Got some old 130 springs laying around?

[Benz]

Long shot but does anyone in Melbourne have a old set of rear springs for a 130 laying about I could buy/borrow?

Hit a snag on the weekend in Tas and some along the line I have ended up with a broken coil :(

Long story short, they are custom springs and to get a new one made I need to take out my good remaining coil to be load tested so a new one can be made.
I need something to whack in there while the new coil is made as I can't afford to have the car off the road with us traveling around Australia and all.

It never really crossed my mind that one of my coils would break so didn't even think to find out what rate they are when they were made... feel pretty silly now though...

Or does anyone have any idea's on how to avoid costly and annoying downtime?

We get back into Melbourne next Monday the 24th.

for the moment we are making do with driving on a broken coil (broke at the very fist twist of the coil if that makes sense)

Cheers
Ben

[Ranga]

I've got some, but up in Qld unfortunately

[Benz]

Haha cheers for the thought anyway.

Can't believe I didn't take the time to get the spring makers to tell me what rate they ended up twisting them to.

Rookie mistake :(

[steveG]

I've got a few different 110 rear springs here that you'd be welcome to borrow if they were any use. Heaviest known ones are about 320lb/in though, so not sure if they are heavy enough for you. Might be some heavier but I'd have to look.

Have you tried contacting whoever made the springs for you originally. They may well have records of exactly what they supplied you.
How about working out the spring rate yourself. I don't recall the formula, but its based on wire diameter and number of coils (assuming they aren't progressive springs). Or do you have a water tank or a few jerries that you can empty/fill and measure the spring compression?

I assume you're getting a new pair made, and not just replacing the one spring? If you've broken one I'd be concerned about the other one also breaking as they would have both had the same manufacturing processes and heat treatment etc

Steve

[Pedro_The_Swift]

(bump) which way do 130 springs sit?
across like the axle?
or front to back?

[rick130]

TD5 and back 110 and 130 outer rear springs are the same rate (330lb)
Inners IIRC are 140lb.

[uninformed]

you may be able to calculate the spring rate with the one still in the car. That would assume it is sitting fairly level and even weight on both sides???

Spring rate: K = (G x Dw^4) / (8 x Dm^3 x Na)

K is spring rate in N/mm, x 5.711 to get lb/in
G is shear moduls, or modulus of ridigity = 79340
Dw is dia of wire of the coil - NO PAINT
Dm is the mean diameter of coil (OD - Dw) or (ID + Dw)
Na is the active number of coils
/ is divide
^ is "to the power of" - ^4 is the power of 4

I wrote this out from a thread Bush65 posted in a little while back so I may have something wrong?

[eddy]

Benz,I have a set of 130 rear springs[inner &outers] you are welcome to pick up for free.PM me.

[Benz]

Unfortunately they guys I had make the springs don't keep records on their custom springs and at this point not really offering any help to keep my on the road and get a new set made.
They said the best option would be to take the car off the road while they check the rate and get new ones made but down time for me would be a major hassle and quite costly.
They said they could check the rate and then re-install the broken springs if I wanted but it would cost a pretty penny as I would be charged for the whole time the car was on the hoist while they run the springs around to the spring makers for them to be tested.
I asked if they had anything laying around they could stick in there to get me by but they suggested this would be unsafe and they weren't prepared to do that.

at this point it seems it would be easier to sort it out myself...

Hence why I'm looking for something to stick in there while new springs are made.

Eddy you have a PM (but it sounds like your in Mandurah W.A.)

SteveG, 110 springs might get me by if they are uprated as I can unload the car while the new ones are made.
I only need the car to get around the place while we volunteer at Edgar's Mission north of Melbourne. It won't matter too much if it sits a bit ass down.
The custom ones were only made to get the 130 back to standard height when loaded anyway.

If 110 springs and the outer 130 springs are the same rate on td5's what rate is standard? A quick search showed 270 lbs but that was quoted for a 95 defender. would 320lbs springs get me by if unloaded?

as for measuring the rate of the springs while still in the car, I had no idea this was possible. Why didn't the guys who sell them (I'm led to believe they get quite alot of custom springs made) suggest that as an option? they did go on about them being unique in construction or something and pushing the limits of the material they are made from.
I certainly wouldn't be able to do that myself, well not sure I would trust myself to do it right.

hmm I'm sure I will work it out eventually.

[steveG]

If you're unloaded then 320lb springs should be fine. They worked OK for me in a 110 at around 3T, but would bottom out too easily on rough tracks. Should be fine if you are driving around with not much onboard on normal roads/tracks.

Why do you need custom springs in the first place? Surely between genuine and the larger aftermarkets such as Dobinsons and Kings etc there would be something that would suit your needs?

I'll try and have a look tonight at what I've actually got in the shed.

Steve

[uninformed]

As Rick130 said, stock LR 110 and 130 (non load leveller) rear springs are 330lb.
As for would they be up to the task, I run 250lb rears in my light 110 and they are still stiff IMO. I think Rick130 runs his 130 with the inner spring removed, so that would be a partly loaded 130 on 330lb springs...

IMO I think they will be fine. Will they be ideal for what you carry and do??? well that is a whole other thread ;)

Re calculating your coils, The above fomula I posted will only work with single rate coils, not variable AFAIK.

SteveG, problem is most AM springs are too stiff.

[Benz]

Thanks for the info guys.

Went with the custom ones to get a nice level ride when the 130 is loaded up and return the rig back up to standard hight.
With us travelling oz it is loaded at all times, not just for your odd weekend away.

Most off the shelf items I could find seemed to be just suited to your standard 2 inch lift but maybe I didn't look hard enough. Custom ones just meant I got exactly what I wanted, nothing less nothing more.

Maybe I could go down a different route and get something off the shelf instead of custom.
Hmm.....

[steveG]

Are you still running the inner springs, or just outers?

Steve

[Benz]

Just the outers.

[Benz]

steveG is going to lend me a set of coils which should get me out of trouble while some new ones get made (they are covered under warranty)
Steve you are a huge help!

also thanks to everyone that gave some input to help me out.

it really is true :)
'your never alone if you own a Land Rover'

[newhue]

deleted post, not relevant

[Benz]

I just thought I would let you guys know how I went.

Got off the ferry from Tas the monday before last and picked up the springs SteveG was kind enough to lend me.
After a bit of searching around near where we were to stay for the next couple of weeks (near Kilmore) I found a guy who was willing to let me swap over the springs in his workshop. He had his fair share of landies (including a nice series 1) as well as a couple of other british cars.
I would have to give a plug here for Auto Farm to anyone in the need of some work north of melbourne.

The springs Steve gave me had the 130 sitting surprisingly level which was nice.

From there it took the guys who made my custom springs less than a week to make me a new one and I had them fit it up on Friday.

So we are now back in action and will be making our way east from Melbourne through Gipsland and then up to NSW.

We certanly learnt Land Rover owners look after each other.
And I can also add, the defender wave is alive and well in Melbourne :)

Thanks
Ben