Put a set of 23 TRD OR take offs on my fathers 2011 prerunner and the best way to describe this set up is a mini budget level, the ride quality is way better than the worn oem pre runner shocks and the front end did gain close to an inch.
I put a set of those on my ‘09 in like 2018 or 2019...Didn’t really change the ride height but ride quality was noticeably better, but that’s probably mostly because of how sacked out my old shocks were.
ended up needing to replace all four shocks (rears are DIY friendly - did it myself). Now that the shocks are all new it rides like a dream.
So I replaced the shocks and top mounts, which fixed it and it's smooth now.
My mother drove her 2010 Corolla for 11 years and 320,000 km with no breakdowns and only (frankly spotty and frequently late) basic maintenance before passing it off to my brother, who still drives it every day it with 350k kms (edit: 220k miles). The shocks probably need replacement at some point in the nearer term but those are wear items and the car spent most of its life on terrible Saskatchewan roads, so I can’t really blame it for that.
2008 LC Prado - 185k mileage. Regular PMS only. front lower arms, and tire rods were change for the first time last year since it was new, rides like brand new again. Shocks were already replaced with OME.
Other than stock, the only "ride" I have personally experienced with specific shocks was on a Jeep with Old Man Emu installed. The quality was great, compared to the OEM's, and I had occasion to ride in that Jeep when it had both, at one time or another. Ride was greatly improved with OME.
Try to test the suspension the shock absorbers tend to wear out after the years so you could start to hit the bumper on traffic humps.
It has Old Man Emu Shock absorbers on it already (no idea which or hold old as they came with the car)
Took a Limited double cab for a test drive yesterday (just a base Limited—no TRD). I’m glad I did because after that drive it eliminated any thought of getting one so that’s another off the list. I couldn’t get back to the dealership fast enough—it was so severely under-shocked that I was almost puking by the time I got it back. I can’t believe they would ever let a truck go for sale with that kind of rebounding, and I’m talking normal city streets—you’d be off the road in five minutes on a washboard gravel road. Maybe the off-road would be better with the Bilstein shocks, but holy cow this was bad. Interior was cheap plastic everywhere, hated the big drive-in theatre screen. The only thing I liked was the seat adjustment. Popped the hood—what a joke the hood latch is...who the hell designed this stuff? I could have folded that long tin lever with my pinky! Engine performance was OK, laggy and the transmission programming needs work. Anyway...if you’re considering one definitely wait a year until they get things sorted but wow...I was shocked...literally...
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If choosing shock absorbers across many manufacturers, check the part ranking. If your choice is down to two brands, the PartReview part comparisons help.
We compare shock absorbers across these categories:
In March 2026 on PartReview, shock absorbers OEM Toyota were overall better than OLD MAN EMU.
In March 2026 on PartReview, shock absorbers OEM Toyota were overall more popular than OLD MAN EMU.
By vote balance, shock absorbers OEM Toyota surpassed OLD MAN EMU:
By number of reviews, shock absorbers OEM Toyota surpassed OLD MAN EMU:
In March 2026, according to PartReview, shock absorbers OEM Toyota led more car-specific ratings than OLD MAN EMU:
OEM Toyota are chosen by owners of cars such as: Toyota Hilux, and others.
Shock absorbers OLD MAN EMU have not yet taken leading positions in car-specific ratings. You can help by adding a review and specifying your car.
If this comparison didn’t fully answer your question, there are many others on PartReview.
For example, comparisons of shock absorbers OLD MAN EMU with: Bilstein, KONI, KYB, Monroe, Sachs, Rancho, Dobinsons, FOX, GABRIEL, OEM Volkswagen.
Also available: comparisons of shock absorbers OEM Toyota with: Bilstein, KONI, KYB, Monroe, Sachs, Rancho, Dobinsons, FOX, GABRIEL, OEM Volkswagen.
You can also see who is better among other shock absorbers manufacturers: Bilstein or KONI, Bilstein or KYB, Bilstein or Monroe, Bilstein or Sachs, Bilstein or Rancho.
