Defender stance - just looks?

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Originally Posted by DiscoMick

Mine is sitting level despite having a bullbar and winch on the front. I considered fitting HD front springs but havent bothered. If it's not broke, dont fix it.

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Is that loaded or empty Mick?

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Originally Posted by ProjectDirector

Mine had nose dived after the bar and winch went on. Now is level with HD springs at front end.

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How is it with HD fronts? Better ride / handling? ...I'm in two minds re front springs, as I only have a bullbar and don't intend getting a winch. It's ok with standards, but iccasionally feels a bit soft in front end... Anyone with HD fronts and bullbar only on Defender 110?

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Originally Posted by MrLandy

How is it with HD fronts? Better ride / handling? ...I'm in two minds re front springs, as I only have a bullbar and don't intend getting a winch. It's ok with standards, but iccasionally feels a bit soft in front end... Anyone with HD fronts and bullbar only on Defender 110?

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I had HD fronts with just a bullbar for a while. No issues at all really, no worse a ride than with the old ones. That being said though, I had put brand new HDs on and the old ones were a bit sagged, so in no way a direct comparison.

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Originally Posted by MrLandy

How is it with HD fronts? Better ride / handling? ...I'm in two minds re front springs, as I only have a bullbar and don't intend getting a winch. It's ok with standards, but iccasionally feels a bit soft in front end... Anyone with HD fronts and bullbar only on Defender 110?

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The HD front springs make a huge difference to handling.

As soon as the bar and winch went on and I had std springs I hated it.
The HD springs returned the car to normal. You'd be crazy not to do it.

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Originally Posted by karlz

The HD front springs make a huge difference to handling.

As soon as the bar and winch went on and I had std springs I hated it.
The HD springs returned the car to normal. You'd be crazy not to do it.

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Did you also change the shocks?

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Originally Posted by karlz

The HD front springs make a huge difference to handling.

As soon as the bar and winch went on and I had std springs I hated it.
The HD springs returned the car to normal. You'd be crazy not to do it.

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Thanks Karlz, but I don't have a winch. I've also upgraded to Koni Raids which are pretty firm (and fantastic off road/on corrugations) even on their softest setting.

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Originally Posted by dromader driver

The real reason is the stance removes the requirement for the rear wing generating a down load found on other high performance vehicles. The down load levels the vehicle at high speed.....:cool:

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Vehicles with less impressive performance than a Defender gain another benefit. I learned this from my father back in about 1955.

His 30CWT Commer truck (top speed 45mph) was fitted with 20" wheels and he had decided to convert to 16" wheels. Fitting the tyres one Sunday afternoon took a little longer than he had planned, so he had to drive it for a week with 16" wheels on the front and 20" on the back.

Some people were silly enough to ask why he had set the vehicle up that way, so he told them that it improved the fuel economy because it meant that the vehicle was always going downhill. :)

It is obvious that the Defenders also get this improvement in fuel economy by having the vehicle look as if it is going downhill all the time.

Ask any Defender driver about the difference between their fuel consumption when the vehicle is empty and the front points down and when it is heavily loaded so that it is no longer pointing downhill.

That extra fuel consumption can only be because of the fact that the vehicle has to travel along level instead of constantly running downhill. :D

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Originally Posted by vnx205

Vehicles with less impressive performance than a Defender gain another benefit. I learned this from my father back in about 1955.

His 30CWT Commer truck (top speed 45mph) was fitted with 20" wheels and he had decided to convert to 16" wheels. Fitting the tyres one Sunday afternoon took a little longer than he had planned, so he had to drive it for a week with 16" wheels on the front and 20" on the back.

Some people were silly enough to ask why he had set the vehicle up that way, so he told them that it improved the fuel economy because it meant that the vehicle was always going downhill. :)

It is obvious that the Defenders also get this improvement in fuel economy by having the vehicle look as if it is going downhill all the time.

Ask any Defender driver about the difference between their fuel consumption when the vehicle is empty and the front points down and when it is heavily loaded so that it is no longer pointing downhill.

That extra fuel consumption can only be because of the fact that the vehicle has to travel along level instead of constantly running downhill. :D

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...:Rolling:

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Originally Posted by vnx205

That extra fuel consumption can only be because of the fact that the vehicle has to travel along level instead of constantly running downhill. :D

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Is that why someone told me the other day that it's all downhill for me from now on?

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Originally Posted by MrLandy

Is that loaded or empty Mick?

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Empty, but it has a bullbar and winch up front and drawers and an AGM battery in the back.
I'm really in two minds about fitting HD front springs. I'm not trying to make it sporty (its a Defender) and it does feel soft in the front, but the HDs stiffen the rate from 185 to 225 lb/in and I don't want to make it too stiff and ruin the ride on rough roads.
Maybe I need a ride in a 110 with HD front springs to see what it rides like.

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