Thread: parabolics...

My Dad put all new STD spec springs/shocks etc on an LWB S3 and the ride was as jarring as ever!
He later bought my S2 and fitted paras....chalk and cheese.
Paras or coils for me!
Dave

Originally Posted by chazza

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2. Too many leaves in the pack for the application - some of them need to be removed to give more flex.

For pictures of unbelievable articulation from slightly modified standard springs, check out Isuzu Rover's photos; post 16
http://www.aulro.com/afvb/series-3/4...springs-2.html

Cheers Charlie

Thanks Charlie - not quite unbelievable - I would say easily obtainable!

To correct point 2. It is not necessarily the number of leaves but the thickness of the leaves.

For example, OEM 88" front springs have 9 x ~4.4 mm leaves and a spring rate of ~200 lb/in.
New replacements have 9 x 5 mm leaves (so the same number, and only 0.6 mm thicker per leaf - because <5 mm springs steel is now unobtainable) - this slight increase in thickness changes the spring rate to ~350 lb/in.

So on the front axle, fitting new aftermarket springs would mean your front end is now almost twice as stiff as before! And you would need an extra ~150 kg (basically 3 heavy winches bolted to the bullbar) to compress the suspension 1".

My aftermarket front springs have been converted to 6-leaf springs instead of their original 9 - but that only makes them the same as OEM 9 leaf springs!