Old Man Emu 4×4 Suspension

These components include but are not limited to:

• Bushes
• Greasable shackles
• Anti-inversion plates
• U-bolts
• Centre pins
• Spring packers
• Caster correction kits
• Steering stablisers
• Trim packers
• Gearbox packers
• Sway bars
• Sway bar links
• Control arms
• Adjustable drag links
• Fitting kits
• Stone guards

ARB designs and engineers Old Man Emu (OME) suspension components in house and sources from reputable manufacturers that meet our stringent quality control requirements both in Australia and internationally. ARB’s premium internal bypass shock absorbers, the BP-51, are manufactured entirely by ARB in our Thailand plant.

Shock absorbers come in all shapes, sizes and designs – from the outside it’s hard to know what’s what!

Whilst mono-tube shocks are common in aftermarket 4WD suspension, by design they offer less travel for a given external length and can be more prone to failure if impacted by rocks and debris off road; a dent to the single tube can damage the internal components.

Old Man Emu Nitrocharger Sport is a twin tube design with the outer reserve tube providing protection to the internal components off road. Utilising the latest advances in shock absorber technology, Nitrocharger Sport is the most finely tuned 4×4 shock absorber on the market.

Old Man Emu’s Ride Control Engineers spent countless hours in design and testing to ensure Nitrocharger Sport valving is precisely matched to an OME spring selection that is right for the accessories fitted to your vehicle, as well as your load requirements.

Testing is carried out both in the field with sophisticated data logging equipment, as well as inside the OME laboratory using shock dynamometers to ensure durability under all conditions. With Nitrocharger Sport’s vehicle specific valving technology, owners will experience improvements in both ride control and comfort whether it be on or off road.

WHAT IS COMPRESSION AND REBOUND DAMPING?

Damping refers to the slowing of the shock absorber’s oscillation. This is controlled by a series of valves that slow the movement of the hydraulic fluid through the piston. Valving controls the movement of the pistons both during compression and rebound strokes.

WHAT EFFECT WILL THESE ADJUSTMENTS HAVE ON A VEHICLE?

Adjusting the compression valving has an effect on how comfortable or firm the suspension is when the suspension of the vehicle compresses. Too firm and the vehicle will feel every bump and ripple in the road surface as the shock tries to prevent the spring from freely compressing. Too soft and the ride will become more comfortable, however, more body roll can be felt when tackling corners and the vehicle may nose dive during braking, resulting in less control. The suspension may also easily bottom out on the bump stops.

Adjusting rebound valving effects the rate at which the shock allows the spring to return back to ride height once it has been compressed. Higher rate springs are used to maintain correct ride height when either accessories or greater constant loads are added to the vehicle. When these springs are compressed with greater load, the energy stored within the spring is also greater and requires extra damping control as it rebounds. Not enough rebound control may cause the shock absorber to top out, causing internal damage to the shock or allow the suspension to bounce numerous times after hitting an obstacle, resulting in less control of the vehicle.

• Draw tapered and diamond cut leaves ensure the load is progressively distributed over a larger surface area, reducing the high stresses that develop at leaf ends, increasing ride comfort and longevity
• Leaf clamps are bolted to allow installation of anti squeak nylon liners
• Fully scragged to ensure the spring takes a permanent ‘set’ which reduces the risk of sagging
• Load testing ensures the spring meets the required specification
• Military wrap designed to provide added safety
• Re-greasable nylon interleaf anti friction pads reduce friction at the leaf tips where the load is the greatest
• Flat axle seat area allows a positive, safe axle mount reducing spring stress and increasing spring life
• The tension side of all leaves is shot peened to reduce spring stress. This process can double the life of a spring
• Two-stage leaf pack featured on most rear springs for optimum comfort. When unladen, the vehicle is largely riding on the primary stage, with the secondary stage providing additional support when a heavy load is added

• Unique, easy bolt together assembly eliminates out of angle ‘shackle pin to side plate’ problems commonly associated with press fit assemblies
• Each pin has two grease outlet holes to guarantee maximum grease coverage between the shackle pin and the spring bush – increasing bush life and improving ride quality
• Heat treated pins ensure long life under heavy loads and off road conditions
• Side plates are zinc plated for protection against corrosion

• manufactured from state of the art micro-alloyed spring steel for superior strength and durability
• Double scragged before and after shot peening to reduce spring stress and enhance spring life
• Constant and variable rate coils available for multiple applications
• Formed on computer controlled, precision mandrels to ensure manufacturing consistency
• Spring end configurations designed to exact specifications, guaranteeing perfect fitment to your vehicle
• Finished in durable, hard wearing black powder coat
• Designed and manufactured in Australia

• Manufactured from premium grade spring steel with a resilient powder coat to protect against corrosion
• Precision drawn, dropped forged ends for optimal strength and integrity
• Pressure rolled splines for precise fitment and increased spline durability
• Hardened and tempered to exact specifications for improved performance
• Preset and hardened to prevent sagging and increase life cycle

Put simply, your vehicle’s springs hold the vehicle weight and set its ride height, while the shock absorber controls the motion of the spring during compression and rebound; keeping the tyres planted firmly on the road. Both components are designed to work together, so the changing of a spring’s specification should also require the changing of the shock absorber that controls it.

For example:
Increasing the spring rate so that it is capable of carrying more load will require the shock absorber to be valved so that it can handle the increased forces of the rebounding spring whilst also providing controlled compression. Increasing a spring’s length for greater ride height will require lengthening of the shock absorber body and possibly lengthening its range of travel in order to prevent the topping or bottoming of the shock absorber.

Old Man Emu’s Design Engineers have spent countless hours testing and developing spring and shock absorber combinations to best suit a range of accessories and loads that our customers are likely to fit to their vehicles.

Our sales team is trained in selecting the best options based on your individual requirements, however as a starting point the Old Man Emu suspension selector is an easy way to get started. Selections are based on the amount of additional weight added to the vehicle with the front suspension selector including allowances for different bull bar and winch combinations whilst rear selection includes options for constant loads. It is important not to underestimate the loads of both accessories and payload as this can result in choosing the wrong components for your vehicle’s needs.  Email us on support@oldmanemu.co.za for advice.