Monroe Gas-Magnum

A ride without sponginess
The Monroe shocks have a soft feel on road. The test vehicle was a 185-series HiLux Surf, with 275/60R17 on road tires, and driving on city streets there was no unpleasant feeling of bumpiness from the road. Joints in the road was absorbed quickly, with no feeling of shocks from the road surface.

The damping force settings are high on the extension stroke, so there is no sponginess or instability in driving. Nor does the rear come up sharply in braking.

On continuous curves on winding roads, the tires were able to prove their full performance. Roll was steady and controlled, with stability in cornering throughout.

Exceptional ability to absorb continuous shocks on uneven ground

First we tested these shocks with a fast run on dirt. They showed an exceptional ability to absorb the shocks on a washboard dirt surface, with the tires maintaining firm ground contact. As you pick up speed the stiffness is more noticeable, but it feels secure enough as to not be unpleasant.

On cornering however the tires tended to lose their secure hold, and there was a strong tendency toward understeer. We tried to cause the car to go into drift using feints and braking, and we were successful. However, the stable body position throughout gave a feeling of easy control.