Rough Defender

[Pete1]

Hello All,
Iam on my 5th landrover and currently own a 2008 Defender.
Its the roughest ride yet ! Especially in the front end.
Can anyone with a similar Defender comment about their ride quality.

Thanks

[Grover-98]

I am guessing you haven't had a series land rover yet ;)

[Pete1]

Yes, I have had a 1980 4 cyl tray back !

[TeZZaP]

I've has a new Defender 110 for about two weeks, its a lot quieter and smoother than the 2003 90" I have. If you are used to Defenders, the latest ones should feel noticeable better, in the road handling side of things, IMHO...

[Pete1]

I had a 1985 110 and recently sold my 1997 Discovery (400 000 km ) and
the new Defender seems a much harsher ride. The front springs are supposed to be progressive rate . Looking at them the top 4 or 5 coils are sitting down on top of each other . Is this right ?

[TeZZaP]

I had a 1985 110 and recently sold my 1997 Discovery (400 000 km ) and
the new Defender seems a much harsher ride. The front springs are supposed to be progressive rate . Looking at them the top 4 or 5 coils are sitting down on top of each other . Is this right ?

No idea... I'll go and have a look at mine...
OK, on mine the top 3 rings sit touching each over, the rest are spaced out as you'd expect... no sure if that helps but that's what mine look like. You could go to your nearest dealer and take a new one out for a test drive, then you'd have something to compare your ride to.

[Pete1]

Ok . Went and checked mine and there is 5 rings touching now !
Dealer reckons all ok , but Iam not convinced. Why should any be touching , that the dealer coud not tell me.

[TeZZaP]

Ok . Went and checked mine and there is 5 rings touching now !
Dealer reckons all ok , but Iam not convinced. Why should any be touching , that the dealer coud not tell me.

Curious, I'll check mine after I've been for a drive, see if it changes.
Other than that I'm afraid you'll have to wait for more knowledgeable persons than I to help you out, good luck

TeZZa

[Pete1]

How many Km have you done ? Iam averaging about 10.6km /lt on hwy.

[TeZZaP]

How many Km have you done ? Iam averaging about 10.6km /lt on hwy.

no idea, I just fill'er up when its low... I don't want to know either!

[TimNZ]

My '08 110 is certainly a rougher ride than my '89 110 County was, but I just put that down to springs that had done about 400,000ks less than the county had.
I fitted a ARB winch bar and winch farily soon after buying it, and fitted "range rover red" springs to take the extra weight, the car seems to ride fairly smoothly now.
I also run my rear tyres at about 40psi, (instead of the stickered 48psi), which helps when its empty. I have found it drives much better laden, also it feels more at home on gravel roads than on tarmac.
You could always fit Disco 2 rubberised shock towers in the front, and rubber isolators under the springs in the back.

Cheers,

Tim

[discowhite]

I had a 1985 110 and recently sold my 1997 Discovery (400 000 km ) and
the new Defender seems a much harsher ride. The front springs are supposed to be progressive rate . Looking at them the top 4 or 5 coils are sitting down on top of each other . Is this right ?

can you post up a photo? coil bind like your saying shouldnt come from factory.

cheers phil

[muddymech]

our 110 drives fine, still got standard springs in front with a winch so little bit low, just waiting for time and funds to put in heavy duty springs.

[Pete1]

Rito I will get 1 on tomorrow !

[Pete1]

I have thought of getting 1985 spring specs and putting after market springs in the new Defender. I would rather have more body roll than a rough ride.

[Pete1]

On the coil bind again. Dealer and customer care ( spoke to tech ) say this is normal out of factory but Iam not convinced.

[dmdigital]

Front springs on the Puma are the same spec as the LH front spring on previous Defenders. The Puma front end isn't handed out of the factory, surprisingly though you still fit handed front HD springs as a replacement:confused:

Mine idles fine and has since new even before I put the bar work on etc. Definitely no binding issue with the front coils.


our 110 drives fine, still got standard springs in front with a winch so little bit low, just waiting for time and funds to put in heavy duty springs.
Set of OEM HD front springs won't set you back even $200 from memory. They brought my front end back up beautifully after putting the winch and bar on the it.

[lambrover]

I think a progressive rate spring has the top couple of coils touching, your 85 most likely had liniar rate coils. my mate had the same car as your new one and we took the sway bars of and we reaken it was a better ride plus it had better wheel travel then to.

[Pete1]

Did the earlier 110 s have the sway bars ?

[dmdigital]

No that was an addition with the Td5's I believe.

[mark2]

No that was an addition with the Td5's I believe.
My '85 County had a rear sway bar (until I removed it!)

[rick130]

A couple of points.

1. Progressive rate springs have the 'softer' section wound more closely. The first few winds will often look coil bound at static ride height. These then collapse and touch, taking themselves out of the equation to give you the heavier rate (wider wound section)

2. There's a big disparity in spring rate between a 1980's 110 and any of the new ones, particularly in the rear. Any 110 with the load leveler had almost RRC spring rates in the back, around 180lb/in. Later ones (Tdi on) used much heavier 330lb/in springs, late TD5's on used progressive rate coils that IIRC went from around 270lb to 420lb/in.
land rover spring specifications (http://members.shaw.ca/jbarge/springinfo.html)

3. An anti-roll-bar, if fitted, will stiffen up the ride in a one wheel bump situation.

[Pete1]

Well, can anybody tell me then if there would be a problem if I went and put similar rate springs to an 85 model 110 in my new 2008 model 110 ?

[rick130]

Well, can anybody tell me then if there would be a problem if I went and put similar rate springs to an 85 model 110 in my new 2008 model 110 ?

You don't have a load leveller in the back end to keep it all straight and level.
That's the only way the older girls could get away with those soft spring rates.

[Pete1]

So do you have any suggestions as to how I can get a similar ride or am I stuck with what Ive got ! Surely I can drop the spring rate to 3/4 of what Ive got

[rick130]

Sure you can, you just won't be able to load it up like any old Defender, and you'll have to carefully select the right spring free length to maintain ride height.

I'll go into how to calculate ride height changes tonight or tomorrow, or contact one of the spring manufacturers and tell them what you want and they can wind a pair of new coils, if they don't have something on the shelf.
ARB do some 270lb 110 rear OME springs that look about the right length, and if you contact Andrew at Les Richmond Automotive he'd be able to help too or The Ultimate Suspension in Sydney (Minto actually, I keep forgetting about them, they really know what they are doing too)

[Pete1]

So , if I drop the spring rate quite a bit for ride quality , as most of my miles ( 90 % )
are done empty, how would it be if a pair of poly air springs were inside the coil for when the camper was being towed or a load inside ?
If I do this, do you think the old rate of 180 lb is too low ?
I would rather have a bit of body roll than the ride I have now.
My 1996 Discovery was a brilliant ride , so even if I could go close to it would be good. It didnt have level ride !

[discowhite]

So , if I drop the spring rate quite a bit for ride quality , as most of my miles ( 90 % )
are done empty, how would it be if a pair of poly air springs were inside the coil for when the camper was being towed or a load inside ?
If I do this, do you think the old rate of 180 lb is too low ?
I would rather have a bit of body roll than the ride I have now.
My 1996 Discovery was a brilliant ride , so even if I could go close to it would be good. It didnt have level ride !

180lb is too light for a 110.
look at something around 230lb front and 230lb rear.
polyairs will help with what you are trying to do. ide also ditch the OE shocks.
dmtd5...
do you know what the rates are of the OE puma springs and what were the rates you installed?

cheers phil

[Pete1]

Ok . I have tried to find what the 2008 Defender and 1985 Defender is as standard but no luck or Iam looking in the wrong places. Just trying to get all the info before I jump in and change things. I even wondered if I could put the load leveler on this model ? I had no trouble with it on my old 110.

[TimNZ]

The 2008 standard front springs are yellow/yellow colour coded which makes them 155/215 lb/inch variable springs (Part number NRC8045). I'm not too sure on the '85 110 though.

I am running Les Richmond Automotive "pink" springs in the front of my defender to take the weight of the winch and bar, it seems to ride ok and the bump stop height is the same as standard.

Cheers,

Tim

[discowhite]

The 2008 standard front springs are yellow/yellow colour coded which makes them 155/215 lb/inch variable springs (Part number NRC8045). I'm not too sure on the '85 110 though.


Tim

crap 155lb is light no wonder theres coils sitting on coils:eek:
even at 215lb i wouldnt say thats a heavy spring. depending on what rates are in the rear i would replace the OE shocks and remove the sway bars and go from there pete1.

cheers phil

[rick130]

I posted the link to JB's spring page, all the rates are listed there......

Les Richmond Automotive have 250lb 110 rear springs available. (remember that 110 rears are a different diameter to RRC and Disco ones)
Ring Andrew and talk to him.

Alternatively ring Ken O'Keefe at The Ultimate Suspension in Sydney.

[rick130]

<snip>
I am running Les Richmond Automotive "pink" springs in the front of my defender to take the weight of the winch and bar, it seems to ride ok and the bump stop height is the same as standard.

Cheers,

Tim

LRA 'Pink'! :eek: (180lb/in, 15.9" right ?)

Geez, they're light.
I have 'purple' (220lb/in, 17" free length) and my bump stop axle pads are polished, and that's just from 'on road'........;)

[TimNZ]

LRA 'Pink'! :eek: (180lb/in, 15.9" right ?)

Geez, they're light.
I have 'purple' (220lb/in, 17" free length) and my bump stop axle pads are polished, and that's just from 'on road'........;)

Yep, LRA Pink. It rides well now, I certainly wouldn't want anything stiffer. Just out of intrest what engine do you have? I'm not sure what the Puma weighs, but I don't think it's much (for a diesel).

Tim

[rick130]

300Tdi, with bullbar and winch.

Stock springs are 225lb/in. 14.8"/15.3" near side/drivers side. Mine had dropped at least 1/2" on that in less than 3 years.

[Pete1]

So guys am I trying for something that just wont work with the 180lb and poly airs in the rear ?
Can the polyairs be left pumped up at whatever pressure I require all the time ?
I just loved the soft ride of my old 110.
I will leave the sway bars on.
Maybe 220lb in the front to carry the bar ?

[rick130]

Only other thought is a full air bag rear.

While this can be nutted out yourself the Airbag Man in Qld has rear kits for Defenders that replace the coils altogether, for a price.

Welcome to Airbag Man Air Bags, Air Suspension, Air Springs (http://www.airbagman.com.au/)

[C H T]

So , if I drop the spring rate quite a bit for ride quality , as most of my miles ( 90 % )
are done empty, how would it be if a pair of poly air springs were inside the coil for when the camper was being towed or a load inside ?
If I do this, do you think the old rate of 180 lb is too low ?
I would rather have a bit of body roll than the ride I have now.
My 1996 Discovery was a brilliant ride , so even if I could go close to it would be good. It didnt have level ride !

Pete1

I will find the part numbers for the springs that I am using in my Defender - fitter lower rate rears and Poly-Airs - I have been using the P-As for the best part of 15 years wihtout probpems - soft ride empty laevel ride (and soft) loaded

Will post the numbers as soon as I can

C H T