Going to rally... correct suspension setting?

[carlosbeldia]

I'm going next year to a rally plenty of mud and water, lots of potholes and wadings. I'm kind of decided for:

Koni Heavy Track in the four corners
NRC9448 / NRC9449 LR genuine at front
RKB101111 LR genunine at rear

Rally goes for 5 - 7 days each way, so I think I need to carry lots of gear, I've been thinking about buying rear helpers as per 130 setup. How do you see this?

This is the rally:

AGENDA CM& Héroes del Orinoco Parte 2 de 2 - YouTube

By the way, this rally have never been completed by a LR (only 3 have tried)

[n plus one]

I'm going next year to a rally plenty of mud and water, lots of potholes and wadings. I'm kind of decided for:

Koni Heavy Track in the four corners
NRC9448 / NRC9449 LR genuine at front
RKB101111 LR genunine at rear

Rally goes for 5 - 7 days each way, so I think I need to carry lots of gear, I've been thinking about buying rear helpers as per 130 setup. How do you see this?

This is the rally:

AGENDA CM& Héroes del Orinoco Parte 2 de 2 - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuxXsFIWFHA)

By the way, this rally have never been completed by a LR (only 3 have tried)

I couldn't be happier with the ability of the following setup on my 110 to carry heavy loads (ie GVM) at speed across extremely rough ground.

Bilstein monotube 46mm shocks
Dobinson 50mm lifted springs (need to double check the rates)
Terrafirma double rear shock mounts
Firestone helper rear bags
Standard swaybars

Short if a full house competition set up, I think I'd struggle to find a better option - basically feels bottomless on whoops while still maintaining good road handling manners and good compliance on corrugations (in combination with appropriate tyre pressures).

Hope this helps!

[Bush65]

Travel light, fit mud chains and take it easy.

[carlosbeldia]

I can't travel light, there is 650 km with no gas stations, no stores, no towns, nothing except mud and water, so we have to take everything with us. This rally is backed by our army with their Hummers and Piranhas, their rake cars, it's the only external help. Everybody goes driving and return in ferry their cars, but I want to do the road in both ways, so the setup have to last.

I've been checking Bilstein and they look as a good option, 20% cheaper than Koni similars. Do they have a life span as remarkable as Koni's (just heard about it, not have them)?

I've tried OME, Genunine and Britparts springs, and the Genuine are sooooooooo good in handling weight that I have to go back to them. Hated OME and Britpart, both of them were to hard and slow response.

Roads in my city are not good ones, so in the last 10 months I've broken Monroe, OME and Britpart shcock absorbers. I tought it were another components so changed turrets, retainers, checked alignment..... problem I think is my lack of feeling for potholes and "panzer mentality" that I use to drive here. Thought in change my drive style (advised by my wife) but I think is better to find something that copes the job. I regularly goes to our farm with 1-1.5 tons of cargo (mid to heavy off road), that's why I'm thinking about the 130's helpers. Neumatic ones are not suitables for me, too many things that can make holes in them in our roads. 130's are too hard? do you think they are going to worsen driving quality in day to day life?

[Bush65]

I can't travel light, there is 650 km with no gas stations, no stores, no towns, nothing except mud and water, so we have to take everything with us. This rally is backed by our army with their Hummers and Piranhas, their rake cars, it's the only external help. Everybody goes driving and return in ferry their cars, but I want to do the road in both ways, so the setup have to last.

I've been checking Bilstein and they look as a good option, 20% cheaper than Koni similars. Do they have a life span as remarkable as Koni's (just heard about it, not have them)?

I've tried OME, Genunine and Britparts springs, and the Genuine are sooooooooo good in handling weight that I have to go back to them. Hated OME and Britpart, both of them were to hard and slow response.

Roads in my city are not good ones, so in the last 10 months I've broken Monroe, OME and Britpart shcock absorbers. I tought it were another components so changed turrets, retainers, checked alignment..... problem I think is my lack of feeling for potholes and "panzer mentality" that I use to drive here. Thought in change my drive style (advised by my wife) but I think is better to find something that copes the job. I regularly goes to our farm with 1-1.5 tons of cargo (mid to heavy off road), that's why I'm thinking about the 130's helpers. Neumatic ones are not suitables for me, too many things that can make holes in them in our roads. 130's are too hard? do you think they are going to worsen driving quality in day to day life?
You can travel light (comparatively), 650km is not great, nor is 6 or 7 days.

The lighter you are the greater the reduction in load/stress on your vehicle and doubly so because it will handle difficult terrain better.

Getting the tyres and suspension right is important. I like taller, lower rate springs, with more bump travel than stock to soak up the bumps with lower forces involved. Better bump stops will also help.

[n plus one]

Agree - lighter is better.

I'm a bit concerned that you have broken a number of shocks - are you sure you're running the correct lengths? While not the best stuff around, OME should hold up reasonably well to hard use?

Also, what types of pressures are you running? Tyres are a critical part of your suspension set up.

[carlosbeldia]

I run 265/75R16 Michelin AT2 28 psi at front 35 at rear (for the Rally I'll have 7.50 General SAG). I have had HD suspension in each version except Monroe, it was some Adventure or something like that. With OME I used a kit from Rovers North, so I don't think travel is an issue. It went OK for about 3 months and then start to go trashy and trashier until it had to be changed.

What do you mean by lighter? Just in fuel I have to go 300 kg (have to go from Bogota with all the fuel in both ways, the only diesel in the road comes from Venezuela, with 600+ ppm of sulphur) , recovery equipment and tools goes for about 70kg, food and beverages are food for about 50 addidional kg. Me and my copilot are over 180kg. Have to add winch and roof rack, another 70kg? additional spare wheel, 40kg? personal gear and others (tent, ie) are another 50kg. That's 750kg, not in the limit but I think is not light. Average fuel consumption figures for a Ford Ranger TDCi are about 20kpg (most of the way you have to go 4Lo)