Thread: Our Defender/County 120?

Originally Posted by def-90

U can squeeze in gu c.v's into tover housing for cheaper added strength, a mate runs them, can't remember what he did to make themmfit though

Weren't Jack Mc doing this conversion at one stage too ?

Originally Posted by Rangier Rover

Just an update.... I have ditched the Dana/sals front as need wheel travel and need to keep this rig low as possible.

Now building up a Nissan 4.8 auto petrol GU high pinion 3.545 ( very close to 3.54:1 ratio)
into rover torque tubes and swivels with HT shafts using AEU2522 CV's. This is done by changing to 24spine side gears in the Nissan ARB locker.
See how the Rover shafts and CV's survive before I go looking for more strength. I'm only running 35" tyres so should be OK.
Pretty much every thing remains standard this way.

Tony, where does the banjo fall on the GU in relation to the Rover one ?

Is it a little wider, set further out ?
Do you lose bump travel ?

(I can't measure the one that lives here, it's just left to go to work and anyway, the frost is still miles too thick to go crawling around outside ATM )

Originally Posted by rick130

Tony, where does the banjo fall on the GU in relation to the Rover one ?

Is it a little wider, set further out ?
Do you lose bump travel ?

(I can't measure the one that lives here, it's just left to go to work and anyway, the frost is still miles too thick to go crawling around outside ATM )

With some cutting and welding in a spacer, the nissan diff will fit into the rover banjo. The pics below are from another member (I hope he doesn't mind me posting them)

Originally Posted by Rangier Rover

I'll let you know all the details once done



I spoke to an engineer first so are limited on how radical I can go with this

I'm happy the share the measurements and part nos etc for my set up but will differ depending ride heights and shock lengths etc.

I took some measurements of the existing coil springs as follows.

Fully compressed = 210mm
Normal desired ride height=360mm
Full down travel =540mm

I'm using Firestone bags as comes in kit form (OA 4515) and seems to be approved

Just this kit will be a hybrid kit

The bag part no is AB0056
The piston part no is AB 0070

Closed height = 227mm
Fully extended=547mm
Very close to the money less 10mm I'll play with spacers and the top shock mounts til I get it spot on.
Wont have as much flex as my old rangie but will be a lot safer with big loads on and will still out do any patrol or cruiser So happy with that.

Biggest drama now is they don't recommend running the same compressor on the bags as the diff lockers. I cant see why it would be a drama Just run a bigger tank.

Tony

Just bumping this up.

I have pretty much buggered one of the rear airbags and need to replace it asap. Couldn't find the part no till I remembered the fact I had posted it here.
I'm having all sorts of dramas with AIRBANG man as they cant find my details as has been archived and I have since formed a new company. All I want is a new air spring.

Edit.... After many phone calls all sorted and a new air spring is on its way. Damage is around $280. The old unit is still holding air so will become a spare.

The issue is the top spring perch pinching the air bag when the vehicle is dumped on it's guts.(as the saying goes) I often lower the 120 when lifting objects on and off the tray etc.
The engineer at airbag man seems very interested in the issue at hand but the only real solution I can see is either space the air bags further down, smaller diameter air bag or modify the top spring perch. I will be taking the last option and leaving the ergonomics as is.

New air spring has arrived, I dropped the shocks out of the way and cycled the suspension to take proper measurements and further investigate why the air spring is getting pinched so badly at the back section of the top spring perch.

Briefly we need 280mm stroke length shocks, 60mm extra tray height as the tyres hit hard atm. I'll cut and fit 60mm wheel wells in so the main tray remains low as possible.

The pinching appears to be a combination of issues ranging from... the air spring top adapter being larger then the top plate making a pinch point at the spring perch. The air spring compresses slightly off set due to the radius of the lower links. The longer bellow versus the shorter piston on this particular custom airspring.

I have modified the top brackets so they cant make such a tight a pinch point as the bellow occasionally can work its way up there. I'll also elongate the mounting plate holes and move the top plate forward about 2mm.
Looks like I will be getting Ultimate suspension to custom build some shocks for me with the correct length and damping rate.



http://www.aulro.com/afvb/attachment...1&d=1343825449

http://www.aulro.com/afvb/attachment...1&d=1343825449

Top adapter modified for more clearance.


Bellow tucking up with out pinching.

Interesting to see, do you know the firestone part no's of the bags you used? I have a custom setup on mine using the 1t14c-8 bellows but with a different piston as used on the shorter bags, i to have noticed the pinching issue and had modified my top mounts slightly but i have actually shortened them as well to allow for more up travel, do you have any pics of the damage it has done to the bags?

Also been looking for info on the x-deflex, how do you find it with the airbags? i pretty well destroyed my rear sway bar shortly after changing to the airsprings and want to try something else.

Originally Posted by cal415

Interesting to see, do you know the firestone part no's of the bags you used? I have a custom setup on mine using the 1t14c-8 bellows but with a different piston as used on the shorter bags, i to have noticed the pinching issue and had modified my top mounts slightly but i have actually shortened them as well to allow for more up travel, do you have any pics of the damage it has done to the bags?

Also been looking for info on the x-deflex, how do you find it with the airbags? i pretty well destroyed my rear sway bar shortly after changing to the airsprings and want to try something else.

Hi Mick,
I dont have the Firestone PN with me ATM, I believe the actual bellow and top plate that's crimped on are two separate items too?

I'll grab up some pics of the pinch damage soon. Its quite bad.

The X-eng deflex works very well in my application. I did have an issue with the factory mounts on the diff housing and also had a failure of the left arm thats curved for the tail pipe but is all sorted now.

As the name suggest, it is more an anti flex design than a sway bar in my opinion. You may still notice a very small amount of body roll until the slack with the FWH etc takes up, then its tight as a drum.