Suspension

[Landy86]

Hi guys,

I no this has been spoken about a million times already on the forum, but I still can't find were to get some lift kits for my defender.

I've purchased the gwyn Lewis challenger kit for my 2015 defender 130 but are now looking for springs locally and some prices on fox remote resiviours adjustable shocks.

I've tried apt but have waited a month for springs and been told today another 3 weeks before they might have them in stock.

Does anyone no a good place and someone to talk to to get the right springs for the 130

Cheers

[TimNZ]

There are issues with lifting the TDCi defender, mainly the front prop. I have found having a front bump stop clearance greater than 90mm has adverse effects.

In saying that, (outside of this forum), one of the few company's to take some time to give me advice was Les Richmond Automotive, I'd recommend giving them a call.

Cheers,

[MLD]

Landy86, looking with your eyes closed? Suspension is probably the most talked about topic on this forum.

Have a squiz at Superior Engineering for a range of remote shocks. You might find cheaper and just as good equivalents to Fox. I know a few running the Amarda's without complaint.

As for coils if you have specs in mind give Dobinson suspension at call. They have made 2 sets of custom coils for me for a 130. Can't speak high enough for their preparedness to design and make a coil to my specs. If you want the specs of my coils, troll through my build thread under Member rides, i've posted the specs for various coils fitted during the build. FYIW i believe that the D130 factory specs for coils is perfect for the D130, if you want lift find a set that have a longer free length with the same Lbs rates.

To get the best out of any shock in the 11" range you might want to consider SE super flex radius arms or an equivalent. There is a fella on Facebook Garret Krampe that was designing radius arms with massive flex.

Something to be mindful of, a D130 bump stop clearance is about 25mm greater than a D110 (F&R) so any marketing quoting a lift might not be an actual lift in a D130. I learned that the hard way when i fitted +2" coils and lost bump stop clearance to the factory coils.

Departing words, don't trust the marketing material of the after market coil manufacturers. The only way to known how the coil will behave is knowing the specs: e.g. coil turns, wire diameter, free length, rate in lbs and compare to factory. If they won't give that info to you, walk away. I guarantee you what you buy isn't suited to a D130.

[1nando]

Hi guys,

I no this has been spoken about a million times already on the forum, but I still can't find were to get some lift kits for my defender.

I've purchased the gwyn Lewis challenger kit for my 2015 defender 130 but are now looking for springs locally and some prices on fox remote resiviours adjustable shocks.

I've tried apt but have waited a month for springs and been told today another 3 weeks before they might have them in stock.

Does anyone no a good place and someone to talk to to get the right springs for the 130

Cheers

Leave it alone or prepare for a can of worms that will leave you wishing you'd spent your money on something else.
Spend the money on 16x8 negative 25 offset steel rims and a set of bfg 255/85/16 km2s instead.
When your standard suspension is gone upgrade to bilstein or koni shocks with standard hd springs (depending on kerb weight of your vehicle). Do the research and live to spwnd your money wisely

Sent from my SM-G925I using AULRO mobile app

[DiscoMick]

Just in case it helps I believe the standard front coils for a 130 are the same as the HD front coils for a 110 and are rated at 225 lb/inch. The standard front coils for a 110 are rated at 185 lb/inch. If that's not right someone will say, I'm sure.
The Britpart catalogue has a lot of spring choices so you may want to study that. Many have 2 inch lifts but there are also standard heights.
A Britpart advert in Land Rover Monthly shows options for the 130 of:
Front: a 40mm lift to a rate of 230 lb/in and free height of 390mm
Rear: 50mm lift, rate 420 lb/inch, free height 445mm.
Terrafirma also has a range of springs in its catalogue.
The British companies have products that are designed specifically for Landys.
Personally I've decided not to lift my 110 as I'm setting it up for touring, not rock-climbing, and it already has all the height I need.
Hope that helps.


Sent from my SM-G900I using AULRO mobile app

[MLD]

A Britpart advert in Land Rover Monthly shows options for the 130 of:
Front: a 40mm lift to a rate of 230 lb/in and free height of 390mm
Rear: 50mm lift, rate 420 lb/inch, free height 445mm.

The OP has the Gwyn Lewis Challenger kit. the only objective of that kit is long suspension travel and to make it work you need 10" or longer travel shocks.

Using the Britpart example. Factory specs are:

130 stock suspension free length
FD 395mm 15.3" rate 225 lbs/in
FP 382mm 14.8" rate 225 lbs/in
Rear 420mm 16.5" 270-420lbs/in progressive (with the inner fitted you are at 420 lbs/in with a light load)

The Britpart front coil is an insignificant difference in rate and (averaged) the same free length. You shouldn't expect any meaningful lift on those specs. By increasing wire diameter you increase rate all other things remaining the same and if you increase the number of winds you get a softer coil and by deceasing the winds you increase the rate. As a rule of thumb the Britpart coil should have almost the same wire diameter and number of winds as factory.

As for the rear the comments above are equally applicable. You end up with a 1" lift over factory.

You also will have significant coil dislocation with these specs if you fit shocks with a length that suits the GL kit. Visually impressive, functionally useless.

These are 410mm free length with 11" travel shocks and gwyn lewis mounts. these coils ended up with a negative 7mm bump stop clearance over factory and they were 540lbs/in rate which is massive stiff. The axle travel is limited by the dislocation hook. Worked to save destroying my trailing arm mounts.



These are 550mm free length (440lbs/in progressive) with the same shocks and mounts.



If you are going down the path of gwyn lewis and long travel shocks you need to focus on flexi coils or go custom. I paid $300 a pair for custom, not bad. Anything from a catalogue will end up in you ripping them out in short time. LRA, as Tim suggested, has a selection that might suit you and they disclose their specs so you can compare. Superior Engineering might also have flexi coils on the shelf.