80'' leaf springs

[klonk]

I have pulled the leaf springs apart on klonk to clean them up and repaint them.
Was wondering if anybody had any thoughts as to softning up the springs to provide a better ''sunday driver'' type ride rather than the ''Going to hell in a tin bucket'' type ride that one LRSOC owners wife refered to it as.
Having never ridden in a 80'' I dont know how they ride, will probabily carry 4 people and picnic gear.

It has the original springs fitted, not sure how they were sitting because it had odd size tyres on when I bought it.

Cheers Steve

[JDNSW]

In good condition, in other words, with the leaves clean and lubricated, the original springs are going to be hard to better. Compared to later Landrovers the disposable load is smaller, and four people (you have rear seats?) is enough load to make the springs work.

BUT! The 80" is quite light, with almost as much unsprung weight as later Landrovers (particularly if you use the wider and heavier later wheels and tyres larger than the original 6.00x16), and has a very short wheelbase. It is never going to give a "sunday driver" type ride. At least the 80" has thicker seat cushions than the 86/88!

John

[chazza]

Steve,
Go to the S3 forum and search for posts on springs and in particular look for Isuzurover's (Ben) posts on the subject. What he has been able to achieve with standard springs is fantastic.

You can also find all of his posts by going to Community at the top of the page and looking for his name. Essentially he has removed lots of leafs and greased them, with some modification to the ends of each leaf. Send him a PM, he is a very helpful chap,

Cheers Charlie

PS send me a PM if you can't find his post on modification.

[klonk]

Thanks John

Yes I was aware that the 80'' would ''buck'' abit, so will have to try it and see. cant be too bad if no one has any mods to improve the ride.

Charlie
Thanks I found Isuzurovers articles, very good learnt heaps

Cheers Steve

[JDNSW]

Thanks John

.......... cant be too bad if no one has any mods to improve the ride.

......

Cheers Steve

Might have more to do with the fact that the last one was built nearly sixty years ago, and ride comfort for offroad vehicles did not become a significant factor until the success of the Rangerover in the early seventies showed there was a market. By this time the newest 80" was nearly twenty years old, and there was no point in making any ride improvements specially for the narrow springs - all subsequent leaf spring Landrovers have more or less interchangeable springs, so a much larger market.

John