Is it possible to make the ride smoother?

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Originally Posted by stealth

Get a Disco or A RR. Defenders are workhorses and the ride is like that for a reason.

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Hmmm, I'd like to know what reason that is, forgive my ignorance.
I know the Defender is built to be tough etc but I can't see how hard
springs make the vehicle more capable apart from letting you carry heavier loads. Can understand it in a ute or dual cab but the 110 wagon is essentially a people carrier vehicle built for hard terrain.

I also have a Freeelander 2 which I know is a soft roader but I've had it in some pretty rough stuff and it handles it beautifully and comfortably. And lets face it, a Range Rover should be able to go anywhere a Defender can, albeit in a lot more luxury. Having said that, I choose to drive the Defender over the Freelander because I like driving it. Doesn't mean I want to feel every tiny bump in the road....and if it's that hard on the road, whats it going to be like on a rough track! Banging over potholes and bumps can't do the vehicle any good either.

I've noticed the vehicle does ride 50% better with a decent load or a few extra passengers. Still stiff though. Most of the time it's just me and the missus driving around (her with a long face) so I think if the stock suspensions geared up to lug 2 or 3 tonne payload around, it obviously isn't right for me

Does it benefit the vehicle to have rock hard suspension on or off the road? It would seem to me if the suspension where a little more forgiving things would be less likely to break.

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Originally Posted by stealth

Get a Disco or A RR. Defenders are workhorses and the ride is like that for a reason.

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RRCs and D1s have an identical suspension geometry and link design to 110s, 90s and countys. There is no reason why a 110 cannot be set up to ride just as smoothly.

The 110 should in fact be able to be set up to ride more smoothly than a RRC or Disco, thanks to the longer wheelbase.

NVH is a different issue though.

I have been told that the new Defender can carry 1,000 kg and the new Discovery can carry 750 kg in the vehicle.

Is this correct?

Beckford.

Now this is dredging the memory , but I think there is a taxation law in Australia that specifies that to be able to claim 100% business use on a commercial vehicle,( without justifying with logbooks etc) the payload capacity has to be 1000Kg or above.

This is why all Japanese utes have a 1000KG capacity and indeed why Falcon/Holden utes used to have 1000Kg. And indeed why all the tradies buy twin cab utes and why twin cab utes are the quickest growing market segment in Australia. Holidays subsidised by the government, what could be better????
I think this is why Land Rover commercial type vehicles have a 1000Kg load capacity.

Many years ago Ford used to make a "sedan ride " option for Falcon utes with a 400Kg load limit.

So truth can be stranger than fiction.
Regards Philip A

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Originally Posted by Beckford

[COLOR=black][FONT=Verdana]I have been told that the new Defender can carry 1,000 kg and the new Discovery can carry 750 kg in the vehicle.

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Don't know about the new one, but my 1987 110 has a payload capacity of 1060 kg or thereabouts.

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Originally Posted by fender22

Hmmm, I'd like to know what reason that is, forgive my ignorance.
I know the Defender is built to be tough etc but I can't see how hard
springs make the vehicle more capable apart from letting you carry heavier loads. Can understand it in a ute or dual cab but the 110 wagon is essentially a people carrier vehicle built for hard terrain.

No, the 110 wagon is the people carrier variant of the workhorse Defender, and because it has the same maximum weight as the workhorse Defender, it needs the same stiff springs to carry the load. This is, in fact, why the Defender has a higher payload than most of its competitors.

Does it benefit the vehicle to have rock hard suspension on or off the road? It would seem to me if the suspension where a little more forgiving things would be less likely to break.

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No, it does not benefit a vehicle to have rock hard suspension, but the suspension on any vehicle is a compromise. In this case it needs to be stiff enough and set high enough that even of road hitting a bump when carrying the maximum load the suspension will not bottom, but at the same time, stiff enough and set low enough that the suspension will not hit the rebound stops when hitting a similar bump unloaded. Given the designed suspension travel, and the designed maximum and minimum axle load, the optimum spring stiffness and setting is produced, and I suspect the Defender standard springs are pretty close to this. To get softer springing, you need to do one of - reduce maximum load; reduce ability to handle severe bumps; or increase suspension travel and redesign the whole setup - not easy to do, since Rover used about the maximum travel that was feasible with the basic setup when they designed the system in the late sixties.

With the original Rangerover and the early 110, the problem was sidestepped by fitting springs designed for the unloaded axle loading, and coping with extra axle load by using a Boge levelling strut. But this is expensive, and even then the maximum load is reduced (comfortable ride though, and could almost certainly be fitted to a Defender at a cost). I just fitted Defender Springs when the Boge unit stopped working.

John

I had heard that Bilstein Shocks , Variable rate springs and Polyairs to the rear is the best way to go.

I think it was Mary W from up Mildura way that had done something similar.

BTW JD , how does one know when one's Boge Hydromat has stopped working:confused:

my rise is so soft that i float down the road.

original county with LL

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BTW JD , how does one know when one's Boge Hydromat has stopped working:confused:

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There is usually oil all over the rubber gaiter.LOL
There is a test procedure involving 500Kg of bricks and drive for some kilometers and a previous and subsequent measure of ride height. If it ain't risen its daid.
Regards Philip A

What about 5 of your mates that weigh 100kg:)