Thread: Which spring on which corner?

Originally Posted by Dougal

Yeah ignore that I was having a dumb day.

But IMO it's not driver weight that's the reason for the longer springs on the right. With four springs the same height and no driver my rangie leans to the right.
With four equal length springs and an inch high spacer on the back right it sits flat. Again with no driver.

I think it's due to spring perch height. My truck used to be LHD, the orginal springs had the right side a full two inches longer than the left. It needed this much bias to make it lean slightly left for driving on the right of a cambered road.

I have weighed the vehicle front/back and side/side. The RHS is 60kg heavier than the left, I put that mostly down to diffheads being on the right.

Besides manufacturing tolerance, the spring perches are at the same heights all round.

Diffs are 'un sprung' mass and have no bearing on the springs which are 'above' them and therefore not affected.

Most landies sit slightly higher on the drivers side on level ground due to taller springs on the drivers side. Longer by "X" means nothing as this is a rate equation.

However, the Battery, Driver, and engine torque all work to push the drivers side (in Oz) down and the longer springs compensate for this.

There is no compensation for cambered roads in coils, thats done by alignment.

Originally Posted by tombraider

Besides manufacturing tolerance, the spring perches are at the same heights all round.

Diffs are 'un sprung' mass and have no bearing on the springs which are 'above' them and therefore not affected.

Most landies sit slightly higher on the drivers side on level ground due to taller springs on the drivers side. Longer by "X" means nothing as this is a rate equation.

However, the Battery, Driver, and engine torque all work to push the drivers side (in Oz) down and the longer springs compensate for this.

There is no compensation for cambered roads in coils, thats done by alignment.

Thanks but I'm well aware of all those factors. Unloaded with equal springs my rangie hangs to the right. In fact most of them do.

Even in the states the right side hang is noticed. There it's ammo for "fat wife" jokes.

But there is no possible alignment (short of bending stuff) which can change a coil sprung landrovers alignment from one side to the other. It is done with coils and I had the coils to prove it.
The only alignment possible is toe in/out and your drag link (steering wheel centring).

Have you measured your spring perches for manufacturing tolerance? I did and it showed my back right one is higher than the back left.
Fronts were even.

G'day Dougal

I gather that you are from a LHD country??? if so there are some folk on this forum that are Engineers and also in the Motor trade specialising in LANDROVERS and are well aware of the Austalian Spring Manufactures specs for AUSTRALIAN 12 Degree Cambered Roads, so, instead of debating the point some constructive help would be appreciated by Bulldog

Rant Over

Originally Posted by Dougal

Thanks but I'm well aware of all those factors. Unloaded with equal springs my rangie hangs to the right. In fact most of them do.

Even in the states the right side hang is noticed. There it's ammo for "fat wife" jokes.

But there is no possible alignment (short of bending stuff) which can change a coil sprung landrovers alignment from one side to the other. It is done with coils and I had the coils to prove it.
The only alignment possible is toe in/out and your drag link (steering wheel centring).

Have you measured your spring perches for manufacturing tolerance? I did and it showed my back right one is higher than the back left.
Fronts were even.

If anything a lower ride height on one side will make alignment worse as the wheelbase will lengthen slightly on that side.
However, no, there is no facility for castor, camber or thrust adjustment from factory, only toe.
You raise an interesting point about the perches tho, LR has never been known for QC afterall. Mine still leans over to the right too, even with new good quality aftermarket springs (and they were handed), I had put it down to the sub tank in the RH qtr gaurd but it still leans even with the sub tank virtually empty.
I was planning to pack the bottom spring perch up off the housing a little, say 10mm.

Originally Posted by UncleHo

G'day Dougal

I gather that you are from a LHD country??? if so there are some folk on this forum that are Engineers and also in the Motor trade specialising in LANDROVERS and are well aware of the Austalian Spring Manufactures specs for AUSTRALIAN 12 Degree Cambered Roads, so, instead of debating the point some constructive help would be appreciated by Bulldog

Rant Over

I'm not exactly sure what your rant was about. If it was my first post (which I said to ignore) then I've deleted it to make ignoring it a little easier.

12 degrees is a hell of a camber (200mm fall per metre). Are you sure about that number?
The original posters question has been answered, other points that were raised are still being discussed. Not sure why you have a problem with that.

Why do I bother?

Originally Posted by tombraider

Why do I bother?

At least you tried

just to throw another spanner in the works, but i thought longer springs on one side was to compensate for the engine, which under torque causes the car to lean a bit to one side.


of course it could just be a combination of all of the above?

The fat driver theory might apply to american cars. But I've never known any manufacturer to have "australian spec" suspension to compensate for our crappy off camber roads