I sent Karl a PM which contained some personal information, but as SimonB pointed out, no one else can benefit from a "hidden" message so I decided to edit the original PM and post it here. So in the spirit of learning from each others mistakes - here goes
:
Hi Karl
Just to summarize:
2009 DiD LWB (GLS) which I have had since new
BFG A/T - 265/65 17
KONI Heavy Track Shocks
EFS Springs -
* Front = MIT-100HDE - Up to 65 kg load bearing accessories
* Back = MIT-103E - Constant 100 kg to GVM - Progressive rate
EFS make 2 Springs for the front - a 65kg and a 120kg load bearing, and they make three springs for the back - 100, 300 and 500kg.
As you can see I went for the "softest" springs. The EFS springs compared to the original ones are exactly the same length when placed side by side, but what is obvious is that the EFS is made of thicker steel and they also feel heavier. So, even though the springs are of equal length, because EFS is stiffer and can carry a heavier load, when installed in the Pajero it results in the car standing higher because they don't sag as much under the Pajero's weight. How much lift? Between 30 and 40mm front and back. The lift is definitely noticeable and it looks really good.
I drove the Pajero with this setup for around 1500km, including a trip to Waterval Boven with some gravel roads - I was fully loaded (my wife and two kids, 40L Engel in the back with luggage, and about 40kg on top in the Thule roof box). I must say, the Pajero drove beautifully on this trip, and even though I could feel that the ride was harder, because of the load, the comfort levels were good, on tar and gravel.
However, most of the driving was around Jhb with just me in the car and I must say, i was not happy with the comfort levels. With the Pajero empty the stiffer springs were much more noticeable and the drive was not as comfortable as it used to be. The ride quality was certainly not worse than your average double-cab or Fortuner, but I no longer had that comfort that I have enjoyed in the past two years. It was a difficult choice, but I eventually decided to go back to the originals. So yesterday the EFS springs came out and the original ones went back in. I'm still using the Koni's though. The ride quality is great again!
Having said all of that, at the end of the day, YOU have to decide what's best for your requirements. No one can make that decision for you. Please remember that an "upgrade" might improve your off-road and load carrying ability, but to gain that you have to unfortunately sacrifice something - in this case it will be comfort. I contacted Christo (CATS) and Gerrit Loubser on this forum, and they both had the same reply for me which I gave you; you are going to loose out on comfort.
If you will be doing a lot of off-road stuff and you don't really mind the bumpy ride then the upgrade might be worth it. OME and TJM are your more expensive kits, with EFS and Ironman cheaper. I paid around R4000,00 for the EFS springs. Which ones are the best? Difficult one, and I can't answer that one for you. In my opinion, I think they are all much the same.
The bottom line: the Pajero is a great car in it's standard form and there's nothing wrong with the suspension as it is - you proved it to yourself when you did the 4x4 training recently. As the old saying goes, "If it's not broken, don't fix it".
Chat to as many people as you can before you make a decision so that you can get a good idea what you are letting yourself into. You are also welcome to try my 'old' new EFS springs if you want to.
Good luck with the research.
Cheers
George