QUICK LOVELL QUESTION

**td express** · 31st March 2009, 08:52 PM

Getting the 2'' lift in the next few weeks on my 01 td5 disco, using Lovells and Bilsteins. My question is I will be doing a bit of towing with a camper trailer, with a ball weight of around 150 to 180kg's and the trailer could be anywhere between 800kg and 1300 kg's depending on how much beauty products my good lady can shoe horn into it.
How firm will I need to be in the rear springs?
Done a bit of homework here and firmer front springs and medium rears seem to be the norm, but not sure if thats ideal for the towing weight/ ball weight.
Told ya it was a quick question..

Thanks all,

**discowhite** · 1st April 2009, 06:07 AM

polyairs

ide also look at lowering your ball weight figure under 150kg.

cheers phil

**Pedro_The_Swift** · 1st April 2009, 06:15 AM

yep,, 180 is way to much.

**C H T** · 1st April 2009, 06:26 AM

Fit softer rears and use Poly-Airs otherwise the ride will be very harsh when travelling without a load.

I have Poly-Airs fitted to bother my Rovers and have had zero problems with them (have been using them for at least 15 years). You can also use them to level the vehicle whem carrying more weight on one side than the other.

Christopher

**Redback** · 1st April 2009, 07:52 AM

Originally Posted by Pedro_The_Swift

yep,, 180 is way to much.

Yes indeed it is Pedro!!

Bring it down to around 100kg if you can, idealy under 100kg would be better.

Baz.

**Hastykiwi** · 1st April 2009, 08:18 AM

Ditto the rest, If your ball weight is 180 u won't be able to lift it to put on the truck. Iw ould suggest most ball weights if the trailer is balanced will be 40-80kg's.

If u were going to run a fully laden truck, ie full drawer setup, fridge, tools, spares, ie the whole touring palava, installed permanently, and tow a touring camper over long distances, up and down daily, then yeah, heavier springs in the rear.

If its the odd heavy trailer that you will tow to a camp site, and leave for 3-4 days while you go off and play through the day with a relativley empty truck, the standard springs would be better.

Best compromise, as the guys have said, air bags.

my 2cents..
Nick

**td express** · 1st April 2009, 11:17 AM

Thanks all, time to do home work on poly airs. Im guessing its an upgrade you would do at the same time as you do the springs for convenience, does it matter if I do it a bit down the track?
With the ball weight, I'm just working off the 10-15% of trailer weight figure so yeah will have to keep an eye on how its loaded for sure.

**discowhite** · 1st April 2009, 11:30 AM

Originally Posted by td express

Thanks all, time to do home work on poly airs. Im guessing its an upgrade you would do at the same time as you do the springs for convenience, does it matter if I do it a bit down the track?
With the ball weight, I'm just working off the 10-15% of trailer weight figure so yeah will have to keep an eye on how its loaded for sure.

easy way, get some bathroom scales and a piece of wood, put them under the tow hitch of the trailer (without the jockey wheel down) that will give you your tow ball weight.
my 800kg trailer has a 38kg down force.

cheers phil

**td express** · 1st April 2009, 11:56 AM

Just out of interest discowhite, what sort of trailer is it that you have?

**Redback** · 1st April 2009, 02:42 PM

Originally Posted by td express

Just out of interest discowhite, what sort of trailer is it that you have?

Do you have a lot of gear in the back (ie) drawers and so on all the time??

With my setup I have a lot of gear in the back all the time and as well tow a camper when we go touring (1.3t to 1.5t, 100kg to 120kg ball weight), I have Lovell springs in mine but no Polyairs, my rear springs are load carrying springs, (380lb/400lb)as well my shocks are valved to compensate for this 100/400 so they don't rebound to fast when it's not loaded, it is stiffer than most setups but not harsh enough that I would go to a softer spring with Polyairs, mine is a little taller than a 2" lift though.

Have a word with the guys at Lovells or suspension specialist they may help you with a good spring setup, you just need to tell them what your going to have in the car when touring and when not touring, of coarse it will be a compromise which ever way you go.

Baz.

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