Everyone has been hearing about people running the newer Dobinsons IMS and MRA (formerly MRR) Monotube shocks, but not many people know what’s inside them and how they’re assembled. Mike from Exit Offroad flew over to Rockhampton in Australia to talk to the guys at Dobinsons to see their factory and get some education, and also share the experience with you!! We look at the components of the shocks, how to disassemble them and what precautions to take, and how to reassemble them.
Warning: Your existing Dobinsons warranty is void if you open the shocks up yourself!! This is not the intention of sharing this information.
Now this isn’t for the everyday guy to just do at home. There are specialty tools required, and to do a setup like this at home for just a one time shock rebuild or repair would be pretty costly compared to getting a pro to do it, but we’re going to show you what it takes anyway. As you can see from the video, the custom designed press clamps the shock into place to hold the body steady, and then another ram can push or pull down on the shock rod to raise or lower it to the body. Most of the other parts are just hand tools. We did not going into shock re-valving as most people SHOULD not be attempting this themselves, and there would be no reason to change the valving unless you’re a professional, and if you’re already a pro, you probably wouldn’t be watching this video!! This video is for demonstration purposes to help curious minds understand what goes into these shocks so that you can see better where your money goes when buying a set.
We love to read your comments, so please post any questions and comments down below!!
To see all Dobinsons IMS shocks and struts, here they are:
To see all Dobinsons MRA shocks and struts, here they are:
We hope you’ve found this information useful and informative, and that it gives you a better understanding of the Dobinsons Monotube shock and strut options for 4×4’s.
why dont you guys make a 3" lift rear (non reservoir) shocks for a 2023 nissan frontier?
Hi Mike, any advise for the routine (interval inspection) inspection or checking Gas Pressure & Refilling? or when should shocks rebuild for the IMS model? thank you so much
Are you able to add the remote reservoirs to the ims shocks at a later date?
looks rushed and sloppy(and I know, this is just a demo shock). Would have been much better advertising if it was super clean and precise.
Why do some shock absorbers have a internal bump stop while others don’t for the same vehicle?
I've heard that you have to ship them to Dobinsons for rebuilds. Any truth to that?
How long is the break in period for the IMS? I lifted my truck 3" and it went up 5" I dont know why! I set the front at 226mm with a 302 2.5" coil!
I recently put a set of Monotube Dobinson shock absorbers on the rear of the 1996 80 series (1HZ diesel), but they're definitely under damped when fully loaded (2740kg on the weighbridge). So I'm hoping I can get them revalved to get more damping (probably a more rebound and compression). I'm in Sydney Australia – is this something that I could get done here or would I need to remove them and send them up the Dobinson guys in Rockhampton?
I have a 2021 toyota sequoia and my dealer says I dont need to change the upper UCA or a diff drop. I bought a IMS kit. Is this true because I worry if I take it on the trails something goes horribly wrong or in long run it prematurely breaks something.
Helo
Super awesome info! Good to see how it all works and goes together. Thanks Mike and Ben so much! 🤙
If wanting to have our shocks rebuilt, when the time comes, what would be the best avenue to go down to get this done?
Also, is the IMS (what I have) still considered an emulsion shock? Wild question here, but would it ever be possible to install a functional external resi to it to make it more robust and similar to an MRR setup?
All very great information .
I Just ordered the dobinsons MRA kit for my Ranger. ABSOLUTE QUALITY 👍
Also waiting for the dobinsons billet UCA to be released for the px3 ranger its a work of art.