Thread: How old is too old for suspension?

Springs should last forever if they are good ones. King springs are good springs.

Shocks & bush's are the only real thing that needs replacing, like any normal car.

If you are going to do bush's then do the lot in one go front & back

Unless broken, it wouldn't surprise me if the Bilsteins are still fine also.

Springs sag with time (and load), even good ones, particularly rear springs and if towing. Vehicle height can be restored by fitting plastic 'spacers' to the top of the springs to regain/even out body height due to spring sag but this does nothing to regain lost spring travel due to the shortening of the spring.

In an off road 4WD shockers can be considered a consumable similar to tyres and batterys but often 'shocker failure' is just shocker rubber failure which is cheaply and easily replaced to restore back to normal. Having said that the factory shocks in my D2a lasted 8 years of serious off road work before needing replacement, quality after market shocks will last longer but can give a harsher and more uncomfortable 'on road' ride. In your D1 wear in the ball joint on top of the rear diff housing will cause a poor ride and should be replaced at the first sign of wear but it's not an easy job to replace the ball joint. A press is essential for your sanity and loss of skin/blood .

D rubbers on the panhard rod(s) can also be a cause of suspension 'looseness' but are cheap and easy to replace. Wear in the front panhard rod mounts ie bolt and bush will give excessive sideways travel/instability but is often just wear in the mounting bolts which are very cheap and easy to replace. For some reason the panhard metal bush insert is harder than the grade 8 bolt that goes through it so it, the bolt, wears and not the bush which can be a bugger of a thing to replace, especially if you don't have a press.

Deano

As a general rule, there is no specific time limit on suspension parts - it all depends on what sort of driving has been done. In all cases I would say replace on condition.

Springs and shocks do wear out..... shocks loose their dampening ability and coils sag over time,

A typical comment I get from a "new" Discovery 2 owner is "oh it rides so hard" I say, its not that it rides hard, its just all warn out, new coils and shocks will transform and Land Rover.

yet the rubbers on the radius arms on a disco 1, disco 2 and Defenders can last a vehicles lifetime! which shows the quality of the rubber used

Regards
Daz

mmm... springs dont wear out...yes they may sag/reduce tension...but in general they dont "wear" out, not like a damper or bush

Played with a few cars over the years... HJ Prem, warm 308, disk brake rear, lovells lowered 25mm,big rubber, Koni's... VH Police HWP Commy ( now that thing did handle )...Troopies....Morries...

Honestly, springs are THE LAST thing to look at. Get all your bush's and shocks sorted first. Those simple things WILL transform your car

Sorry Morry but I disagree, for a 2WD highway cruiser springs mightn't be high on the list of things to do especially when suspension travel is sacrificed to lower a vehicle but off road in an open diffed vehicle suspension travel is everything. It's what made the RRC the superior off road vehicle that it is. Decreased spring travel in the OP's open diffed disco means wheel(s) off the ground and potentially two or zero wheel drive.

Deano

Springs sagged or with reduced tension, is worn out