretty bulletproof in terms of longevity, very little if any service requirement so far, 100k miles shouldn't be a problem.

Every 2.5 or 2.8 inch IFP shock is going to be superior in every regard to their 2.0 counterpart, particularly in rebound control. While bumpstops help with the hard hits on a 2.0 shock, the 2in piston is incapable of having enough rebound damping in it for the vehicle to maintain composure coming off those harder hits or obstacles - so you get bucking or sloppy behavior.

One big benefit to the MT64 is the hydraulic top-out zone, which reduces harshness when the shock is at full extension. Old Man Emu knows their audience, and understands most drivers are going to max out the lift height on these shocks, so this top-out protection will be crucial to maintain control and shock integrity over the long term.

Old Man Emu MT64 Application Availability 2023:

• Toyota Tacoma 2005-2023
• Toyota 4Runner 2010+
• Toyota FJ Cruiser 2010+
• Toyota Landcruiser 70/78/79
• Toyota Prado 150
• Toyota Hilux 2015+
• Toyota Landcruiser 200 Series
• Toyota Landcrusier 300 Series

Application Availability 2024+

• Toyota Hilux Rogue 2023+
• Ford F150 2021+
• Toyota Tundra 2022+
• Dodge Ram DT 2019+
• Chevrolet Silverado 1500 2019+
• GMC Sierra 1500 2019+
• Jeep Gladiator JT
• Jeep Wrangler JL 2018+
• Nissan Patrol Y62

Which better, Old Man Emu MT64 or Bilstein 6112?

While on the surface these seem like similar options for the popular applications, Bilstein only has the 6112/6100 available for the front of most applications, leaving the rear fitments up to their 5100 or 5160 series shocks. Old Man Emu will be providing front and rear MT64 parts on all applications, giving them an even bigger edge and more damping ability per application.

Old Man Emu states that they're using a high flow digressive piston, while Bilstein doesn't state whether or not they're using a high flow piston or a standard one found in a lot of their shocks. A high-flow digressive piston still provides the exceptional handling that a digressive shock is known for, but gives better small bump compliance (softness) by allow the piston to move a bit more in the extreme low range of shaft speeds (speed bumps, potholes).

With the availability of rear MT64 shocks, this is going to win over most people that are shopping both of these options. On top of having a slightly larger piston, possibly better small bump compliance, and being aluminum bodied rather than Bilstein's steel body, the MT64 shock is a clear winner on tech specs.

Which is better, Old Man Emu MT64 or Dobinsons IMS?

While the Dobinsons IMS shocks come in a 50mm and 60mm piston, the 60mm piston is usually reserved for larger applications. The popular Toyota applications like Tacoma, 4Runner, Land Cruiser are all using the 50mm piston in their shocks.

With the much larger 64mm piston of the Old Man Emu MT64, there's a massive advantage here to damping ability.

The Dobinsons IMS is also known though for its exceptional comfort, where it may win out against the MT64 in the commuter / daily driven comfort arena. Where the MT64 will provide a sportier and sharper feel, the Dobinsons IMS will be quite a bit more forgiving.

Dobinsons is also much much cheaper than the Old Man Emu option, at about 60% the retail price. These two shocks aren't in the same arena in terms of use-case, budget, and overall performance.

Which is better, Old Man Emu MT64 or Dobinsons MRR?

Right off the bat, the Dobinsons MRR is a reservoir shock, with 3 different adjustments available. The MT64 is an internal floating piston shock, no reservoir, no adjustment.

These shocks also differ greatly in price, the Dobinsons MRR come in at about $1200/pair, while the MT64 is closer to $850/pair.

If you're shopping both of these brands, you're likely looking for a mid-tier or high-performance option for your vehicle, and want to graduate to a beefier shock package or suspension in general.

Both of these are going to do a fantastic job of working for you, but the MRR is on another level in terms of versatility to adapt to various equipment and gear loads, as well as allowing fine-tuning for different terrains and speeds. Rebound adjustment on the Dobinsons MRR shocks is a game-changer for comfort, you can really dial in how smooth or sporty you want the vehicle to respond through rebound and compression adjustment. The Old Man Emu MT64 shocks are dialed in from the factory, and there's no adjustments to rebound or compression - but if that's something you want in Old Man Emu then you can splurge for the BP51.

Which is better, Eibach Pro Truck Stage 1 or 2, or Old Man Emu MT64?

The Eibach Pro Truck systems are excellent all-in-one suspension packages that have recently came on the scene in the past few years to challenge Bilstein, Fox, and Old Man Emu in the introductory suspension upgrade arena. We tested the Eibach systems ourselves on 3 different vehicles, check that review out on our blog.

With that said, the 46mm piston of the Eibach system cannot hold a candle to the Old Man Emu MT64, they're vastly different shocks. But even though they're at different ranges of the performance spectrum, we'd argue that a lot of people would be better off in the less expensive Eibach system, than splurging for the MT64 shocks that could be overkill for their use case.

Which is better, Fox / King / Icon 2.5 shocks, or Old Man Emu MT64?

The big race guys have their standard 2.5 shocks, dampened by a 60mm piston, and can be fitted with reservoirs, adjustments, and sometimes internal bypass. These dampers are geared for high performance, high speed offroad use, and typically lean into rigs that see a lot of dirt and need the performance. The MT64 shocks are geared more middle of the road, and generalized use-cases of daily driven rigs that need some added performance on the weekends.

Price differences vary greatly as well with the race-shock brands like Fox, King, and Icon. When you start getting into the 2.5 race-shock options, those typically start around $1200 for a pair of IFP coilovers, or $1500 for a pair of remote reservoir shocks. But again, the MT64 is about $850 retail for an IFP shock.

One big advantage that the MT64 shocks have over the race-shock guys is longevity, and durability. While Fox, King, and Icon all proudly talk about durability of their components, that is within the realm of where those guys compete - on the race course, in the dirt, on high performance vehicles. Durability to them means their shocks wont explode, and a freshly built set of shocks is going to last you a race-season without issue.

When Old Man Emu talks about durability, they mean 100k miles of heavy use in the dirt. If one of their shocks fails in that timeline, they want it back to the factory to inspect and rebuild for the customer.

If you're shopping the MT64 against an offering from the 3 aforementioned brands, really think what you're going to use the vehicle for. While Fox, King, and Icon have gotten a bulk of the recognition in the offroad space the past couple of decades, new entrants like Old Man Emu MT64 and BP51, Dobinsons MRR, and Bilstein 6112 and 8112 have provided stiff competition to the space.