HD Springs/Shocks

[Landshandy]

Hi Guys,

Can anyone recommend some good HD Springs/Shocks and also how easy are they to fit and what will I need. I'm a bit of a novice when it comes to this but looking to learn through the art of tinkering.

Cheers,

Nick

 

[theflyingvegetable]

I've got the terra firma setup all round and no complaints, they seem to work well. Although the ride isn't massively compliant when empty.

Fitting, just basic hand tools, sockets spanners jacks and axle stands. Preferably a torque wrench.

 

[Paul D]

What tfv said ..

But ..

If you're green-laning and/or off-roading I wouldn't suggest HD. I have them, and they _do_ work, but only 'cos I carry a winch, a shed-load of tools and spares and camping gear all the time. If you want them for on-road to help with towing etc then don't get lift springs either, get standard height HD's, which will appear to lift the vehicle slightly, simply 'cos they don't sag so much.

Dead easy to fit.

Whereabouts are you, maybe someone could help or at least point out stuff and take the **** for your first time fettling shocks and springs ..

 

[ER1C]

Hi Guys,

Can anyone recommend some good HD Springs/Shocks and also how easy are they to fit and what will I need. I'm a bit of a novice when it comes to this but looking to learn through the art of tinkering.

Cheers,

Nick

When you fit HD SPRINGS and shocks you will get a lift keep that in mind as it will impact performance on the road and with turns and it may be as much as an inch+. Many say the benefit of a lift is far outweighed by the loss of stability on the road but I wont get into that.

Springs and Shocks are easy enough but following mine (defender, I note you haven't said year but I will assume its the Defender style TDI etc). I wouldn't do this as a novice as there is a hell of a lot of weight in your Landy and this is essentially taking the weight of the body and separating from the Chassis whilst you swap the springs. Its simple enough but a lot of grunting.

2 Trolley Jacks (you need to be able to get an entire axle lifted safely)
Spring Compressors (these were a PIG to fit and use)
Getting the springs in and out was my biggest problem perhaps HD spring compressors would have made it easier, access was limited.

 

[Paul D]

Spring compressors are not needed at all ... just basic common sense and safe use of jack and axle stands .. and you don't need to lift an entire axle at all. It can be done that way, but I usually just do a corner at a time, on either the 90 or the Disco .. and I've changed springs and shocks a fair few times ..

In fact a corner at a time is easiest and way safest .. three wheels stay planted so less likely to move, especially if, like me, you use a bottle jack to 'open up' the space between axle and chassis enough to let springs almost fall out! Or take shocks off first so the axle droops more easily.

 

[brian47]

^ +1
In fact spring compressors can be blurry dangerous if you don't set them up absolutely correctly.
Just jack the wheel as high as you can safely and securely support the vehicle body/chassis.
Undo the necessary nuts and bolts the carefully lower the wheel on the jack.
Use the weight of the vehicle to compress the springs once everything is in place.

 

[ER1C]

Well I tried that and didn't have space for getting the spring out... good luck

 

[vilguy]

Well I tried that and didn't have space for getting the spring out... good luck

Ive cheated and used a jack between the arms and the chassis to give an extra bit of room required to get the spring out. Make sure the damperis disconnected first mind....

 

[Landshandy]

Hi guys,

Cheers for your help. I'm based in central London in Clapham. It's a disco 2 gs 2002 model. I'm planning a charity drive to the Western Sahara and was told to get HD due to needing to carry around 600kg :s

I'm driving for penny brohn and Chrons disease but also delivering aid to Western Saharan refugees, hence extra weight.

I was going to get the garage to do it however since I'm new to this I thought any chance to do some tinkering would be extremely beneficial.

 

[vilguy]

i would do it yourself because then you would not feel so helpless if things go wrong on your drive to the spar (in the sahara).

Fitting springs is pretty easy to do, and a good break in to car mechanics.

 

[Paul D]

As v says .. and yeah, that amount of extra weight probably does warrant HD springs ..

 

[Landshandy]

Cheers, guys. Anyone recommend a make? Also what impact will HD have? Someone told me that the ride is awful

 

[Paul D]

MD, HD, Medium or Heavy duty both make a harsher ride than stock when the vehicle is 'normally' loaded. Medium Duty, to me is when you add say some camping stuff in the back, maybe a winch and a roofrack and leave the stuff in. HD is when you also have maybe a HD bumper and Heavier winch, maybe a rear winch, full camping gear and accoutrements, a roofrack and kit on it like tyres or water bottles, with maybe an extra spare wheel on the back, expedition stylee.

 

[West Slope Rover]

I have Bilstein HD springs and shocks on the Green Beast and I heartily approve of their performance. Can't really fault them. I have standard springs on my other RRC and they're mush. Don't like 'em.

 

[Landshandy]

Tempted to give it a go myself. Sounds like HD is the way to go

 

[White_Disco]

I've been running Britpart Yellow HD springs for many years, they are harsher than standard (but I run empty most of the time) but I like the extra ride height. Always use HD shocks with them though, I've found that standard shocks don't work well and wear out quick. I have spring compressors and agree that you probably don't need them. I used them on my first spring change (cos that's what haynes says to do) and a spring under compression flew out whilst in the front wheel arch narrowly missing my head. The noise it made plus my shouted expletive had 2 people in the street run over to see if I was alright! I found the spring under a parked car a few cars down the road! So you raise the car on axle stands under the chassis as high as possible. Take the wheels off, remove the shocks and put a trolley jack under the axle and lower it as far as you can, watch the brake lines! I had to use the spring compressor for 1 front spring, to compress it by a few millimetres to get it under (I probably could have raised the chassis up a bit further but was too lazy too).