Change for Monroe

[Bundu]

"You're safe in the arms of Armstrong!" It's a brand of shock-absorbers that's been around in South Africa for more than 40 years but now owner Tenneco is shutting it down – so whose arms will you be in now?

"Armstrong is at the end of its life cycle," Tenneco's South African product manager Philip Lutz said during an explanatory presentation that was part of a media function at Gerotek, west of Pretoria.

You'll now be cuddled by products from sister brand Monroe, for the past eight or nine years regarded as a premium brand from the Tenneco stable.

"It will no longer be a case of premium and expensive," Lutz added
. "Prices will be either on par or slightly less expensive that competing brands and the Monroe shocks will come with a five-year warranty – the only one in the business – and superior technology.

"Monroe is the best product in the world. The brand uses the best gas technology with the latest research and development and that makes a big difference. We also use South African-sourced components."

Eight main products will be available through fitting specialists, starting with oil-filled twin-tubes (Monroe Original) and Original Gas. The latter, Lutz says, will be the most popular seller – it's been developed for late-model and new cars and bakkies "and for African conditions" and is intended to compensate for older suspensions with four pre-mounting settings to suit the buyer.

If a setting change is required then the shocks can be removed, reset and replaced. From there, on ascending grades and prices, come:
• Monroe Reflex: A grade for modern cars and all the latest imports that is fast-reacting and allows less drift than standard shocks.
• Monroe Magnum: heavy-duty items for trucks and buses.
• Gas Magnum: Designed for bakkies and 4x4's, though (Lutz says) still affordable yet more advanced than competing brands.
• Monroe Adventure: A high-pressure monotube for 4x4's and SUV's; Lutz suggests owners discuss their requirements before fitting to avoid over or under-equipping their vehicle for the terrain and tasks it might have to cover and perform.
• Monroe Rancho: This is getting into serious 4x4 territory and Lutz describes it as "a premium shock-absorber for 4x4 enthusiasts". It's a tri-wall equipped with nine-way, on-the-fly adjustment from the cab and can be matched with a wide range of shackles, bushings and sump plates for heavy off-road travel.

Monroe dealers will also be able to supply from an extensive catalogue of shock mounting-kits and underbody protection kits.

'Key element'

"Monroe is internationally recognised," parent Tenneco says, "as a technological leader in suspension - one only has to look at the launch of the continuous electronic suspension system, the Kinetic suspension system and the Reflex shock-absorber to see that Tenneco's research and development expertise and international experience has given Monroe its reputation for premium shock-absorbers."

Lutz added: "A key element of our strategy is to provide an entry-level Monroe shock to replace the Armstrong product so the new Monroe Gas range will include a price-competitive, but advanced technology, entry line and cover the full spectrum up to the premier range of the Reflex, Adventure and CES lines.

"Our coverage will include most locally available vehicles. We have been able to do this by using international Monroe designs and technology, importing many of the specialised components but still manufacturing locally using economies of scale and local components where possible to reduce costs."

Perhaps the "safe in the arms of…" should be replaced by a more modern slogan. How about "rock on!".

[castos]

WOW!! Great to see a company going all the way. Will be checking the press to see what the prices will be like.

[Jeepster]

Only time will tell how competitive the prices is going to be...

[OFFROAD ADDICT]

ABOUT 4 MONTHS ago i purchased two munroe adventure for the front at R650 each at super quick i think that was pretty reasonable compared to OME and the like i must admit i cant see or feel much difference between them and the gabriels but i got something yellow in the front

[castos]

ABOUT 4 MONTHS ago i purchased two munroe adventure for the front at R650 each at super quick i think that was pretty reasonable compared to OME and the like i must admit i cant see or feel much difference between them and the gabriels but i got something yellow in the front

They are R360 at Midas. I'm thinking of getting them allround. Will wait now and see what happens

[OFFROAD ADDICT]

hi Reynard yes that was R650 for two front ones do you know if they are gas filled or oil filled i am a bit doff on those things

[castos]

Gas filled. R360 for the front and R390 for the rear. The Gabriel Kubu's are the same price.

[3RZ]

I had Monroe Gas Magnums on my previous Hilux and was very happy with their performance, I cannot say that the TJM''s on my current Hilux is worth the difference in price. The ride may just be a tad softer with the TJM's. Just remember that the Gas Magnums are high pressure gas shocks whereas the TJM's (and the Old Man Emu's if I can remember correctly) are low pressure gas shocks. You can compress a TJM by hand, the Monroe is a totally different story, once you remove the wires that keeps it compressed you battle to get it compressed again.

[Miems]

Any serious objections against the gas magnums. I've been quoted R1850 fitted for the front and R1450 at the back?

[Jouko]

I might be totally wrong but were Armstrong made fully in SA? From above I cannot figure out if Monroe is imported or made in SA.


I have used both above plus Gabriels. All of them work 100% better than those where blokes take one or two rear shocks off from a bakkie or where the shocks are so worn out that wheels are more in air than on road.


I really hope that there is still local production.

[Cobus80]

I had Gas Magnums on my Triton. They were much better than the OEM shocks!