BP-51 Old Man Emu Shocks – 4 Years On: Are BP-51s Worth It?
When we upgraded our suspension setup in our 76 Series Land Cruiser four years ago (as we needed a GVM upgrade, that’s the only reason), the BP-51 Old Man Emu shocks were the clear frontrunner. Everyone we spoke to raved about them. “They’re the best,” “absolutely amazing,” “you won’t regret it.” But what stood out was that no one said anything negative about them, so either the BP-51 shocks are the best shocks ever made or there’s something else going on here. So hey, I’ve got an idea, let’s spend silly amounts of money and see if this is all true!
When I asked how often they adjusted them, the answer was almost always: never. That surprised me. These shocks are fully adjustable, and that’s one of their biggest selling points. I figured I’d be tweaking them all the time to suit different terrain and loads. In reality? I adjust them occasionally, when it really matters. Desert crossings, thick sand, towing, or when the ride feels off. That’s about it. And if I’m being honest, I don’t think most people adjust them at all. Maybe I’m wrong, but that’s been my experience.
What Makes BP-51 Shocks Special?
The BP-51s are bypass shock absorbers designed and manufactured by ARB under the Old Man Emu brand. They’re built for “serious off-road” use (ARB language not mine) and engineered to deliver comfort and control across a wide range of conditions.
Here’s a breakdown of the BP-51 tech specs (source ARB.com.au).
Construction & Materials
- Body: The shock body is made from aircraft-grade 6061 T6 aluminium, which is lightweight, corrosion-resistant, and dissipates heat better than steel. This helps reduce fade during long, rough drives.
- Internal Bypass Design: Unlike conventional monotube or twin-tube shocks, BP-51s use an internal bypass system that allows oil to flow through multiple channels. This creates a progressive damping effect, so the shocks are soft on small bumps but firm up on big hits.
- Remote Reservoirs: Each shock includes a remote reservoir, which increases oil volume and improves cooling. This is crucial for maintaining performance over long distances and in extreme heat.
- Adjustable Damping: The main feature of these shocks, independent adjustment of compression and rebound damping. You can fine-tune how the shock responds to both the initial impact and the return movement.
Technical Specs at a Glance
- Type: Internal bypass monotube with remote reservoir.
- Material: 6061 T6 anodised aluminium.
- Adjustability: External dials for compression and rebound on the main shock.
- Fitment: Vehicle-specific tuning for optimal performance.
- Purpose: Designed for touring, towing, and serious off-road use.
What does the BP-51 stand for? Bypass shock absorber with a 51mm diameter bore.
How the Adjustability Works
Each BP-51 shock has two dials:
- Compression: Controls how quickly the shock compresses when hitting a bump. More compression equals a firmer ride. Useful when towing or carrying heavy loads.
- Rebound: Controls how quickly the shock returns to its original position. More rebound equals a slower return, which helps keep the wheels planted and reduces bounce.
Adjustments are made using a supplied tool, but if you don’t do it regularly, the dials can get stiff. We’ve had to use a strap wrench to hold one side of the shock while adjusting the other, otherwise the whole shock rotates, which is not great as it impacts the remote reservoir line when twisting and can loosen the securing nut. I would recommend a strap wrench over anything else as the rubber strap will never damage the shock. You can pick up a strap wrench from Bunnings for around $15.
- Adjusting Front BP-51 Shocks
- Adjusting Rear BP-51 Shocks
- Using Strap Wrench Makes the Adjustment Easier
- Strap Wrench & OME Adjustment Tool
Other brands adjust their shocks quite differently with an adjusting knob or dial usually found on the end of the remote reservoir. I do not have personal experience with these, but they do seem easier when adjusting by simply turning a small dial. But someone with more experience adjusting these style shocks can always add a comment below if they have found this not to be the case.
Real-World Use: Examples
Simpson Desert
Where the BP-51s really shine is in variable terrain. In the Simpson Desert, with all the ups and downs of dune driving, we play around with the rebound settings in the front to keep the ride smooth and predictable. Too little rebound and you bounce off the tops; too much and the suspension feels rough. We have also played around with rear compression setting as well and found that this can also help with improving drivability and comfort. It’s a balancing act, and having the ability to dial it in makes a big difference.
Towing
When towing, we increase compression on the rear (stiffen the rear shocks) to handle the extra weight and adjust rebound up front to keep steering sharp. It’s not something we do every trip, but when we’re loaded up, it’s worth the effort. You definitely notice the difference if you make the adjustment mid trip, especially when hitting those dips in the road at some speed.
Gravel Roads – A Noticeable Improvement
One of the biggest surprises came when driving gravel roads, especially around corners where corrugations tend to build up from people braking late. With our previous Fulcrum shocks, the vehicle would lose traction and feel unsettled as we approached these corners. But with the BP-51s, set to a fairly soft rebound and compression in the front, the difference was immediate and dramatic.
Traction improved significantly, and the vehicle stayed planted through the rough sections. I could take corners at a much faster speed than before (not that I do, for safety reasons), but the confidence and control were there. I wasn’t expecting such a big improvement, but it was noticeable straight away. It’s one of those upgrades that you don’t fully appreciate until you’re in the moment and realise how much better things feel.
Rear Shock Adjustments – A Bit of a Mission
Adjusting the rear shocks is a pain. You’ve got to crawl under the car, and depending on your setup, it’s not always easy to reach the dials. It’s one of those jobs you put off until you absolutely must do it. With the issue I highlighted previously about needing to use a strap wrench, this adds to the difficulty of the adjustment. Front shocks are very easy to access, so we tend to tweak those more often.
Comfort vs Cost
Compared to the cheaper Fulcrum shocks we ran before in our 76 Series Land Cruiser, the BP-51s are in a different league. The ride is smoother, more refined, and less fatiguing over long distances. You feel it most on corrugations and uneven tracks, where the cheaper shocks were still fine but just not as good.
But let’s talk about the elephant in the room: price. These shocks are expensive. There’s no sugar-coating it. If you’re comparing the comfort multiplier to the price multiplier, it’s skewed heavily toward price. You’re paying a premium, and while the performance is excellent, it’s a hard pill to swallow unless you’re really using them to their full potential. I am being a bit harsh to ARB here as there are other remote reservoir performance shocks that are even more expensive, but there are still quite a few that are much cheaper. I mean if we spoke about the JMACX Alpha shocks, we would be in a whole other price bracket, so they aren’t the most expensive, but they are definitely far from the cheapest.
Installed with OME Springs & GVM Upgrade
We had the BP-51s fitted alongside OME springs and a post-GVM upgrade. Unfortunately, this was something we had to do, even though most ignore this, we really had to sort out our GVM if we really wanted to have an extremely reliable remote touring rig properly setup. Keep posted for our GVM story which we will link here once it is available.
The installation was done by ARB Maroochydore on the Sunshine Coast who have always been really easy to deal with and extremely helpful.
Of course this was a legal suspension change (the same as before) with a 2-inch (50mm) lift. Front springs rated for a towbar and winch, and rear springs rated to the minimum allowable with the GVM upgrade being 400kgs. We kept our airbag setup which was installed a while ago. There was a noticeable difference in the leaf pack size compared to the Fulcrum springs which were for a slightly smaller load at 350kgs. The ARB OME spring pack is 66mm with 7 leafs and the Fulcrum springs were closer to an 80mm pack with 8 leafs. There was also a noticeable difference in weight due to there being less steel in the ARB OME springs even at a higher load rating. I am assuming this means that ARB has engineered their springs better to achieve this? I am not 100% sure but found this quite interesting.
Final Verdict – Are BP-51s Worth It?
That’s the big question. After four years of use, we’re still happy with the BP-51s. They’ve held up well, delivered consistent performance, and made our travels more comfortable. The adjustability is great when you use it, but it’s not as convenient as it could be, especially on the rear. And while they’re often hyped as the best, I think that reputation comes more from brand loyalty and thinking about how much money I just spent on these damn things.
Would we buy them again? Maybe, a lot has changed since we got these. They’re excellent shocks, no doubt. But the cost is steep, and unless you’re committed to adjusting them and using them in varied conditions, you might not get the full value. With what is readily available now in the 4WD industry, adjustable remote reservoir shocks are part of almost every manufacturer’s product line. So, options are now endless, and there is something available for everyone no matter the budget. Look, we needed a GVM upgrade and ARB has a good post registration upgrade available for the 76 Series Land Cruiser, so we were limited by choice and ARB does have a decent reputation and a massive network across Australia.
If you’re considering BP-51s, ask yourself how often you’ll really adjust them. If the answer is “not much” you might be better off with a simpler setup. But if you’re chasing comfort, control, and flexibility, and you’re willing to get under the car now and then, they are a great shock.
Also, there are simpler options now days when it comes to adjustability. For example, Superior Engineering now have electric adjustable shocks that can be adjusted from within the cab. JMACX also having something similar. These are even more expensive, but it could be an option if you have a massive budget and don’t want to stuff around manually adjusting your shocks.
Our Rating of the BP-51 Shock Absorbers
As a footnote, we paid full retail for our BP-51 suspension setup on our 76 Series Land Cruiser. We did not receive anything to write this, it is our honest opinion on the BP-51s from our own experience. Other people may have different experiences to us, but this is ours. Hopefully you have found this post useful. If you have any questions or comments, please leave them below this post and we will respond.
For more build stories on our 76 Series Land Cruiser, you can find them all here.
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Thanks for reading.
The thoughts of Peter
