Results 1 to 9 of 9

Thread: Rear Springs

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Nowra NSW
    Posts
    3,906
    Total Downloaded
    0

    Rear Springs

    The other weekend I did Monkey Gum firetrail, the loop track and a few others while playing with some 6x6 Pinzgauers and a Perentie Landy.
    all the vehicles behaved totally differently due to different original design requirements.
    The Perentie for a standard vehicle has very good flex and stability .
    the Pinzgauers lifted wheels all the time, but had stability though longer wheel base and a extra set of wheels.
    The 101 Land rover is somewhere between the two...……...reasonable flex on the front end, but almost nothing on the rear end.
    The lack of rear end flex and a unladen forward weight bias of the 101 will lead to instability or even a roll over if dropping the front end into a large wombat hole with a rear wheel sticking up in the air.
    Pointing up hill none of this counts or is a problem.
    The rear springs on a standard 101 are 3 inch wide twin leaf parabolic which are hard to manufacture in this country.
    The standard springs are by far too stiff as the Australian 101s are rated for a 1.5 tonne payload in the rear.
    The rear springs would start to work nicely with a tonne in the rear.
    I know Ford transit van rear springs are twin leaf parabolics and most likely a softer spring, but the length of the spring is slightly different...( a near fit to the rear of a 101 landy)

    Been thinking how a G shackle would go on the rear of a 101 landrover.
    With or without the standard spring.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Nowra NSW
    Posts
    3,906
    Total Downloaded
    0
    A G shackle would allow for a slightly different length leaf spring.
    I think a G shackle would act like a drop shackle as well.
    I have no experience with drop shackles and have no idea if they are worth while.
    the G shackles are good from the point of view they are bolt on, bolt off.
    What does the brains trust think.
    It is within my abilities to make a set.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Nowra NSW
    Posts
    3,906
    Total Downloaded
    0
    YouTube

    YouTube


    One other thing is the EFS shocks fitted to the front of my 101 a little while ago has increase flex of the front end more than the standard 101 shocks, as I now can get the 36 inch simex tyres to just kiss the front guards under duress which never happened before and so is a good thing off road.

    Just got to get the rear end riding softer and use the available wheel travel.
    Ron

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Canberra
    Posts
    18,474
    Total Downloaded
    0
    Hi Ron - not heard of G shackles so will have to have a look to see how they work.

    As all 101 owners know - downhill is a worry and I guess will always be so - I dread it with a vengeance. However the same issue tends to apply with all forward control 4x4 vehicles - certainly the same with my haflinger (coils all round), 4x4 Pinzgauers, the Mitsubishi bus in your other thread vids.

    Softer springs in the rear will help but not necessarily solve the issue. I have seen vids of 101s in the UK that have been converted to coil suspension and they still have the problem.

    While transit springs and G shakles will probably help, driver knowledge and experience of the 101 traits are the best options given limited suspension options. There only few of us who actually fully offroad the 101 so we have a few tricks up our sleeve but a roll over is always in back of my mind. It has been a while since I did Monkey Gum and even without a CDL the 101 did it no issues but that was going up - when I got to the top I thought to myself that I would not like to be doing it the other way - down hill with a few of those drop offs - hmm interesting.

    Irrespective of all that - anything that can increase wheel travel on the back of a 101 has got to be a good thing.

    Garry
    REMLR 243

    2007 Range Rover Sport TDV6
    1977 FC 101
    1976 Jaguar XJ12C
    1973 Haflinger AP700
    1971 Jaguar V12 E-Type Series 3 Roadster
    1957 Series 1 88"
    1957 Series 1 88" Station Wagon

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    Bellarine Peninsula, Brackistan
    Posts
    5,309
    Total Downloaded
    0
    Not wanting to sound like a smart arse, but maybe the easiest option might be to carry around an IBC in the back, and have the ability to fill and release as needed.
    , compared with reconfiguring the whole arse end suspension system to address one issue.

    If it is only a downhill problem to do with weighting the arse end it may be helpful.

    DL

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Nowra NSW
    Posts
    3,906
    Total Downloaded
    0
    There is more to it.
    A overall decrease in spring rate just would be so helpful in every day driving.
    I had about 200 kg of firewood in the back of the 101 on one section of track.
    It did help.
    What I am reaching for is anyone with experience with drop shackles and if possible the G shackle arrangement as per the 2 youtube links I posted above some where.
    I see the G shackle arrangement being a cost effective thing I could make to suit the 101 to either.
    1......allow additional downward wheel travel off road and most likely slighly better ride though better spring action using the standard spring.
    2.....allow fitting of a softer rate parabolic spring from a Ford transit van which is a slightly different lenght and use the original chassis shackle bush holes without modification.
    Before I go making these things I want to know if its going to be worthwhile.

    Another option to improve ride with standard springs front and rear is a American product used on the large American utes called Sulastic shackles.
    They appear to work very well and will improve day to day ride and may be slightly more wheel travel too for off road work.
    The draw back is cost and then freight from the US with a weak Aussie dollar.
    It is a bolt on answer to the 101s over rated springs, but still allows the vehicle to carry its full military loading.
    Ron

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Nowra NSW
    Posts
    3,906
    Total Downloaded
    0
    YouTube
    YouTube
    The above should show what Sulastic shackles are.
    Plenty of diffent types and sizes available including ones to fit the 101 Landy.
    They can be a chassis mounted thing or a shackle which just replaces the standard one.......on high loading the shackle will close onto internal metal stops.
    Plenty of information on them and they appear to be a great improvement from everyone who has fitted them..........just too expensive in Australia......for me anyway.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    Logan Village area S.E. QLD
    Posts
    17,686
    Total Downloaded
    0
    Ron I have removed Peter P. softer parabolic springs ,if you want to try them we could drop them off in March 2020.
    Series Landy Rescue

    Parts, welding, finger folding, Storage, Painting, Fabrication, Restorations,
    Our FB Page..
    https://www.facebook.com/SeriesLR?ref=bookmarks

    '51 80", Discovery 2, Defender 130, 101 FC + 20 other Land Rover vehicles

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Nowra NSW
    Posts
    3,906
    Total Downloaded
    0
    Yes I would be interested.
    You have just given me another to reason to go..............I have to do a pick up of some other parts from Corowa too.
    I will PM a little closer to the swim in.

Tags for this Thread

Bookmarks

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
Search AULRO.com ONLY!
Search All the Web!