Suspension

Hi all, seeing as I have a bad back (old rugby injury) I was seeing if there was a way of making the ride a little easier on the body? It seems every bump in the road rattles up my spine. The shocks don't seem to be stuck.

Does anyone know how much it is to fit air suspension?

Hi Post,

Maybe @flatlander can help, Speakingto him at LZ11 he fitted iirc RRC springs and I believe he said it was much nicer to drive.

Cheers

Post said:

Hi all, seeing as I have a bad back (old rugby injury) I was seeing if there was a way of making the ride a little easier on the body? It seems every bump in the road rattles up my spine. The shocks don't seem to be stuck.

Does anyone know how much it is to fit air suspension?

Click to expand...

Yes. Get an air sprung Disco!

Landrovers are very bad for your back, one of the main reasons I hardly ever drive them now.

neilly said:

Hi Post,

Maybe @flatlander can help, Speakingto him at LZ11 he fitted iirc RRC springs and I believe he said it was much nicer to drive.

Cheers

Click to expand...

Yes, different spring rates can help, and maybe getting a bulkhead replacement bar, so you can move the front seats back. But only small improvements, if your back is really bad, osteopath and a different vehicle is the way to go.

I have a bad back too, also a series 3 with original rusted up springs. It's murder! I'm surrounded by speed humps where I live so you can imagine how slow I have drive it. I've found, it's not so much the suspension as the seats. Funnily enough, the seats in the landy, basic as they are, are quite comfortable.

Col

Thanks for your replies, what seats are you thinking?

I don't like the bucket seats as they tend to dig into my hips/harris, I'm not overweight or anything tall and athletic, I have a Ford Focus and those little turn up things at the edge of the seat dig in to my hips. I think a big comfy flat seat with bulk head bar might be the best option for now, but what seats?

Plenty of Disco seats around, have seen these fitted to a few Fenders. Not sure what was required mind.
If you need the seat further back, you might also need the added seat rails to allow the set to go further back.

Only problem with bulkhead removal and the seat rails added is that the set can go back so far the door pillar is in your line of sight when looking right. Just something to keep in mind.


Cheers

Post said:

Hi all, seeing as I have a bad back (old rugby injury) I was seeing if there was a way of making the ride a little easier on the body? It seems every bump in the road rattles up my spine. The shocks don't seem to be stuck.

Does anyone know how much it is to fit air suspension?

Click to expand...

What Vehcile do you actually have?

If it's a 90. A lot of the choppiness from the ride is due to the short wheelbase. You'll never be able to change this. A 110 will always ride better by comparison.

As for actual wheel control. Well here you have the issue. Softer springs and the correct tyre pressures may help with an appropriate shock. But you might end up with a vehicle that leans too much on the road. So you'll need anti roll bars too if you want to retain cornering ability.

Air suspension could be retro fitted for sure. But there are a number of options. And will likely incur high cost and R&D. And no guarantee it'll ride any better. The biggest thing air suspension does is allow variable ride height. Not a more supple ride.

Now I can understand Defenders can be nice places to sit with a bad back. As I personally find the seating position ideal and very comfortable. But in terms of ride quality well you have some major issues. This is down to the basic construction of a Defender. The body is multi piece and bolts metal to metal onto the chassis.

A Range Rover Classic or D1 by comparison. Considering they largely use the same style ladder chassis, same axles, same engines and gearboxes. They ride many times better than any 90. This is down to many small changes. Such as harmonic balancers on the axles. But a lot has to do with the body being essential a one piece item that floats on rubber mounts to isolate it from the chassis. However there are many other changes that go into the NVH package. And they all add up to a smoother more comfortable vehicle.

So ultimately the answer is. Probably not a Defender. And I must confess my Jeep Cherokee XJ was actually very comfortable. They are smaller than a Disco and actually not much longer than a Defender. But have a longer wheelbase and their unibody construction does aid in an improved NVH. But while still offering a similar sot up driving position and comparable off road ability.


If you want to spend some money on your Defender however. Then maybe new shocks, springs and bushes all round is a place to start. Standard suspension is pretty good compromise all things considered. And then have a play around with tyre pressure. You might be surprised that some road biased tyres will be more comfy with much higher pressures than you think and better than lower pressures. Also smaller lighter wheels should make for less unsprung weight and should aid ride.

But finding something that will really ride smoother than standard will take some R&D most likely and trial and error.

Yes, it's the 90 that's in my profile picture.

Neilly's right, I looked at alternative springs while doing my rebuild, and eventually fitted NRC2119R Disco springs on the front, and NRC4304 RR springs to the front. These are lower rate (Pounds per inch of compression), but a little longer. The result is a nicer ride than I had before, and she seems to sit a little higher. Mind you, I'm comparing the ride to my 30 year old springs, which had probably settled a little. Anyway, good luck with your back!

flatlander said:

NRC2119R Disco springs on the front, and NRC4304 RR springs to the front.

Click to expand...

Both to the front???? Hope the chassis change is going well.

Cheers

neilly said:

Both to the front???? Hope the chassis change is going well.

Cheers

Click to expand...

I thought it was a little high on the front! 4304 are on the rear of course. I still have hopes that it might be ready for the Bakewell Bash.

Colthebrummie said:

I have a bad back too, also a series 3 with original rusted up springs. It's murder! I'm surrounded by speed humps where I live so you can imagine how slow I have drive it. I've found, it's not so much the suspension as the seats. Funnily enough, the seats in the landy, basic as they are, are quite comfortable.

Col

Click to expand...

It isn't the seats themselves, it is the cramped, twisted, driving position.

300bhp/ton said:

What Vehcile do you actually have?

If it's a 90. A lot of the choppiness from the ride is due to the short wheelbase. You'll never be able to change this. A 110 will always ride better by comparison.

As for actual wheel control. Well here you have the issue. Softer springs and the correct tyre pressures may help with an appropriate shock. But you might end up with a vehicle that leans too much on the road. So you'll need anti roll bars too if you want to retain cornering ability.

Air suspension could be retro fitted for sure. But there are a number of options. And will likely incur high cost and R&D. And no guarantee it'll ride any better. The biggest thing air suspension does is allow variable ride height. Not a more supple ride.

Now I can understand Defenders can be nice places to sit with a bad back. As I personally find the seating position ideal and very comfortable. But in terms of ride quality well you have some major issues. This is down to the basic construction of a Defender. The body is multi piece and bolts metal to metal onto the chassis.

A Range Rover Classic or D1 by comparison. Considering they largely use the same style ladder chassis, same axles, same engines and gearboxes. They ride many times better than any 90. This is down to many small changes. Such as harmonic balancers on the axles. But a lot has to do with the body being essential a one piece item that floats on rubber mounts to isolate it from the chassis. However there are many other changes that go into the NVH package. And they all add up to a smoother more comfortable vehicle.

So ultimately the answer is. Probably not a Defender. And I must confess my Jeep Cherokee XJ was actually very comfortable. They are smaller than a Disco and actually not much longer than a Defender. But have a longer wheelbase and their unibody construction does aid in an improved NVH. But while still offering a similar sot up driving position and comparable off road ability.


If you want to spend some money on your Defender however. Then maybe new shocks, springs and bushes all round is a place to start. Standard suspension is pretty good compromise all things considered. And then have a play around with tyre pressure. You might be surprised that some road biased tyres will be more comfy with much higher pressures than you think and better than lower pressures. Also smaller lighter wheels should make for less unsprung weight and should aid ride.

But finding something that will really ride smoother than standard will take some R&D most likely and trial and error.

Click to expand...

Never had a D1, but often driven them. To my mind an air suspended D2 has a far better ride.

Defender and Series, your back is always between a rock and a hard place! As you say, 110 should be better the 90.

After driving Compo for half an hour or so, everything aches, not just my back.

Col

I know this would have been asked a thousand times but which seats would fit in place of the original seats?

I'm after ones that are like sitting in a big fat comfy leather recliner rather than any sports bucket type.

Post said:

I know this would have been asked a thousand times but which seats would fit in place of the original seats?

I'm after ones that are like sitting in a big fat comfy leather recliner rather than any sports bucket type.

Click to expand...

Big comfy leather recliner would fit, if you were willing to do some work to adapt the vehicle to accept it.

Post said:

I know this would have been asked a thousand times but seats would fit in place of the original seats?

I'm after ones that are like sitting in a big fat comfy leather recliner rather than any sports bucket type.

Click to expand...

I've seen disco 1/2 seats and rrc seats fitted. Personally I find my D2 is like driving around in my sofa it's so comfy. Compared to the Honda I had before it's like heaven. Bit less nippy heaven. And noisier. But way more comfy
If you go for the rr seats you get a nice armrest too.
Can't recommend the bulkhead removal and extended seat rails enough far more comfy driving position imo.
A friend also moved his seat slightly more to the middle of the cab away from the seat belt pillar which he said helps alot. Bit scewif I'd think but works for him.
I fitted td5 seats to my 1990 90 which I found made a big diffirence aswell. Tdci ones were way too dear
Apparently they're taking out all the speedbumps cos they make everyone drive uneconomically if that helps

alexc2701 said:

I've seen disco 1/2 seats and rrc seats fitted. Personally I find my D2 is like driving around in my sofa it's so comfy. Compared to the Honda I had before it's like heaven. Bit less nippy heaven. And noisier. But way more comfy
If you go for the rr seats you get a nice armrest too.
Can't recommend the bulkhead removal and extended seat rails enough far more comfy driving position imo.
A friend also moved his seat slightly more to the middle of the cab away from the seat belt pillar which he said helps alot. Bit scewif I'd think but works for him.
I fitted td5 seats to my 1990 90 which I found made a big diffirence aswell. Tdci ones were way too dear
Apparently they're taking out all the speedbumps cos they make everyone drive uneconomically if that helps

Click to expand...

Seats in my D2 were good too.

I do 12,000 miles a year in my Defender 110 and find that the standard TD5 cloth seats are pretty good.
But they need raising at the rear to avoid the feeling of being slumped in the seat.
You can buy seat riser kits for about £60 or just fit some spacers with longer mounting bolts.
l would suggest you start with 3cm lift at the rear and 2cm at the front.
The one advantage of the riser kits is they also allow the seat to go back further on the runners.