What the ???

[gazby]

Just back home today from a run up the Old Telegraph Track, been up there for 11 days, day before yesterday whilst leaving Canal Creek the old D1 pulled the bottom pin out of it's left rear shockie, they are after-market jobbies and were fitted to the vehicle when I bought it, I guess not up to the job like much of the "strap on" stuff floating around today, anyhow the big surprise came when the left rear coil spring tried to "pop out" of its upper spring seat after the shock snapped and was left with the weight of the Disco sitting on an edge of the spring upper chassis bracket, (just !).
My question, is there any after-market or home made remedies available to stop the spring jumping out of it's upper seat, and from experience, any ideas what is the best brand shockie to replace the stuffed ones with?
We overcame the seating problem by using a small chain and shackles around the top of the spring and through the big hole in centre of spring seat. I note that the bottom of the spring is "clamped" to the axle housing, (thank goodness, or we may be stranded with a radically lowered Disco).
This surely is a failing with these vehicles, and could prove dangerous if it occurs at higher speeds, it at least made for interesting driving all the way back home to Cooktown yesterday and today with no LH rear shockie, (pogo stick comes to mind) particularly seeing as the only thing that limits axle travel down is the shockie, shades of HB Torana's and springs long forgotten.

[Tank]

Bilstiens are GOOD, I believe that you can buy dislocation cones that will stop your springs going Walkabout, Regards Frank.

[roverrescue]

Gaz,
Welcome home!
Ive got some rear dampers in the shed you can use till you buy new.
Worn but still with some life - I keep em as spares and generally chuck a rear in the tray when we go long. You can drive for ages on a dead front with not too much hassle but lose a rear and it slows you down.

When you say pulled the bottom pin out
I have had them snap pins on me before but only when the bushes bind and nut is too tight. Particularly bad with polyurethane bushes if they are over tightened.
But if it pulled out of the fusion well I guess thats a material failure.

On my old disco I ran limiting straps from the inside of the chassis rail bolted to the damper bracket down to the trailing arm bolt. Keeps the springs in place without loading up the damper.

S

[gazby]

Thanks RR, will see you about borrowing your spares till I get back down to Cairns to buy new.
Yes it was material failure, the shocks are EFS Elite brand and are only mounted with rubbers not urethane bushes, so why the failure I cannot guess but the bottom pin is pulled right out of the bottom tube at the "Flahbutt" weld area, it left a hole about 12 mm in dia, (a rather large oil leak).
Maybe I should go a little easier on the old Disco in the hard stuff, my mate who came with us in the Tojo ute reckons I'm mad, he was using diff locks to go places we got pretty easily.
Of most concern is the spring retention issue, will follow up on cones as suggested by Tank or maybe your straps idea will work for us.

[PhilipA]

It's pretty rare for shocks to do this, although I have had one break off a top eye, but that was my fault as I didn't see the tapered washer on the chassis side and put in two.
I also saw a Billy unscrew a top eye when they had screwed on top eyes. This ignores the Rancho which regeularly tears out top eyes.

IMHO if you want ot be paranoid, a good solution is to do what they do on old Series, and attach a Nylon strap from the axle to the chassis.

BUT buy good quality shocks and it will not happen eg Bilstien, Koni, even OME ( not the maker) , or Monroe. Anything with the MAKER's name not a marketing company name.
Regard s Philip A

[gazby]

Does anybody know where one might purchase these D1 rear spring "dislocation cones" off the shelf ?
I know we have a couple of 4x4 shops in Cairns, I think TJM, and ARB maybe and a couple of Landie parts chaps, but are they the type of thing that is vehicle specific or are they a universal type, perhaps the 'net, I cannot recall ever seeing such a thing, but then again I don't get out much!

[Gary S11]

Land rover dislocation cones | eBay (http://www.ebay.com.au/sch/i.html?_trksid=p3907.m570.l1313&_nkw=Land+rover+dislocation+cones&_sacat=0)



Gary

[roverrescue]

Gaz,
dont spend good money on some dodgy bent metal
swing by we can sort out a cooktown solution ;)

S