Thread: Winch install without suspension upgrade?

Spacers are illegal (here anyway), get a set of 2" Lovells springs and the weight of the bulbar and winch and second battery will bring you back down to standard height, or stick with stockies and be 2" lower at the front, Regards Frank.

I was just looking at OME Medium springs, supposedly they give 1.18 inch lift in front and 1.3 inch lift in the back. I think that would be a good option (only if OME were not so expensive).

I am running Koni adjustable shocks and really like them and don;t want to replace them.

I have std '88 rangie rear springs (blue 150lb) in the front of my D1 atm, this gives a small lift...maybe 20mm or so.


In the process of making a tube style front bar to take a winch, and guessing this will bring the front back down to standard height more or less....

G'day Tank, can you expand/clarify on the 'spacers are illegal' statement? Is there a relevant code/regs/etc you can reference? That's the first I've heard of coil-spring suspension spacers not being legal. Lowering blocks on leaf springs are illegal, as are wheel spacers (unless they are OE fit) due to the effect they have on loads and forces, but I can't see a coil spring spacer being a safety issue. Cheers

Originally Posted by Tank

Spacers are illegal (here anyway), get a set of 2" Lovells springs and the weight of the bulbar and winch and second battery will bring you back down to standard height, or stick with stockies and be 2" lower at the front, Regards Frank.

Go to a local spring works and get some custom heavy duty std height springs. I had the same issue with a winch with my old D1. I didn't get around to it but when I lived in Albury, Wodonga spring works quoted $88 for each spring. No lift required. And ask the spring bloke for info and don't rely on he said/she said on a forum

Originally Posted by DiscoClax

G'day Tank, can you expand/clarify on the 'spacers are illegal' statement? Is there a relevant code/regs/etc you can reference? That's the first I've heard of coil-spring suspension spacers not being legal. Lowering blocks on leaf springs are illegal, as are wheel spacers (unless they are OE fit) due to the effect they have on loads and forces, but I can't see a coil spring spacer being a safety issue. Cheers

Disco Clax, I was knocked back at the yearly rego insp. (NSW) a few years back for having 1" spring spacers on my rear coils, you can check the NSW RTA (or whatever it's called nowadays) or with your local RTA, Regards Frank.

Mogindo,
moving rear springs to the front, and adding new rear springs (maybe fraction taller and heavier) is a common practice. The issue is with the extra weight of the winch and bar etc hence the need for stronger springs, not necessarily longer springs.
1. measure front bump stop clearance,
2. Put in the winch
3. measure front bump stop clearance
4. fit rear springs to front
5. measure front bump stop clearance ... guess it will be close to #1
6. fit new rear springs, or get a second hand set off the rear of another D1 or RRC.

I basically did this on my previous RR, fitted a pair of Kings +2 to rear, and with a load, all level and ride still reasonably soft.

There is a table of springs/ratings/lengths etc:
Coil Springs


Good luck.