[Trailstar]

if i fit parabolics and 235/75/r15 continental cross contact AT's would i be at any risk of damaging the panels/ mud gaurds of my series 3 because of the increased articulation......??

i want to replace the current springs as one corner is a bit lopsided so paras seem a good upgrade..., and the increased articulation is more of a 'because i can' thing rather than i need it badly....
but all the same, i am just after a more comfortable(series style comfortable)ride...
the tyres (as in continentals mentioned earlier) are the ones that come factory on defenders i thnk.....

photo of the vehicle in its current state, on the back is a lightish load, what type (as in how many springs) of parabolics should i fit....

the front end is also heavier because of a nissan ed33 - done years ago by owner 2 previous to me....

 

[blue beasty]

235/75/15 is the same, roughly speaking, as the 205/16 fitted as standard to swb so I don't see there'd be any problems.

The thing that worries me about any vehicle where you regularly carry a serious load is do you go for a heavy duty 4 spring or a 3 spring with a 4th helper?

A 4 spring might not be any softer than decent maintained standard leafs with no load on but I had problems getting manufacturers to give a load rating beyond a vague HD when I was looking for the ambulance.

Luckily lack of money saved me from having to make a decision

 

[tottot]

Look up leaf spring boosters,there are several types ranging from a clamp on extra leaf to rubber doughnut,s to air bag one's you pump up when needed.

 

[109inches]

Standard front is 2 leaf springs however I believe GB springs offer a 3 leaf front if you call them.

As for the rear it depends on the manufacturer. To get the best answer you'll have to call around as gb do four leaf rears as the lightest duty for a 109 where as other companies will have 3 leaves but possibly thicker.

The shocks will also need upgrading and if you want extra articulation I'd suggest pro comp es3000 extra long. The standard shocks are too soft really. Also don't forget parabolics will raise the body about 2 inches so you will get more clearance there anyway.

If you go off-road a lot I wouldn't get a helper lead they are to vulnerable off road.

 

[Trailstar]

been eyeing up the Rocky Mountain parabolics, they dont have a heavier duty one for the front, and i do need it because the ED33 is way heavier that the landrover engine in it previously.....can they do an extra leaf does anyone know, would just like to get it all from the same place...also RM do a complete shock kit, do GB springs do one as well...??

also can anyone tell me whether a flatdeck would be heavier than a wellside with a hardtop - i am tossing up between the RM 3 and four leafs? - i would think it would be heavier, if you look at a flat deck subframe plus plywood, obviously they are all made different but they definitely dont seem to be made for saving weight.....but someone might be able to say from experience?? thanks!!

 

[kommer2013]

been eyeing up the Rocky Mountain parabolics, they dont have a heavier duty one for the front, and i do need it because the ED33 is way heavier that the landrover engine in it previously.....can they do an extra leaf does anyone know, would just like to get it all from the same place...also RM do a complete shock kit, do GB springs do one as well...??

also can anyone tell me whether a flatdeck would be heavier than a wellside with a hardtop - i am tossing up between the RM 3 and four leafs? - i would think it would be heavier, if you look at a flat deck subframe plus plywood, obviously they are all made different but they definitely dont seem to be made for saving weight.....but someone might be able to say from experience?? thanks!!

tristan i have heard of people adding an extra leaf to normal leaf springs

 

[kommer2013]

oh a series 3

 

[kommer2013]

if i fit parabolics and 235/75/r15 continental cross contact AT's would i be at any risk of damaging the panels/ mud gaurds of my series 3 because of the increased articulation......??

i want to replace the current springs as one corner is a bit lopsided so paras seem a good upgrade..., and the increased articulation is more of a 'because i can' thing rather than i need it badly....
but all the same, i am just after a more comfortable(series style comfortable)ride...
the tyres (as in continentals mentioned earlier) are the ones that come factory on defenders i thnk.....

photo of the vehicle in its current state, on the back is a lightish load, what type (as in how many springs) of parabolics should i fit....View attachment 99412
the front end is also heavier because of a nissan ed33 - done years ago by owner 2 previous to me....View attachment 99415

sort of looks like your nissan may have been leaking coolant

 

[300bhp/ton]

Articulation shouldn't cause issue with body work, assuming the tyres are't sticking out of the arches. The rear bed, assuming it sits in the same place as a regular tub should be fine. Although with taller tyres it is possible to hit the inside of the seat box under full compression.

As for what springs. Depends. I quite like Rocky Mountain, or if you want to spend the money Heystee.

I'd be tempted to look at what would be on a Santana PS-10, would think they would suit your vehicle well.

Parabolics won't give you more articulation however. Being usually softer they allow you to access more of the standard travel, but the actual movement up and down is limited by the tiny short shocks. The wheel simply can't move up further than the shock compressed, nor down further than the shock fully extended. Longer shocks in the stock mounts will give more down travel, but limit the up travel. So the total travel remains the same. The only real way to get more travel is to use much longer shocks and relocate the upper shock mounts.


This is my 88, it doesn't tow or haul stuff. So I wanted lightweight spring rates. It flexes quite well for a leaf Series. These are 7.50 tyres, they just hit the inside of the seat boxes at the back under compression.







Shocks I'm using compared to standard Series front/rear shocks:


And the revised shock mounts:

 

[Trailstar]

yep had a problem with the radiator cap, the spring had lost its pressure and it was spitting out the top....but have drained, flushed and refilled it, runs fine now... just the dryed coolant is a prick to get off....i would like to get the radiator reconditioned sometime though....

sort of looks like your nissan may have been leaking coolant, i would flush the block out forward and backwards with water, and dont use a cooling system clean as it will make leaks and clean too much, my sister did it to her astra and a few months later the head gasket blew, she had real bad corrosion on the head on the edges where the coolant goes through the passages, big job the head was, and we had to do the timing belt but remember you have a old push rod engine nothing nears as bad as a efi petrol, she even can out v8s at the lights, and they hate her as she is a lady a 1.8l auto.

 

[Trailstar]

oh a series 3 tub would be lighter with the hard top as that tray could be soild plate steel used, it all depends on what you want it for, if you were just carting firewood around then i would leave it as a tray as it would be easy to access and clean or if you were camping and or had a tool box setup in the back then a tub with a hardtop would be better as the tool box and or gear would be out of the weather and it will be less likely to be stolen.

Tony

definitly going to keep it a flatdeck, im currently designing and about to construct a ute box setup for it for a school technology project, everything lockable. the sort of loads that i use it for could be reasonably heavy, but will vary so much im wondering whether its better to just stick with new leafs/current ones rebent....?

 

[Trailstar]

tristan i have heard of people adding an extra leaf to normal leaf springs, if you cant get them to add another leaf to the front ones just go and see a steering and suspension place and they'll make you one leave to bolt on, you may need a longer centre bolt though.
just looking at your pics and your landrover looks pretty good already, looks like not much is needed to get it on the road, i tell you a little trick for the mechanic or who ever well test your car for rego, check everything on the whole vehicle and if everything looks good take it to a mechanic and get him to give a once over and a test drive and he'll tell you what else would be needed and you should be good after that.

as for the bulkhead in the pic, she looks really good up top, oh and that exhaust looks strange, if i were the previous owner i would have cut the top of the manifold back and have a 90 degree elbow welded on then another elbow welded on to go down. but the pipe is fine as it is.

Tony.

yes its got beefed up front springs from when they did the engine conversion, but they are so stiff, i think they need to be cleaned up and rebent etc.....
dad knows a mechanic about 3 hours away that does engine certifications and he travels to our city to do them all the time... so ill get him to check it over and i think he can issue the WOF as well, so ill try him.....
yep the bulheads great for the conditions it was being used in and the condition i found it in!!!
i have wondered about that exhaust setup as well, had the same idea, back instead of up, and then drop down.....the engine bay has received a bit of a tidyup scince that photo as well!!

 

[Trailstar]

Articulation shouldn't cause issue with body work, assuming the tyres are't sticking out of the arches. The rear bed, assuming it sits in the same place as a regular tub should be fine. Although with taller tyres it is possible to hit the inside of the seat box under full compression.

As for what springs. Depends. I quite like Rocky Mountain, or if you want to spend the money Heystee.

I'd be tempted to look at what would be on a Santana PS-10, would think they would suit your vehicle well.

Parabolics won't give you more articulation however. Being usually softer they allow you to access more of the standard travel, but the actual movement up and down is limited by the tiny short shocks. The wheel simply can't move up further than the shock compressed, nor down further than the shock fully extended. Longer shocks in the stock mounts will give more down travel, but limit the up travel. So the total travel remains the same. The only real way to get more travel is to use much longer shocks and relocate the upper shock mounts.


This is my 88, it doesn't tow or haul stuff. So I wanted lightweight spring rates. It flexes quite well for a leaf Series. These are 7.50 tyres, they just hit the inside of the seat boxes at the back under compression.







Shocks I'm using compared to standard Series front/rear shocks:


And the revised shock mounts:

yes, was just wondering whether the combination of parabolics being softer and bigger tyres were going to damage my guards, the flatdeck hassnt got in the way of any flexing yet, so even with bigger tyres i dont think im going to touch it that easy, plus if i do get springs rebent/new 4 leaf RM paras it will sit slightly higher and wont have such easy flex compared to a lighter duty parabolic spring.....
havent got much in the way of money atm so if i do go down the parabolics path, it will be RM, or if i can find something that is proven to be better - you mentioned on a santana, would i go for parts off one or were you saying to look what they have and go new??
yep i realise they dont increase articulation much unless theres mods but my leafs atm are so stiff and they dont drop or push down much.....so going from that to paras would be day and night!!!!

love your build by the way!! - i would really love to have a short wheelbase landy that i could use as a fun 4wd, not for competitions or anything, but just for a general car that can go anywhere.....

 

[kommer2013]

Articulation shouldn't cause issue with body work, assuming the tyres are't sticking out of the arches. The rear bed, assuming it sits in the same place as a regular tub should be fine. Although with taller tyres it is possible to hit the inside of the seat box under full compression.

As for what springs. Depends. I quite like Rocky Mountain, or if you want to spend the money Heystee.

I'd be tempted to look at what would be on a Santana PS-10, would think they would suit your vehicle well.

Parabolics won't give you more articulation however. Being usually softer they allow you to access more of the standard travel, but the actual movement up and down is limited by the tiny short shocks. The wheel simply can't move up further than the shock compressed, nor down further than the shock fully extended. Longer shocks in the stock mounts will give more down travel, but limit the up travel. So the total travel remains the same. The only real way to get more travel is to use much longer shocks and relocate the upper shock mounts.


This is my 88, it doesn't tow or haul stuff. So I wanted lightweight spring rates. It flexes quite well for a leaf Series. These are 7.50 tyres, they just hit the inside of the seat boxes at the back under compression.







Shocks I'm using compared to standard Series front/rear shocks:


And the revised shock mounts:

what sort of engine you running under that? i see you did a good job of the chassis there, was that steering relay hard to get out, i need to replace mine, i have purchased a pattern type one, (bearmach, made in india) loos exactly like the rover type as the part numbers are on the casing, i was stuck as to getting it out i tried jacking it with all the weight but not on the spline i used a thick pipe to push on the relay housing, i was at the stage of getting a truck place from down the road from me to take it out as they'll have something decent to pull it out, i just have it boxed back up in the cupboard now,
i'll get around to it sometime, and she wont stay straight on the road, and likes to follow the wear marks (ruts) on the road.

anyway good land rover you

 

[kommer2013]

yes, was just wondering whether the combination of parabolics being softer and bigger tyres were going to damage my guards, the flatdeck hassnt got in the way of any flexing yet, so even with bigger tyres i dont think im going to touch it that easy, plus if i do get springs rebent/new 4 leaf RM paras it will sit slightly higher and wont have such easy flex compared to a lighter duty parabolic spring.....
havent got much in the way of money atm so if i do go down the parabolics path, it will be RM, or if i can find something that is proven to be better - you mentioned on a santana, would i go for parts off one or were you saying to look what they have and go new??
yep i realise they dont increase articulation much unless theres mods but my leafs atm are so stiff and they dont drop or push down much.....so going from that to paras would be day and night!!!!

love your build by the way!! - i would really love to have a short wheelbase landy that i could use as a fun 4wd, not for competitions or anything, but just for a general car that can go anywhere.....

oh yeah