Well they're installed and they're sweet.  Now that we've dispensed with
the first impression...

Subject 1991 Syncro Westy 47,442 miles.

Ken had arranged to get me a set of four Old Man Emu shocks at a good
price, and asked me to post my impression on the list... so if you have no
interest I apologize for wasting yer time.

The rear shocks are in fact by Old Man Emu in Australia and come from down
under.  The front set appear to made by Monroe to meet OME
specifications.  The front's casing is stamped "Made in Belgium by
Monroe".  Boy are these babies well traveled.

I believe they are oil filled, nitrogen charged.  I was told that the
nitrogen is primarily an anti foaming agent and is employed because it
makes smaller bubbles than other gases.  This sounded like a yarn to me and
shows you how little I know, because I repeated it.   (All I know is I like
Guinness and it's nitrogen charged too. Plus it is the ultimate Westy
camping beverage since it can be enjoyed equally whether your Dometic
fridge is working or not i.e warm or cold.) I digress.

First thing I noticed is less bounce in the front end when go over rises;
followed by less dive when stopping.  These are seemingly made for the
Vanagon's weight.   At first I was expecting the stiffness to produce a
much harsher ride, but that hasn't been the case.  The bumps aren't any
more jarring than they were before, but the ride sure feels more stable.

I haven't had the chance to ply these to an off-road trip, but there is a
pretty good indicator on my route to work.  Adobe's drive-way in Seattle,
better known as the "ramp of death" cuts across a busy two-way street and a
bike path at an uncontrolled intersection on a one-lane street under the 99
bridge.  Needless to say, hesitation equals death.  Plus, once over the
sidewalk on the other side of the street, the drive drops onto a 25 degree
slope leading down to our campus in the Fremont Waterfront area of
Seattle.  I can now make this maneuver at a reasonable speed and only
bounce up once, as before I was nearly at the limit of my suspension and
bounce two or three times.

I know, this is no reason to go out and get these shock; but they do work
nicely and aren't over the top in cost relative to other "syncro-only" parts.

I have no idea how long they will last.  I must admit that I had no idea
how bad my the original shocks were until I installed these.

Let me know if you have any questions.

Robyn