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Looks like it’s gonna be a fantastic off-roader, wouldn’t fancy doing much distance in it overlanding though, what speed can you do with those portals?

LMAO @ "great bit of kit for the workshop" - top bantering with the TBT channel. It would be great to see you both do some off roading in your similar builds at some point.

At 33:00 you may have put that washer on the lower shock mount on backwards. I think the curved side faces outward…

On the boots - I can argue both ways. Boots on protect the shaft from rock chips and dirt, and means the main seal doesnt have to work so will last longer. However any muck does get in, in stays in, you cant clean it easily, big water crossing and they can fill up and hold muck and water. Boots off - the main seal will clean the shaft, and you can easily keep it clean as you can see it. Its a 50:50 choice really, I'd probably do boots on, and see if they trap muck or keep muck out after the first 10,000 miles or something when you do a full check after the first big trip and check the rebuild is all working well.

banging on that suspension is like me banging on my front doors to get the top half off! RUSTED ON! I put nice shocks on my vw bus and off roading it I lost a lower mounting bolt with all the vibration. I had to use some thread locker on the bolt threads so it would not fall off again. Great video!

I believe boots off , unless driving on salted roads. Boots are good for dust and salt protection. If you going through water crossing etc moderns boots have drain holes and are not fully sealed, in water crossing the shock fills with water and fine gravel. Modern shocks have dual wiper seals and are clean themselves. With your servicing you can easily clean and lubricant the shafts, with boots this is a challenge. Like chassis, frame rails and panels you want the water, gravel and gunk to drain away. If your going to avoid water then your best with the boots on

Rocks can dent and damage the shaft. Keep em covered.

Do not remove the boots! Sometimes what "looks" good isn't the right way.

Seguo da mesi (da anni il vostro canale) un lavoro veramente strepitoso esempio per tutti gli appassionati di meccanica e auto in genere. Siete una grande coppia (oggi un trio) e un giorno spero vivamente di potervi ospitare a casa mia, in Italia.

Put the bloody boots back on!!!

You and jon could be brothers!!! 😂

Those shock washers are fitted backwards mate. Cup goes away from the rubber to allow the shock to articulate without hitting the eyelet of the shock on the edge of the washers. Those shocks are a good bit of gear but suck to fit. Truck is coming along nicely bud.

nice upgrade to the build keep up the good vid you do on channel

Hi Chris and Ange and Oakley, great vid again. I will say tho' Chris that all that shines is not gold, put the damper boots back on mate they're there for a purpose and anyway you've got the wrong vehicle for "Pimp My Ride" . Have a lovely break guys, missing you already 🤔 probably watch that gendupt mechanic on the other channel 😉

Lets look at your shocks in a different way. So the front wheel kicks up rocks and stones at 80 kph and you think that won't hit the bling on the tube and dint it thus leaking the Gas or foam or oil out ?? Hmmmm

You're apprentice is now starting to walk. Now he can go get the tools for you. 😜😉

Just in case you find some trouble at some border with the Swedish registry plates, the 00 are numbers, not letters. Sweden used XXX123 before, but changed to a letter instead of the last digit to get more possible combinations when we almost ran out of combos.

I'll add my thoughts which replicate many others shock absorbers have a job not bling as do the hoses supporting the the external gas/oil reserves. Keep their boots on and wrap those hoses with coiled flexible wire even more so in harsh off road use. I'd also consider a Teflon spray between the individual spring leaves to protect from binding. Theoretically Teflon sheet between each leaf would be better, but getting the right spec sheet is not easy nor cheap. Id seal the boots with cable ties but do not add grease to the internal space, no matter how the boots are tied the dust will get in the grease just converts it to abrasive paste. Simply keep the external assembly wiped down and clean and inspect everything after aggressive use. Lanolin is a passive lubricant not a frictional heat dispensing one sealing against grit and dust is the important thing in this application

Just an observation, it looked like the shock absorber cupped washers were installed backwards. Cup facing out is the correct way I believe? I’m sure others can confirm, as I am not a professional.

You have a tremendous amount of persistence and patience!

Chris, you will regret not using the rubber boots on the shocks , your seals will not last long in rough terain.

Yes leave boots on . Stops the chrome from scratching and damage

I would have put copper paste on the tips of each individual spring. It's great to see Dobinsons coming on board.

Sorry,I would go for boots on,purely for protection.

Surely the boots on the shocks are there for a purpose to stop road grit etc contaminating the chromium plated pistons

You may change the bracket of the shock absorber with the screw to the inside, so that you can reach it when the wheels mounted

Nice work. It’s a bit bigger than my defender but maybe one day I’ll upgrade to a 6x6

The build is coming along with great speed, great progress, True Blue Travelers volvo Fire truck has 6 leaf springs on each side of the rear, yours only 4, it seems like you could add 1-2 more leaf springs on each side if you need to.

Good to see you using Australian made made shocks down under your truck.pun intended😂❤

The boots work great at keeping crap out but make it hard to see how much shock travel is being used. Do the testing with them off and add them after you see how much travel you have. Add a cable tie to the shaft to see how much travel is being used. The best comfort comes from using all the travel except a tiny bit being used on rough ground. Dirt bike experience.

Hi Ange, I noticed last week, but wasn't sure, this week I paid attention. There were no YT-Ads during the video - not that I like or want them, but I understand it's required for me to continue to be entertained. Just letting you know in case you guys are forgetting something..

What and where will this be used? E6? In Scandinavia, it's not just driving in the countryside...off public roads.

Shock inner shaft with no protection = no bloody way Great way to shorten the life of your shocks Fit the boots! (Ok, if you're building a "mall crawler") (Crome, don't get ya home) (Bling is for mall crawlers, not remote outback tourers) Adjustable shocks are a waste of money for anyone that doesn't understand how to get the most out of them The Dobinson IMS is a better choice for most

Hi guys, leave boots on the shocks and fit cable ties. It helps prevent grit getting on the seals and surface grinding the shock shaft. Also bounce the suspension when the vehicle is on the ground and do a final tightening of all your bolts/nuts, also check all your nuts/bolts to final specs after a week of driving once everything has settled in. Good job on the video. Also, its called a Bogie like a train bogie.

What? No bikini wearing? Terrible Jon impression. 😂

great job on the suspension Chris, those damn pesky bolts that dont want to move . my mate has a solary magnetic induction eater bolt removal tool, and its amazing . he bought it on amazon uk

Morning from Kent, UK. I discovered your channel via TrueBlue Travellers. I think you answered your own question regarding the shock boots. They keep dirt at bay. May look cool but I think function over form. Loving your build so far, even when the Volvo insists on fighting you.

Looks are one thing but the shocky boots are there for a reason. Unless you know a lot more than the manufacturer leave the boots on - and to say you know more would be a brave (read really dumb) call. Others have already said why boots are fitted. Retired mechanic/machinist in Land Down Under.

Leave the boots on! Crawlers don’t travel far unless on a trailer and you don’t have Bowser as a tow vehicle.

True Blue Travellers are just awesome !

One stray rock, and the shock is stuffed. put the protective boot back on.

Hi, can you explain why you want to put batteries and water tanks inside, instead of under the vehicle where there is ample of room and ground clearance? It would help with you with center of gravity which is something you are concerned with.

Keep the weather boots on the shocks, the road grit, road salt used in winter, dust and cow poo all attack the shafts and seals quickly.

Boots on for sure. Boots off is for the 'hangar queen' look. Looks cool but impractical for intended usage.

That chassis looks very warn lol, looks like its made of play doe.

I may be wrong, but I believe you should be using something like graphite powder for lubricating the leaf springs. If any dirt gets caught in the grease/copper anti-seize, it will just turn into a grinding paste unless you can regularly replace it during a service.

Offroad capable vehicles isn't as usefull in Sweden since offroad driving is banned unless in specific cirumstances. Most of which is "You need to do your job and that means driving offroad", like farming, hunting, tree felling or rescue operations. You are however allowed to drive offroad during the winter when there is enough snow to protect the ground from damage.

I'd keep the shock boots on the rear axles, as the front tires will shoot stones at them and stone chips might damage the shock shaft, which in turn can damage the seals in the shock, when being compressed. It's fine to remove the boots from the shocks at the front axle though, as they won't have too many stones flung at them.

Not really into spear fishing

Boots on, will increase life between services and cut down damage.