Defender Suspension

[Ivan]

Just had a quote for some OME suspension for the wife's 90. They quoted $863 for the rear and $592 for the front!!!!
I can buy a full OME suspension setup from the states (including steering damper) for $860. How can stuff cost so much when it's made in Australia?

Ivan

[Pete1]

Just going through the process of lighter springs for my "08" defender . You are better off going to a spring works . Most the four wheel drive places dont care what they sell you for your landie. What model is yours ?

[lambrover]

just my opinion mate but stay away from old man emu suspension, call Suspension stuff and get some dobison coils and what ever shocks they recommend. This will give you the best set up, way better travel than old man emu.

[trailcutter]

just my opinion mate but stay away from old man emu suspension, call Suspension stuff and get some dobison coils and what ever shocks they recommend. This will give you the best set up, way better travel than old man emu.


+1....

[Pete1]

Just check spring ratings when you shop around. Manufacturers have a habit of putting stiffer and taller springs in and calling them standard . And there is a difference between models as well. 155/215 lb in front and 285 lb in rear is a common standard, but but I find this too hard. I will prob put 175lb in front and 220 in rear. Good for every day running with light load , but if on a trip with gear and camper would put 285lb back in rear.

[Allan]

+1....
+2, never again

Allan

[CraigE]

Get some Billies or Konis out of the states and some Kings springs in Australia like I did, throw in a set of polyairs and a steering damper and I still come out less than half what I was quoted to supply and fit, Took less than half a day to fit. I know my Billies out of the US were $460 AUD delivered to my door in 5 days. What amazes me is how a German made shock is cheaper to buy in the US against Europe and Australia is just plain ridiculous.

[grover7488]

. What amazes me is how a German made shock is cheaper to buy in the US against Europe and Australia is just plain ridiculous.

Just about everything is cheaper in the states.
What i cant believe is that ARB can make a diff lock in Bayswater ship it to their supplier in the states and then on to the retailer. He can then ship it back to me cheaper than i can get one when it started off just down the road!!
We are getting ripped a new one here big time!
When i was pricing up my Mickey T's tyre guys where saying 'prices have just gone up coz of the weak AU$. Fair enough. But now I dont see them lowering the price with the strong AU$. so who is making all the coin?
would love to support local but with their pricing - 'tell em their dreamin!'

[Ivan]

The price I was quoted was supply only!!!! Didn't include fitting, if it had I could understand the price.
Who is a good dealer for Bilstiens (sp?) in the states?

Ivan

[weeds]

The price I was quoted was supply only!!!! Didn't include fitting, if it had I could understand the price.
Who is a good dealer for Bilstiens (sp?) in the states?

Ivan

e-shocks

mine arrived today, ordered early last week, 7 days, just have to work out springs

[Ivan]

Thanks Weeds, just sent them an email asking for a price including the shipping. I must say the prices are very good (never thought I could afford Bilsteins). If you find anyone doing good, cheap springs let me know as I will be looking for springs as well.

Thanks

Ivan

[weeds]

Thanks Weeds, just sent them an email asking for a price including the shipping. I must say the prices are very good (never thought I could afford Bilsteins). If you find anyone doing good, cheap springs let me know as I will be looking for springs as well.

Thanks

Ivan

i didn't even email them, just selected the shocks, it was free shipping, hit send

[weeds]

i didn't even email them, just selected the shocks, it was free shipping, hit send

edit....there was shipping costs

[Psimpson7]

just my opinion mate but stay away from old man emu suspension, call Suspension stuff and get some dobison coils and what ever shocks they recommend. This will give you the best set up, way better travel than old man emu.

Surely the issue there is that the wrong stuff was fitted for your application. Not that there is anything wrong with the OME stuff per-se.

I run custom OME springs and LTR shocks and they are fantastic for the use that I fitted them for.

[Pete1]

Just my opinion but all this expensive stuff is not needed. Get a set of springs as i stated , straight from Dobinsons , custom springs $250 pair and leave the standard shocks in and all will be fine. Plenty wheel travel and good ride.;)

[flagg]

+1 for eshocks.

For $375USD for the std fitting Bilstein's (inc Steering Damper) and very reasonable shipping you simply can't go wrong.

My 7100's arrived today from eshocks.

[lambrover]

Surely the issue there is that the wrong stuff was fitted for your application. Not that there is anything wrong with the OME stuff per-se.

I run custom OME springs and LTR shocks and they are fantastic for the use that I fitted them for.

I bought a my county and it was fitted with old man emu 2 inch lift, you get less travel than standard, thay don't increase the shock lenght to suit, my opinion.

It prompty came out and made my own shock mounts and fitted long travel shocks 10in in the front and 12.5in in the rear.

[lambrover]

Ivan

some one has mentioned king springs, my mate had a set and they seemed a bit stiff for my liking but would be ok for a touring set up, allthough I haven't had any dobinson coils yet (mine should be hear in about a week) there is alot of guys on here that would recomend them and by looking at there photos they don't compromise on wheel travel.

[Pete1]

In the last 2 weeks I have researched so called "standard " springs from manufacturers in 3 states . They vary from 166lb - 285lb in the front and from 155lb - 360lb in the rear. No where near standard ! So it goes to show they dont do any research themselves , just offer you what they think should be ok. Landrover has had 60 yrs doing this stuff .:)

[Ivan]

Thanks Lambrover. Contacted suspensionStuff about some Dobinsons for the 90. So all being well I will have Dobinson Springs and Bilstein shocks. I have gone for the lighter springs as the 90 spends most of it's time empty (apart from driver). If we load it up for long trips I'll get some Poly Air bags for it.

Ivan

[lambrover]

Thanks Lambrover. Contacted suspensionStuff about some Dobinsons for the 90. So all being well I will have Dobinson Springs and Bilstein shocks. I have gone for the lighter springs as the 90 spends most of it's time empty (apart from driver). If we load it up for long trips I'll get some Poly Air bags for it.

Ivan

mate I think that will be a really good set up.:D

Don't forget to post pic's when fitted

[CraigE]

The price I was quoted was supply only!!!! Didn't include fitting, if it had I could understand the price.
Who is a good dealer for Bilstiens (sp?) in the states?

Ivan
Shockwarehouse is who I got mine from but e-shocks are similar priced.

[Gav110]

As I posted elsewhere, White Tiger springs come in a huge range of rates and lengths. Les Richmond in Melbourne and Graeme Cooper in Sydney can post them up, and can also supply PolyAirs.

See: Coil Springs (http://www.lrautomotive.com.au/contents/en-us/d665.html)

I just had 180lb long springs fitted front; and 320lb regular length springs with poly airs fitted rear, and the ride is fantastic. I have a 110 with lots of weight. Would recommend 270lb for lighter laden 110s, and lower for 90s.

The 180lb front springs are much more compliant (seriously noticeable) than the HD/130 front springs many fit and which I have now ditched as they were crashier than needed. 225lbs is really for ARB bars with very heavy winches. The extra long 180's just compress beautifully, with that extra inch or so, and they just settle down a bit.

I have Bilstein shocks al round. Ride and handling now is superb :)

[All Ova]

Just fitted terrafirma big bores, springs and an rtc damper to the 130. Test drive through Kakadu on the weekend.....awesome!

[grover7488]

I have Bilstein shocks al round. Ride and handling now is superb :)

hi gav

do you know what part no the shox are?

also the open and closed lengths?

cheers

[rick130]

In the last 2 weeks I have researched so called "standard " springs from manufacturers in 3 states . They vary from 166lb - 285lb in the front and from 155lb - 360lb in the rear. No where near standard ! So it goes to show they dont do any research themselves , just offer you what they think should be ok. Landrover has had 60 yrs doing this stuff .:)

Depends on what you call 'standard'.

Standard springs fitted from the 200Tdi through to the TD5 (about '02 or so) were 220lb/in front and 330lb/in rear for Australia.
We got the heavy duty springs, it was setup for load carrying, it is after all a commercial vehicle.

Around '03 on they went to the variable rate 155/215 front and 270/420 rear.

The earlier versions with the load leveller used really soft coils, at least at the back (and can't recall what rate they are ATM)

Anyway, for about the umpteenth time land rover spring specifications (http://members.shaw.ca/jbarge/springinfo.html)

[Gav110]

hi gav

do you know what part no the shox are?

also the open and closed lengths?

cheers

For Puma:

BE5-6540 Shock Absorber
BILSTEIN - B6 SPORT
Fitting Position Front Axle; Gas Pressure; Monotube; Top pin; Bottom Pin;

BE5-6529 Shock Absorber
BILSTEIN - B6 SPORT
Fitting Position Rear Axle; Gas Pressure; Monotube; Top eye; Bottom Pin;

Click here for the rest of the details mate: Online Catalogue (http://www.bilstein.de/products/search-service/online-catalogue.html)

[Pete1]

The spring rates quoted as 'standard ' was straight off the VIN number and corisponded to the spring 'ANR' number off Landrovers Part numbers.
That was up till the TD5, which may have changed then.

[dullbird]

Just fitted terrafirma big bores, springs and an rtc damper to the 130. Test drive through Kakadu on the weekend.....awesome!

Yes I have the big bores fitted to the puma...they handle very well with the camper attached on the corrugations (although haven't had them on extreme corrugations yet)

[Ivan]

Well, the Billies and Dobbie springs are here and should be fitted this weekend. I'll try and take some pics when done.

Ivan

[Ivan]

Well I tried to fit the new suspension this weekend and what a b*gger of a job it was. Rears went fine with no problems. However, the fronts were a nightmare. Everything was rusted up and would not unbolt. Even with copious amounts of releasing fluid. Finally attacked them with the angle grinder and got the nearside fitted. Move to the drivers side and I can't even get the wheel off!!!
Some plonker back in the UK (before it came over here) has really tightended the nuts up, so much so that I broke my breaker bar trying to undo them!!! :mad:
So it's into my mechanic today to see if he can release them. It really annoys me why garages and tyre fitters seem to think they have to tighten stuff up to stupid levels. :mad:
Hopefully get the drivers side finished this week after work.
Oh, and to cap it all when I finished at about 6:30 Saturday went back into the house to find we had a leaking water pipe from the filtered water system. So I then had to spend an hour and a half fixing it, so it was takeaway pizza for tea. :p

Ivan

[uninformed]

Depends on what you call 'standard'.

Standard springs fitted from the 200Tdi through to the TD5 (about '02 or so) were 220lb/in front and 330lb/in rear for Australia.
We got the heavy duty springs, it was setup for load carrying, it is after all a commercial vehicle.

Around '03 on they went to the variable rate 155/215 front and 270/420 rear.

The earlier versions with the load leveller used really soft coils, at least at the back (and can't recall what rate they are ATM)

Anyway, for about the umpteenth time land rover spring specifications (http://members.shaw.ca/jbarge/springinfo.html)


my OEM fronts on 98 110 trayback were varible rate.

330lb sounds about right for what my OEM rears were.

Serg