Thread: Saggy Bum

unless I'm missing something

You are missing something.
Downward travel is controlled by the length of the shock absorber, so all you do is lose suspension travel.

Look in prctice you will probably get away with spring spacers and air bags , because air bags provide a progressive spring that will probably prevent the suspension bottoming on the bump stops. They also reduce articulation so are best for carrying heavy loads on long trips, rather than mountain track work.
Regards Philip A

But above I mentioned spacing everything by 2", so the geometry would be the same, but not having done this before, I don't want to assume. So if the bumpstops were spaced down by 2", the springs shouldn't bind, and if the shock top mount is lowered by 2", the suspension travel should be the same.

Anyway, I've learned a bit here. Airbags sound great but I can see now that they don't raise a vehicle, they're just a backup for heavier loads without always having heavier springs.

You could try a pair of these,
Google Image Result for http://www.rimmerbros.co.uk/ItemImages/Large/GRID009343.jpg

They are Range rover classic EAS assemblies. Easy to plumb in and fit, the replaceable bellows are around $100 each, and easily last 10 years. Height and weight changes are no longer a problem, you can just add or remove air pressure. The lower mountings are a direct fit to your lower axle mount, and the top ones require minimal modification to fit.

I just fitted some to the rear of a D1 and it is fantastic.

JC

I saw your thread on that and it has come to mind a few times lately! I am tempted - it looks ideal - but I didn't want to have to adapt anything, though it doesn't sound too hard. They would solve a few problems.

From your thread: RRC airsprings to rear of D1 (in case anyone is looking for it), it seems like there's some grinding and drilling at the top and that's about it?

Originally Posted by Davo

I saw your thread on that and it has come to mind a few times lately! I am tempted - it looks ideal - but I didn't want to have to adapt anything, though it doesn't sound too hard. They would solve a few problems.

From your thread: RRC airsprings to rear of D1 (in case anyone is looking for it), it seems like there's some grinding and drilling at the top and that's about it?

Yes thats all there is, and IF you want to refit coils you don't remove enough of the top seat to be an issue at all, in fact you end up with more material left than the RR classic with factory EAS, and they convert to coils quite safely.
I highly recommend it, and the D1 owner is very happy with ride quality and versatility.

JC

Okay, the part number is NTC9820, and the top looks like this:



and the bottom looks like this:



So I take it that the bottom locating pins just go into the tapped holes for the bottom plate on the axle, and at the top you can see the two locating pins that would need holes drilled?

And since nothing is holding them in as such, then it would be a matter of making sure your shocks are fully extended before the airsprings fall out!

Originally Posted by Davo

Okay, the part number is NTC9820, and the top looks like this:



and the bottom looks like this:



So I take it that the bottom locating pins just go into the tapped holes for the bottom plate on the axle, and at the top you can see the two locating pins that would need holes drilled?

And since nothing is holding them in as such, then it would be a matter of making sure your shocks are fully extended before the airsprings fall out!

they don't use the bolt holes, your rangie is a bit early for the lower pin holes to be drilled already possibly, i can fix that by sending you a template. they are held in by clips,
Google Image Result for http://www.lrdirect.com/images/T/NTC9449.jpg
top and bottom.

it is important that if using 2" lifted shocks that you raise the bag mountings the same amount.

jc

Ahhh, I get you. I saw the clips in the parts book but it didn't twig. I just looked in the workshop manual and the clips go on the top and the bottom.

It shouldn't be too hard to make a template. The springs just sit straight on the axle mount? And it looks like the pins go towards the front and the back. The manual also says that the bumpstop is a "progressive" type and shouldn't be interchanged with the coil spring kind.

Did you set up the airlines connected or separately?