Road Suspension

Hi,
I have a 2006 TD5 Defender which is about to go through a rebuild. The stock springs and shocks will need to be replaced. I was wondering if anyone had any recommendations for a suspension setup to improve its handling on the road without effecting its ability to toe and carry some weight from time to time. I found a lot of info about off-road kits but not on road kits.
thanks!

DanL said:

Hi,
I have a 2006 TD5 Defender which is about to go through a rebuild. The stock springs and shocks will need to be replaced. I was wondering if anyone had any recommendations for a suspension setup to improve its handling on the road without effecting its ability to toe and carry some weight from time to time. I found a lot of info about off-road kits but not on road kits.
thanks!

Click to expand...

Stick with standard suspension. I can recommend Britpart springs and shocks.

Just use the same specification suspension that your Defender had when it left the factory.

Td5 standard springs are progressive and are considered very good. I’d do what the others have said and get standard springs and shocks.

As above, standard shocks and springs ..... unless you want to spend lots of dosh and convert to air suspension .... ride will be better than good, but your wallet may be somewhat cross with you for a period ......

Thanks all, I’ll go with some Brit part

Keep it standard!

DanL said:

Hi,
I have a 2006 TD5 Defender which is about to go through a rebuild. The stock springs and shocks will need to be replaced. I was wondering if anyone had any recommendations for a suspension setup to improve its handling on the road without effecting its ability to toe and carry some weight from time to time. I found a lot of info about off-road kits but not on road kits.
thanks!

Click to expand...

It depends what you are after really. When you say better handling, in what way? What attribute are you wanting to change?

Standard suspension is a good all round compromise for varied abilities. You can improve each ability, but usually at the determent to a different attribute. It is also worth noting "standard" has varied over the years and from model to model. Lots of info online if you search for springs rates and similar.

And unlike the others above, I wouldn't personally go for Britpart in this regard. There are other better options. Do you have a budget in mind?

You can lower and stiffen a Defender. This will be god for towing, reduce body roll and improve turn in. The inclusion of anti roll bars or bigger ones if you already have them will also aid in this. This should improve "road holding", but handling is more subjective and about feel, to which we are all different. Lower harder Defenders may not ride as smoothly as a standard one however. But really depends on the combination of tyre profile/load rating, spring rate and damper type as well as what bushes you run.