This is my first post, if I offend someone with my naivety then much sorries...

I bought my first Discovery about a year ago and have fallen for it hard. Has about 100k on the clock for a 2004. Truck seems good... but I just started going through it more extensively. I'm going for a restore, with a few hidden mods wherever i see fit. I'm doing the entire front suspension right now, new drive shaft, ball joints (fun), steering linkages but i started pulling stuff off and the more I pulled off the more I found i wanted to replace... so, here I am. Most everything is getting replaced or upgraded in the front end but I hit a roadblock with shocks.

I bought some fresh OE replacement springs (lesjofor). I don't want to do anything too off-road-ish to my truck to ruin my ride... and if I lift the truck it's never coming out of my garage (there's a clearance issue that I'd like to avoid)...In any case I like it the way it is, so I'd like to keep it as close to stock as possible, but I hear the stock shocks are garbage. I ordered some Koni's on a great deal, but my order was cancelled because apparently they don't actually make them anymore. Ordered some OE replacement Bils... they weren't the right shocks. I'd do OME, but again, don't want to do the lift... I know the lift is mostly a spring thing, but I sorta think the ride will just always be harder than I want it If the shocks are always pre-compressed. I've looked at everything out there at this point. Sachs? TF? Bils 4500s? I know I'm overthinking it so at this point I will literally do whatever you guys tell me. I'm tired of looking at shocks...

Thanks in advance

 

I've slapped on a set of Terrafirmas about a month ago to replace some very worn stock shocks. They've survived a 1700mi. roadtrip to Canada and back, along with the usual driving. I have no complaints. Ride is not harsh, though that probably has more to do with the original springs I have. For straight up replacements they're fine, especially at their price point.

 

Seconding the TerraFirmas. I didn't realise how terrible my original shocks were at 170k miles until I replaced them. Ride is comfortable and stable now.

 

I have the OME Sport Shocks on stock Springs, and love them.

 

 

 

I have a 3" HD Terrafirma lift with no extra weight and the ride is better than it was stock. The only complaints I get from the lift is how difficult it is to get in and out of the back seat, but nobody has said anything about a harsh ride.

You could do a medium duty lift and that would probably ride even better, although I don't see the ride getting much better. TF shocks do a good job at keeping everything under control. I have roughly 24000km (~15k mi) and they're still doing great

 

Billsteins on stock springs is how I rode before I needed new springs. No complaints from me on that choice.

One thing nobody has mentioned, your ride quality is just as much dependent on tire pressure as it is on shock/spring choice. One time my shop aired all my tires up to 40psi because thats what he likes... WAY firmer ride quality.

 

I just installed KYBs all the way 'round and am very pleased with them. Also used KYBs on my Jetta a few years back and was still happy with them after 20K miles....mike

 

OME Nitrochargers provide a good ride on the stock springs and they make a "soft and a firm" model for the rear. I put the soft model on the rear and I think they are the way to go, but the ride wasn't that much different than my OEM shocks that were still on my 01 when I changed the shocks at 60k miles.