Series one suspension

[slug_burner]

aulro members,


I posted on the series one forum thought that you might also care to comment.


I was having a look at the workshop manual where the information Diana has provided along with the diagram are present. Now how many 86" LR were made between 48 & 53. I only ask because the diagram has the 86" in with the 80" spring information.

Now to anyone who has had the pleasure of riding in an 80" of various vintages and an 86". The information in the workshop manual shows that the spring rates chaged on the front spring from 200 lb/in to 230 lb/in to 190 lb/in throughtout the years that the 80" was produced. For the 86" they provided a much softer spring rate at 152 lb/in. My question is, did the ride quality change significantly as a result of the changes in spring rate. Within the 80" spring rates I don't expect that it would have been all that noticeable but from approx 200 +/- lb/in to 152 lb/in I would expect a bit of a difference. Subsequerntly people have imported parabolic springs to improve the ride. I don't know what the spring rate of the parabolics are but I would expect that it would be softer and perhaps variable. Not up to speed with the principles behind the parabolics so at this stage if you could just comment on if the ride quality is improved resulting from the spring rate change between an 80" and 86" it would be greatly appreciatted.

Also would like to know what people are using for shock absorbers on their 80"

[Lotz-A-Landies]

aulro members,

I posted on the series one forum thought that you might also care to comment.

I was having a look at the workshop manual where the information Diana has provided along with the diagram are present. Now how many 86" LR were made between 48 & 53. I only ask because the diagram has the 86" in with the 80" spring information. ...

...Also would like to know what people are using for shock absorbers on their 80"

Hi - Yes I am here too.

The only 86" Land Rovers made during 1948 through 1953 were the prototype 86" made in 1952 and 1953 (off the top of my head) and the 1954 production year vehicles the first of which were manufactured between August 1953 and the end of December 1953. However in spite of their being built in 1953 they are 1954 models, with 1954 car numbers.

If you are referring to the spring dimensions for the 80", I most probably got those from the combined 1948 - 1958 workshop manual. This includes the front springs of the 80" and the 86" on the same page and the same for the rear springs. I am also believe that the inclusion of the 86 with the 80" spring diagram is a printing error which was the subject of a Rover Service Bulletin. Sorry if this has confused you, if you have a wide front spring 80", you can in fact use the springs off an 86" but you should use a pair.

Can not comment on the spring rates or parabolics.

I have Monroe shocks, by the successor company of Monroe Wiley P/L of South Australia who made the shocks for original spec Australian assembled 80" Land Rovers and who were the "Approved Rover Part" manufacturer for replacement shock absorbers in Australia.

The rear shock absorbers for the 80" are still listed in the Monroe catalogue. For the front shock absorbers, I again used Monroe shock absorbers which are not listed for the 80". What I had to do was to go through the book and using the eye size the same as the rear shock absorbers and the compressed and extended lengths of a 1954 through 1975 Land Rover front shock absorber, found an equivalent shock. It was off a Nissan wagon of some description. This was all done at my local Auto-Pro store who had the correct shocks in stock.

Diana