It's time for a change - sagging and tired

[blackapache]

Hey guys im thinking might be time for a change, but need a little help, I bought the 2000 TD5 defender with about 200,000 on the clock . The PO had put OME springs and shocks in and a damper as well. Im running 33" as well she has a cage on the roof, and i do mostly sand driving.. she does get airborne from time to time :angel:

ive got a fair bit of body roll ( the cage doesnt help) and would like to stiffen up the ride a bit. Im about to do the rear afram joint and all the bushings etc so im thinking i might aim for the shocks too.

Ive always been the one to upgrade the gear in the past and have never bought a used 4x4 with suspension mods already done, so im a bit in the dark about when to replace.

ive not got any leaks or cracks .. if i do the shocks do i need to do the springs as well? whats the expected life of a spring? i know thats like asking how long is a piece of string but some estimates are fine this truck came from out west and with the amount of red dust and mud underneath im assuming it was hitting corrugated roads a bit.

i dont have an arm and leg to spend i just forked out about 2K for everything from MAF, TPS, fuel pump a frame, and bushings so im a bit light for funds so recomending billsteins and all that are probably pipedreams at this point.

any comments greatly appreciated.

[blackapache]

i should mention im just looking to retain the 2" lift nothing crazy, no crazy articulations like i said mostly sand stuff.

cheers legends!:D

[schuy1]

With the suspension already replaced it is unlikely to need springs. Check bump stop to axle distances,not sure but front should be at least 2-3". Shocks may need doing,any name brand will get you by, just layoff the air bit driveing.

[blackapache]

So I climbed under and had a bit of a look see seems ive got about 4 1/2" from axle to bu,p stop? that seems like heaps.

its all old man emu there were some very faded marks the springs are black OME marked " OME 767 X" anyone know what these are

shock wise ive got OME nitrochargers in the front that are completely yellow and in the rear what seems like a similar shock with a bigger bore and a black plastic sleeve over it.

The damper is also OME wich im going to change to a coil over type for my sand driving as i find those a bit better personally.

I woulda thought those are a fairly decent setup, i dont have noticeable sag in the front maybe a tiny bit in the rear but i definitely notice a lot body roll.

i know its tall and you get body roll etc etc etc but it does seem a bit excessive.

anyone know what sort of shocks i could replace these with?

do they even need replacing or will new bushes help the roll? if my heights from bump stop to axle are good im guessing springs are fine and its just shocks to address if at all. and at 230,000 im guessing it might be time for shocks.

i was thinking about taking it in to ARB to see if i could pick their brain, its my first defender so I've no idea what landrover spec stuff looks like vs aftermarket gear, so I'm not sure whats been done to caster correction, radius arms, swivel hubs etc etc etc.. if anything?

I suppose thats deal when you buy a used 4x4 .. when it came to serviceing i just serviced everything and gave myself a clean slate to work from and would kinda like to do the same here...

[blackapache]

so i checked the OEM stuff on devon 4x4 they had a listing for OME 767 and says its a 30mm lift for the front... and i have 4 1/2" from axle to bump stop ... anyone care to advise if this seems right or even elaborate for me?

[schuy1]

41/2 sounds right. I have 50mm raised and thats about the gap I have. Regarding body roll, yes its a tall vechile, taller again with raised springs, body roll is something you get used to. Its a tradeoff between ride comfort, offroad articulation and onroad handling, make the springs hard to stop roll, you reduce the articulation and reduce ride comfort.
Just remember it aint a sports car, so cant drive around corners like 1 :D If I were you I would be going to a Landy group and seeing their setups and going for a ride to compare with yours. Talking here is good but cant compare to real hands on, and suspension can be a very personal thing.
Cheers
Scott