Air Spring VS Coil Spring

Hi folks. I have a RR P38A 1996 4.0 SE with LPG system. I have Air spring on int its all ok no problem untill now . Which is better Air Spring or Coil Spring??? Before i had a RR with Coil Spring but that car was like a boat all the time . Was not very good . How much i can trust Coil Spring on Hi speed??? What is the maximum speed that i can travel with Coil Spring??? If i driver 160 Km/h they are good or is a dangerouse speed for this kind of suspension???

Mostly everyone on this site will say the air suspension is the best and that instead of switching it out you should find out whats wrong with the air suspension first. So what is the problem you are facing with the air suspension? Maybe we can help

That being said... I have coils on my RR and I like them a lot.

Hear we go again lol
A p38 on springs will rock like a boat and scare you at owt over 60mph
Plus may fail mot next year as its none manufactur standerd

gfromleeds said:

Hear we go again lol
A p38 on springs will rock like a boat and scare you at owt over 60mph
Plus may fail mot next year as its none manufactur standerd

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+1 coils are a form of contraception and not for the rangie

A RR was designed with air sus for a reason. Think of nearly 2 1/2 tonnes of 'brick' hurtling down the motorway in standard height....not something i would want to be in. I actually agree with the new MOT rules on this.
TBH, people who fit springs on a P38 do so because they cannot be bothered to sort out a fault with the air suspension & shouldn't be running a P38 in the first place....rant over.

martynv8 said:

a rr was designed with air sus for a reason. Think of nearly 2 1/2 tonnes of 'brick' hurtling down the motorway in standard height....not something i would want to be in. I actually agree with the new mot rules on this.
Tbh, people who fit springs on a p38 do so because they cannot be bothered to sort out a fault with the air suspension & shouldn't be running a p38 in the first place....rant over.

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+1^^^^^^

lilweazel said:

That being said... I have coils on my RR and I like them a lot.

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At what equivalent EAS height? If coils are fitted to give you a static "highway" height and they are fairly stiff then they are perfectly safe. If the car is being kept at standard height then you're risking it at speed - even worse - many coil kits give you EAS "off road" height or more - in which case you're asking to end up on your roof. A mate of mine insisted that as the EAS allowed the car to go to a certain height then coils at the same height would be fine as the car is designed to run at that height - being bloody minded and knowing deep-down he's wrong I suspect because he was obviously conveniently forgetting the EAS will (normally) drop the ride height at speed!

I must say though I wonder if you can lock the P38 in high and drive it fast? Will the EAS over-ride your stupidity? Citroëns with electronically-controlled oleopneumatic suspension do. Perhaps the P38 will just beep at you furiously instead?

StuckAgainSteve said:

At what equivalent EAS height? If coils are fitted to give you a static "highway" height and they are fairly stiff then they are perfectly safe. If the car is being kept at standard height then you're risking it at speed - even worse - many coil kits give you EAS "off road" height or more - in which case you're asking to end up on your roof. A mate of mine insisted that as the EAS allowed the car to go to a certain height then coils at the same height would be fine as the car is designed to run at that height - being bloody minded and knowing deep-down he's wrong I suspect because he was obviously conveniently forgetting the EAS will (normally) drop the ride height at speed!

I must say though I wonder if you can lock the P38 in high and drive it fast? Will the EAS over-ride your stupidity? Citroëns with electronically-controlled oleopneumatic suspension do. Perhaps the P38 will just beep at you furiously instead?

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Wade height is automatically cancelled at 35 MPH as far as i am aware.

StuckAgainSteve said:

At what equivalent EAS height? If coils are fitted to give you a static "highway" height and they are fairly stiff then they are perfectly safe. If the car is being kept at standard height then you're risking it at speed - even worse - many coil kits give you EAS "off road" height or more - in which case you're asking to end up on your roof. A mate of mine insisted that as the EAS allowed the car to go to a certain height then coils at the same height would be fine as the car is designed to run at that height - being bloody minded and knowing deep-down he's wrong I suspect because he was obviously conveniently forgetting the EAS will (normally) drop the ride height at speed!

I must say though I wonder if you can lock the P38 in high and drive it fast? Will the EAS over-ride your stupidity? Citroëns with electronically-controlled oleopneumatic suspension do. Perhaps the P38 will just beep at you furiously instead?

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You can lock it a standard height and drive at 80mph with a trailer and the P38 say's nothing. Of course with a trailer you can't swerve about unless you are looking for trouble anyway
With the caravan I lock it at motorway height which keeps the caravan level, normal height it's nose up and is unhappy

wammers said:

Wade height is automatically cancelled at 35 MPH as far as i am aware.

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Yes, just looked it up in the owners' manual - inhibited or not it will (sensibly) cancel high if the road-speed exceeds 35 mph.

StuckAgainSteve said:

At what equivalent EAS height? If coils are fitted to give you a static "highway" height and they are fairly stiff then they are perfectly safe. If the car is being kept at standard height then you're risking it at speed - even worse - many coil kits give you EAS "off road" height or more - in which case you're asking to end up on your roof. A mate of mine insisted that as the EAS allowed the car to go to a certain height then coils at the same height would be fine as the car is designed to run at that height - being bloody minded and knowing deep-down he's wrong I suspect because he was obviously conveniently forgetting the EAS will (normally) drop the ride height at speed!

I must say though I wonder if you can lock the P38 in high and drive it fast? Will the EAS over-ride your stupidity? Citroëns with electronically-controlled oleopneumatic suspension do. Perhaps the P38 will just beep at you furiously instead?

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It's about half an inch higher then the standard height when I had my EAS in.

As far as overriding the automatic height at speed settings..... I'm sure anything is possible if you have enough access and know how with the EAS ECU.

lilweazel said:

It's about half an inch higher then the standard height when I had my EAS in.

As far as overriding the automatic height at speed settings..... I'm sure anything is possible if you have enough access and know how with the EAS ECU.

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Makes it a lot less safe than a standard car then. If the EU regulations are fully implemented in 2014 (also dependent on retrospectiveness) get ready to refit your EAS for the MOT.

wammers said:

Makes it a lot less safe than a standard car then. If the EU regulations are fully implemented in 2014 (also dependent on retrospectiveness) get ready to refit your EAS for the MOT.

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I'm from the states.

lilweazel said:

I'm from the states.

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Yep i did not clock that, should have though. Bit of memory malfunction. Still unhealthy if you have to do a quick avoidance at speed. Not as stable as EAS over 50 MPH. Rolls are a lot more possible.

As unsafe as any other high CoG vehicle. Drive accordingly and you're fine. Yes, running high at all times is a bigger risk of rollover than a highway hight vehicle. But a high P38 is still safer than a stock 4Runner or Zuki Sammi. Or a heap tonne of stock vehicles that fail Elk tests, such as Defenders and a heap of Jap vehicles.

Just avoid driving like you're in a Mini Cooper.

lilweazel said:

I'm from the states.

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Whats the deal overthere? Do you have anything like our mot?
Were every 12months you have to have your car tested to prove its still as roadworthy as manufacure intended
I ask cos last year i visited and saw some right heaps driving round that no way should be on the road

Bix said:

As unsafe as any other high CoG vehicle. Drive accordingly and you're fine. Yes, running high at all times is a bigger risk of rollover than a highway hight vehicle. But a high P38 is still safer than a stock 4Runner or Zuki Sammi. Or a heap tonne of stock vehicles that fail Elk tests, such as Defenders and a heap of Jap vehicles.

Just avoid driving like you're in a Mini Cooper.

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I think you totally miss the point, by fitting coils you REMOVE a built in safety feature. If you are doing 70 on the motorway and you have to take sudden avoiding action you ARE more likely to roll over. Simple as that.

gfromleeds said:

Whats the deal overthere? Do you have anything like our mot?
Were every 12months you have to have your car tested to prove its still as roadworthy as manufacure intended
I ask cos last year i visited and saw some right heaps driving round that no way should be on the road

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It's different for each state. For 96+ most of them just check the computer to make sure there is no codes being thrown. For 96- they do a sniff test on the exhaust. Some states check tires and brakes some states leave it up to the owner to check. Where I am they test the computer and make sure you have catalytic converters and the car can stop. Some states its very easy to pay some shady mechanic and have him print you a pass sticker.

I wouldn't of left the coils installed if I felt in anyway that me or my family was unsafe. I understand all the concerns that people have. Trust me, if for one second I though the car was unsafe I would hook the EAS back up.

lilweazel said:

It's different for each state. For 96+ most of them just check the computer to make sure there is no codes being thrown. For 96- they do a sniff test on the exhaust. Some states check tires and brakes some states leave it up to the owner to check. Where I am they test the computer and make sure you have catalytic converters and the car can stop. Some states its very easy to pay some shady mechanic and have him print you a pass sticker.

I wouldn't of left the coils installed if I felt in anyway that me or my family was unsafe. I understand all the concerns that people have. Trust me, if for one second I though the car was unsafe I would hook the EAS back up.

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F##k im moving to states the test over hear tests just about every part of the car and it must be as good as the day it was made and its for any car over 3 years old! and finding a shady tester?? Well youll find a rocking horse sniffing gold dust first

wammers said:

I think you totally miss the point, by fitting coils you REMOVE a built in safety feature. If you are doing 70 on the motorway and you have to take sudden avoiding action you ARE more likely to roll over. Simple as that.

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I am not missing the point. Yes, lowering the hight reduces the risks of rolling compared to a coil sprung p38. But as with any high CoG vehicle you drive accordingly. Our team Landies are raised 2" and have a full roofrack which makes them top heavy. All drivers are blue light trained. If they were that dangerous we couldn't get them certified for blue light runs. Even our control vehicle is blue light certified, and that thingis so top heavy it is scary.

If you drive properly you massively reduce the need for sudden movements. For purist reasons, coils are disgusting, but they aren't the health hazard you all make them out to be.