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4x4 suspension upgrades in Colac

Old Man Emu and ARB 4x4 suspension, fitted and set up in Colac for utes, wagons and touring rigs that tow, carry weight and spend time on gravel. If your 4WD sits low in the back with the van hooked up, floats over dips on the Otway roads, or crashes through corrugations, the springs and shock absorbers are being asked to do more than the factory setup was chosen for.

OME suspension work at Callahan Vehicle Maintenance starts with how the vehicle is used and loaded on an ordinary week, not with a kit off the shelf. Get that right and the 4WD sits level, steers predictably loaded, and still rides well when it is empty during the week.

When a 4WD needs more than factory suspension

Factory springs and shocks are chosen for an unladen vehicle on sealed roads. Add a canopy, a long-range tank, a drawer system, a week's tools or a van on the towball, and the same parts are carrying weight nobody specified them for.

It is worth booking an assessment if you notice:
  • The back sitting low with a load or a van hooked up
  • Bouncing or floating over dips at country road speeds
  • Steering that feels vague and slow to settle after a corner
  • Sway through the rear when towing or passing trucks
  • Shock absorbers leaking oil, or knocking on corrugations
  • Tyres wearing on the inner or outer edge
  • Bump stops making contact on rough tracks
  • Headlights aiming high once the vehicle is loaded
None of these mean a lift kit by default. Sometimes it is a set of tired shock absorbers, sometimes it is springs rated for the weight the vehicle now carries every day, and sometimes the load is simply sitting in the wrong place.

Old Man Emu and ARB suspension, matched to the vehicle

Old Man Emu, usually shortened to OME, is ARB's 4x4 suspension range: springs, shock absorbers, bushes, steering dampers and the fitting hardware that goes with them, built for specific makes and models rather than as a universal fit. The value is in the matching. Spring rate and shock valving are chosen together for the weight a vehicle carries, which is why two identical utes can need different setups.

An ARB 4x4 suspension upgrade at the Colac workshop usually covers:
  • A talk through how the 4WD is used, loaded and towed
  • Measuring how the vehicle sits now, front and rear
  • Spring rates chosen for the weight it carries permanently
  • Shock absorbers matched to those springs
  • New bushes, mounts and fitting hardware where needed
  • Fitting in the workshop with the vehicle on the hoist
  • A wheel alignment check once the new suspension has settled
  • A road test, loaded where that is practical, before it goes back
Fitting the parts is the straightforward half. The judgement is in the choice, and that comes from what the vehicle does during the week rather than from the badge on the bonnet.

Towing, touring and the roads around here

Most 4x4 suspension work out of Colac is not for rock crawling. It is for utes and wagons that tow a van down to Lorne or Apollo Bay over summer, run gravel through the Otways, carry gear for work all week, then head away on the weekend with the camper on.

Corrugations, gravel, potholes and steady weight wear suspension faster than sealed-road commuting does. Shock absorbers fade as they heat up on a long dirt run, springs sag under a load they were not chosen for, and bushes take a beating. Towball weight matters more than most people expect, because it sits on the rear springs the entire time the van is connected.
A setup for a ute that tows most weekends is not the setup for a wagon loaded twice a year, so it is worth being honest about which one you are.

Lift height, engineering and roadworthy condition

Victoria limits how far a 4WD's ride height can be raised before the modification needs certification, and the rules treat a suspension lift and larger tyres as separate parts of the total. How much suspension travel is retained, whether the kit is a commercially available one made and tested for that make and model, and what happens to electronic stability control all come into it.

Bernard is a Licensed Vehicle Tester, so where a proposed build sits against roadworthy requirements is part of the conversation before parts are ordered rather than a surprise afterwards. If a setup would need engineering approval, you will hear that first, with the current rules checked for your vehicle rather than quoted from memory.
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How 4x4 suspension work fits with the rest of the vehicle

Raising a 4WD or fitting load-carrying springs changes more than ride height. Steering geometry, brake balance, driveline angles and tyre wear all move with it, which is why the rest of the vehicle gets a look at the same time.

Everyday repair work, knocking, vibration and wheel alignment problems are covered on the steering and suspension page. A heavier, taller 4WD asks more of its brakes, and a modified vehicle still has to meet the standards checked on a roadworthy certificate. If the weight on the towball is a van rather than a load of gear, the caravan servicing page covers the other end of the tow.

Book your 4WD in for a suspension assessment

Tell us what the vehicle carries, what it tows and where it goes, and Bernard can work through what it needs. Call the office on 03 5234 1600, or Bernard on mobile 0419 871 591, or book online.

The workshop is at 44 Hugh Murray Drive, Colac, open Monday to Friday, 7:30am to 5:00pm. Work and fleet 4WDs are welcome, and so is a vehicle you have just bought and are not sure about.

Common questions about 4x4 suspension

Plenty of 4WDs that feel poor under load do not need a lift at all. Where the complaint is sagging, bouncing or sway with weight on board, springs rated for that weight and shock absorbers matched to them usually deal with it. A lift is a separate decision, normally made for tyre clearance, and it brings the Victorian modification rules into the conversation.

OME is a matched package rather than a single part. The spring rate is chosen for the weight the vehicle carries and the shock absorbers are valved to suit those springs. That pairing is what keeps a loaded 4WD controlled without making it harsh when it is empty.

Yes, and towball weight is the first thing to measure. It sits on the rear springs the whole time the van is connected, so it changes how the vehicle should be sprung far more than the occasional load in the tray does.

A modified 4WD still has to meet Victorian standards to pass a roadworthy inspection, and ride height is only one part of that. Bernard is a Licensed Vehicle Tester, so the workshop can tell you where a proposed setup sits before the parts go on rather than after.

Changing ride height changes the angles the wheels sit at, so alignment should be checked once the new suspension has settled. Leaving it usually shows up as uneven tyre wear or a steering wheel that no longer sits straight.

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What Our Customers Say

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Super friendly, great service ~ both customer service and vehicle service! Highly recommend!
  
 
  
 
 
 
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Brendan from Callahan Vehicle Maintenance. went over and above customer service.  Brendan was extremely helpful on one of the hottest days of the year. Help with tow, repair of vehicle in a very timely manner for a very reasonable cost. Would definitely use and recommend them. Thank you Brendan and your team!
  
 
  
 
 
 
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 Adrian Whitehead 
 
 
 
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Thanks Bern for checking out my car.
  
 
  
 
 
 
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Great service
  
 
  
 
 
 
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 Steve Ricardo 
 
 
 
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During my travels to Warrnambool, my beautiful truck had a mechanical failure in Colac. The owner was nice enough to let me bring the truck in, on the spot without prior notice and got me back on the road in good time, nice people to deal with and a great help indeed.
  
 
  
 
 
 
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Very good service and helpful
  
 
  
 
 
 
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Great service

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