You Don't Need $5k in Suspension & Shocks to Overland or Off-Road

We’re here to tell you not to spend all that money with us just to get off-road.

Stage 14 Extreme Clearance kit with bypass adjustable shocks aren’t needed to make that summit, or putt-putt around those fire roads.

Granted, there are certainly lots of trails that would require above average clearance on a 4x4 vehicle. But that’s not what most drivers are after, they’re after a little more capability for their rigs, to handle increased loads (camping, sports, adventure gear) on dirty, rocky, but not too-aggressive terrain.

One of the trends we’re seeing is the advent of Overlanding, glorified on social media with pristine vehicles and sometimes more equipment than brains or miles (experience). This is the offroading version of keeping up with the Joneses. Did you know a simple Bilstein 5100 leveling strut and rear shocks can get you over the hurdle of most trails we’ve been on in the Sierra Nevadas of California? We ran a Tacoma through plenty of Moab rock crawling trails on a simple leveling kit, and that’s when we didn’t even know what we were doing!

A leveling strut (Bilstein 5100) or entry level performance coilover (Fox 2.0) are enough to gain +1 tire size, and the damping ability to handle some increased loads of gear loadout. These performance shocks are usually significant upgrades to stock dampers, allowing more road feedback, less vehicle-body roll, and overall more control and traction for your rig.

Old Man Emu shocks were designed for the outback of Australia, and purpose built for true overland rigs. There's nothing fancy about these tried-and-true twin tube shocks, except their extreme durability and protection from trail debris, and proven longevity.

Traction is the name of this game, your shocks need to keep your tires planted to the pavement or dirt going around turns and washboard trails. The faster you go, the more capable your shocks need to be. If you dont have a badass suspension system, just slow it down and you'll get to the same place the guys in the race-suspension setups do, hopefully they'll have dinner ready when you get there.

Overlanding-Ready Shock Options

Your best bet when deciding on a new suspension would be to beat up the current shocks on the trails you love, and then come to us with what you want out of a new setup, what kind of terrain you’re seeing, and the kind of gear you may be hauling around off-road.