Thread: Leaf springs (series 3) is there a right and wrong way?

there are differences in the springs...

from memory theres a front left, a front right and 2 rears....

the springs look identical but have different rates.

Front and back springs are different, and left and right springs (both front and back) have different free camber, but I'm pretty certain that all Series springs are symmetrical in that the centrebolt is in the middle and the camber each side of the centrebolt is the same.

For both front and rear springs, the ones with the greater camber are fitted on the driver's side. To complete the picture, different springs are specified for lwb and swb, for petrol and diesel and for six cylinder (although for example 88 diesel is the same as 109 petrol), and I think there are dual rate station wagon springs, without even looking at the One Ton or heavy duty options.

John

So with the fronts, which are obviously shorter, there is a spacer for want of a better term in the shackle (ie one side of the drop shackle is different to the other side and it would be assumed that if they went on the same way as my existing ones they should be right) but with the rears, how can one tell the left spring from the right? Is it to do with the way the shackle bolts go (assuming this has not been changed)? There appear to be no identifying marks on the springs themselves. They are the super heavy duty ex military 109" springs with the extended drop shackles (the ones with the support in the centre) so do these ones normally have a left and right side too? With no markings how does one accurately tell the difference or is there a way?

As said there is a definite nearside/offside difference. They are not inscribed because some vehicles are LHD and others are RHD. The driver's side should have greater camber and this is obvious, however if they are used this may no longer be the case. If it appears that they are the same you should get the springs reset (all of them). The setters will mark them how you want them to be.

A word on resetting your springs, don't get them cold set. Setting in a furnace is necessary otherwise they will settle and go flat after a matter of months. So find a spring maker who can do that.

Originally Posted by disco2hse

As said there is a definite nearside/offside difference. They are not inscribed because some vehicles are LHD and others are RHD. The driver's side should have greater camber and this is obvious, however if they are used this may no longer be the case. If it appears that they are the same you should get the springs reset (all of them). The setters will mark them how you want them to be.

A word on resetting your springs, don't get them cold set. Setting in a furnace is necessary otherwise they will settle and go flat after a matter of months. So find a spring maker who can do that.

I'm not quite sure what is referred to by the camber of the springs - does this mean the arc as you look at it laid on the ground for example? Does the one on the drivers side have to be more curved? Or is it something else?

The main reason I went with these was because I wanted to avoid having to remove springs and have them done, you know, the usual story of wanting a cost effective bolt on solution. Maybe this is not to be... Would a spring place be able to tell me which is which do you think?

Wow, that was not easy Used to be more about leaf springs I am sure.

Have a look at this PDF. It should explain everything you didn't want to know about how a spring works.

Resetting springs is not such a big deal. Unfortunately however, there are fewer and fewer places that are equipped to set them properly. The local spring maker I use here (no good for you) has more than four decades of experience and basically said there are two things that must be done, they must be unpacked to reset and they must be put into a furnace during the process to temper them.

Originally Posted by pfillery

I'm not quite sure what is referred to by the camber of the springs - does this mean the arc as you look at it laid on the ground for example? Yes Does the one on the drivers side have to be more curved? yes Or is it something else?

The main reason I went with these was because I wanted to avoid having to remove springs and have them done, you know, the usual story of wanting a cost effective bolt on solution. Maybe this is not to be... Would a spring place be able to tell me which is which do you think?

The term "camber", applied to a leaf spring, means the amount of curvature of the spring. When you get down to actual numbers, it needs to be more closely defined, but the figure often used is the separation of the top of the top leaf from a straight line joining the centre of the two spring eyes. In this case, all you need is to determine which spring from a pair has the greater camber. If not the correct springs, the springs will allow the vehicle to lean one way or another, although Series Landrovers tend to have a bit of a lean anyway - with the fuel tank, driver and battery (and spare in lwb) all on one side, most of the time there is more load on the driver's side, and the long suspension travell and lack of a sway bar means that unless the different camber exactly counters this, there will be a residual lean. (Common in other sprung vehicles with no sway bar, but most of these had much less suspension travel, and usually central fuel tanks, battery etc., so the effect is much less)

John

Originally Posted by pfillery

I'm not quite sure what is referred to by the camber of the springs -

Free Camber is the correct term. Usually measured perpendicular from the spring eye centreline down to the top of the main leaf (the diagram is slightly incorrect as the arrow stops at the top plate).