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Nimbus Vibranium oleo-pneumatic suspensions 20.000 km review
After 20,000 diverse kilometers across Africa, it’s time to share our long-term experience with Nimbus suspensions. Since our 5,000 km review, we’ve traveled from Mozambique to northern Kenya and back to South Africa, encountering everything from smooth tarmac to deep mud and some of the harshest corrugation we’ve faced so far. After a full year of full-time travel on this setup, this review builds on our 5,000 km impressions and focuses on what we’ve learned since.
What are the Nimbus suspensions?
We’ve already covered the unboxing, installation, and first impressions in our earlier reviews, but a short recap of the product and brand is worthwhile. Nimbus suspensions are oleo-pneumatic units, a technology more commonly found in aircraft and heavy industry.
In this setup, oil absorbs road irregularities while pressurized nitrogen (7 bar on our Defender!) acts as a progressive pneumatic spring. Complex engineering, yet simple and reliable for the end user, these shocks are custom-made for each vehicle to ensure a smooth experience. The result is a steady, confidence-inspiring ride on tarmac combined with a soft, floating feel on rough tracks, all without unwanted sway. It dampens the impacts, while making sure you’re always in full control (and no, this is no promo talk, this is truly how we feel Rafiki handles).
Fine-tuning the setup
Our initial impressions after installation in Mozambique were excellent. Rafiki was steady on tarmac, and most rough tracks were comfortably cushioned. The performance exceeded our expectations and was almost perfect.
However, certain types of corrugated roads still transmitted more vibration than we wanted. After further discussions with the Nimbus team, it became clear that our overly stiff HD front springs were limiting the performance of the Nimbus shocks. This was something Nimbus had flagged earlier, but we hadn’t been able to address it at the time.
Fifteen thousand kilometers later, we installed the recommended EFS springs in Johannesburg, and the difference was night and day. The pairing was sublime: smooth, balanced, and finally perfect on corrugation, and with that on all terrains. Additionally, Rafiki also leveled a lot better, sitting perfectly horizontal with our heavy load.
Longest and toughest tests
- Submersed shocks in mud for six hours in Zambia
- Multi-day non-stop drives over heavily potholed roads
- Two separate 10-hour corrugated road marathons
- 12 days off-road in Northern Kenya, hammering gravel and sand in 40–50°C heat
Off-road challenges
- 250 km of sandy tracks in Mozambique
- 700 km of muddy trails along Zambia’s Cotton Roads
- 300 km of muddy roads in western Tanzania during the rainy season
- 1,200 km of sand, rocks, and corrugation in northern Kenya
- 1,000 km of rocky terrain across East and Southern Africa
- 4,000 km of mixed off-road terrain (sand, mud, corrugation, rocks)
On-road endurance
- 8,000 km of severely potholed roads across Eastern Africa
- 5,000 km of smooth and mountainous roads with endless hairpin turns
- Countless kilometers of highway cruising in South Africa
Overall experience after 10 months and 20.000 km in Africa
- Before the EFS spring upgrade, performance mirrored our 5,000 km impressions mentioned in our initial review: solid, reliable, and comfortable. Stable on-road and impressively composed off-road, smoothing out vibrations and surface imperfections with ease. Tackling most corrugation, except for some very specific scenarios.
- We had one challenge: once our old original springs were too fatigued, they kept dislocating as the Nimbus shocks slightly lifted the vehicle, taking pressure of the old springs. Not Nimbus’ fault, but something to keep in mind if you’re going to upgrade your system.
- Submersion in mud? Survived perfectly.
- The infamous Cotton Road clay, often mixed with sharp gravel, caused some superficial wear to the Cerakote coating, but nothing beyond cosmetic marks.
- Additionally, it caused the paint to wear on the ball joint, resulting in superficial rust there. Obviously, the main Nimbus body stayed perfectly shiny, as that is solid aluminium.
- Even with an extra load (two extra water jerrycans at the right rear in Kenya), no adjustment was needed, and Nimbus kept performing sublime.
- Installing the EFS springs completed the setup. Rafiki now sits level, rides more smoothly, and no longer suffers from occasional rear airbag bracket “clonking.”
- The lighter front springs allow the Nimbus magic to fully shine, finally eliminating the last traces of harsh corrugation feedback.
- In head-to-head comparisons, Rafiki rides like a modern New Defender, almost outperforming any new (often lighter) SUVs. Plush yet steady.
- It handles like a modern-day champ of the highest standards and we LOVE the driving experience!
Our approach for gear reviews
As long-term overlanders we fully understand the need for high-quality and reliable gear. We know that if gear isn’t up to standard it can hinder your adventures, resulting in discomfort or a dangerous situation.
We write our reviews after extensive testing and with you – an adventurous overlander – in mind. We hope you appreciate our information, and feel free to reach out if you have any questions.
Our advice to get it right
- Carefully consider your vehicle’s weight, weight distribution, and future build plans.
- Review your existing springs and consult the Nimbus team before making changes.
- Avoid hasty decisions; suspension is a system, and every component matters, from springs to shocks and bushes.
- Trust the Nimbus team: their guidance, professionalism, and friendliness are invaluable.
After 20,000 km across every terrain imaginable in Africa, we can confidently say that Nimbus suspensions have transformed Rafiki’s driving experience. Smooth on-road, cushioned but in control off-road, and exceptionally reliable, they’ve made every kilometer more enjoyable, even in Africa’s harshest conditions.
Next up? A new continent.
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