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Overland Suspension set up 1993 80 series 4.2 Diesel manual

Dances with Chimps

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Sep 27, 2016
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Happy New year to you all,

this is probably a question that has been asked a thousand times and it difficult to answer but I'm after opinions for the best suspension set up on my 80 for general UK road use but also for a trip down to South Africa. I already have an OME set up but it is standard factory height. I'm hoping to keep the suspension struts to save on money but am looking at lifting it by 2". I intend to carry a Howling moon roof tent and awning plus general everyday living equipment for several months on the road. I do not know as yet as to the total weight of the vehicle but my opinion is to keep it as light as possible (maybe no winch bar or winch, a couple of Gerry cans for extra fuel, there are no back seats at all just a bed platform and drawers for storage) I know the weight is probably the key here but until I buy all the stuff I really have no idea.

I'm only guessing but load springs of + 400 kg but I want the ride to remain comfortable on UK roads (Airbags?) Any opinions would be well received.

P.S the guy fitting this for me is an off road Land rover expert and is happy to do the work BUT he does not usually work on LCs or overlanders (West Wales you see)
 
If he lives in west wales then hes probably not used to work of any kind! I has similar dilema and opting for the airbag option otherwise your normal rd driving will be pants. Heavily soiled pants.
 
If he lives in west wales then hes probably not used to work of any kind! I has similar dilema and opting for the airbag option otherwise your normal rd driving will be pants. Heavily soiled pants.

If he fixes Landrovers im sure hes inundated with work. :) Yes im thinking airbags!
 
remove all consumables, get the truck on a weigh bridge, that's the target weight you want to hit.

+400's are hard, very hard. you want to really really make sure you want something like that before investing there. I would have thought a +250kg would be plenty for most kt + tent and the 1 person. I am factoring in that when in the UK you wont be carrying around 40 ltrs or diesel on roof and 2 months worth of pot noddles in the back.

typically consumables would be under 100kg' and the springs should handle that fine, if you want however - and when you say 'months' i dont know if the 100kg will hold true, so best to weigh up.

then add airbags for handling the excess weight, if needed. Dont under-think the tyres too, thats going to have a non trivial impact on your overall driveability, stability.

Anyway, thats just my 2 bits to get you started, someone who actually knows what they are doing will be along shortly with more specific information :)

PS- w.r.t bumpers and winches, that is a decision you need to make factoring in where you are going, how and access to bits'n'bobs along the way. that bit is a part of your risk-mitigation consideration, not so much drive-ability/stability.
 
Well having an idea of just how much additional weight you'll be carrying is a good start at least. Of course that's not all on the back wheels. I wouldn't say it's a precise science as there's so many variables such as decreasing fuel load, passengers, food and so on. But it sounds as though the additional load will be split between those bits added that will always remain on the vehicle and the extras that you'll throw in for a trip. Knowing the weight of the permanent extras should probably be your unassisted spring rate. I don't like the idea of airbags myself but they do seem very effective. So using those as the supplement is a sound plan. As to keeping the original struts, well I'm not sure. You need to consider the extension if you're going to lift 2". You don't want to lift to the point that the strut takes the weight of the axle do you. Also if heavily laden on rough roads, that damper is going to be working overtime and if not mated to the springs they'll likely not last that long never mind not give you the damping you need. It's all cost I appreciate, but getting the suspension right is easier if you buy a fully worked out solution. Also think about your bump stop height. If you lift 2" then full compression to the old bump stop height can over compress your new springs. You don't want to flatten them. Extending the bump stops is very easy though.
 
remove all consumables, get the truck on a weigh bridge, that's the target weight you want to hit.

+400's are hard, very hard. you want to really really make sure you want something like that before investing there. I would have thought a +250kg would be plenty for most kt + tent and the 1 person. I am factoring in that when in the UK you wont be carrying around 40 ltrs or diesel on roof and 2 months worth of pot noddles in the back.

typically consumables would be under 100kg' and the springs should handle that fine, if you want however - and when you say 'months' i dont know if the 100kg will hold true, so best to weigh up.

then add airbags for handling the excess weight, if needed. Dont under-think the tyres too, thats going to have a non trivial impact on your overall driveability, stability.

Anyway, thats just my 2 bits to get you started, someone who actually knows what they are doing will be along shortly with more specific information :)

PS- w.r.t bumpers and winches, that is a decision you need to make factoring in where you are going, how and access to bits'n'bobs along the way. that bit is a part of your risk-mitigation consideration, not so much drive-ability/stability.


Your 2 bits is apprieciated greatly and as I am trying to keep the weight down, maybe + 250kgs is a better idea, I spoke to someone at the Overland show this year who had no probems overlanding with + 200kgs, thanks Geek! :)
 
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Well having an idea of just how much additional weight you'll be carrying is a good start at least. Of course that's not all on the back wheels. I wouldn't say it's a precise science as there's so many variables such as decreasing fuel load, passengers, food and so on. But it sounds as though the additional load will be split between those bits added that will always remain on the vehicle and the extras that you'll throw in for a trip. Knowing the weight of the permanent extras should probably be your unassisted spring rate. I don't like the idea of airbags myself but they do seem very effective. So using those as the supplement is a sound plan. As to keeping the original struts, well I'm not sure. You need to consider the extension if you're going to lift 2". You don't want to lift to the point that the strut takes the weight of the axle do you. Also if heavily laden on rough roads, that damper is going to be working overtime and if not mated to the springs they'll likely not last that long never mind not give you the damping you need. It's all cost I appreciate, but getting the suspension right is easier if you buy a fully worked out solution. Also think about your bump stop height. If you lift 2" then full compression to the old bump stop height can over compress your new springs. You don't want to flatten them. Extending the bump stops is very easy though.


Wow, thanks Chris thats given me food for thought, ive asked the guy to take a look at the struts to see if they are suitable for a lift (as they are relatively new) However I didnt take into account marrying them up with the springs etc. Is theer any chance they´ll be suitable or would you just not bother and buy the entire kit?

What you doing next week wanna build my suspension :)
 
Absolutely no idea without knowing more about them DwC. Not doing anything next week.
Like I said it's not a precise science. Would a 200+ kit be fine if you actually needed +250 for example, sure. You don't have to measure to the nearest kilo. But you have to consider the pounding these things can take. I specc'd mine to +600 as mine is a monster of thing. I used EFS which I consider up there at the top of the line. FNB met the spec I needed and sold me the kit. It was awesome to drive even when fully loaded. And then like an arse, I stuck my adventure trailer on the back with a nose weight of way more than it should have been and over two trips I reckon I have b*ggered them up. OK it's only 2 springs to replace. But I'd rather do that, get the nose weight right on the trailer and go again than fit bags as a bodge.

Question is what range is out there to buy. Some of the guys recently bought EFS from somewhere in Poland I think and got good kit, good prices and good service. Fit good stuff and fit it once. I know Ironman are popular but the finish on them is appalling. They'll be rusting by the time you make the ferry. Decent ride though. OME are expensive, hard to get hold of at times and very hard. Andy, Tom, Sam - you wanna jump in here with the EFS kit that you got? Sam, your set up sounds similar to this requirment.
 
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Ironman have updated coating, they have had a big push on the shocks especially, I ran the Foam Cell pros on my 80 and after three years they were still like new. Attached below is quite handy when looking/comparing shocks. I currently have a set of remote res shocks for my Patrol but very tempted to not use them and put the Foam Cell Pro’s on.

Something worth considering is back up, if you do have a faulty item along the line, who can backup the warranty with keeping stock of what you are investing in, do you have to wait days or week for replacements.
 
I thought you'd be along Tommy. Very good new to hear that IM have improved their coating. I have no issue at all with IM performance. I loved my 2" C set. I still have them. But I had the springs blasted and re coated. They still look great.

If the coating genuinely is improved than I'd certainly recommend something from their range. Not many suppliers offer that range of choices.
 
Weight is the critical factor as mentioned, fully loaded up with fuel and supplies for 1000km I carry about 300-400kg of kit. No winch, bumpers or rtt though (tbh never needed a winch). I have a 2" lift and standard Toyota shocks, and they have worked fantastically for 50 000 miles mostly off road. my springs are in need of replacing but the shocks are fine.

Worth considering your route and availability of spares in the places you'll be. Whilst ome, efs or the others may be very nice the chances of you finding a replacement part in the middle of Africa are slim, and at best may involve a long wait and be very expensive. Standards parts will be available in a lot of surprising places.
 
Absolutely no idea without knowing more about them DwC. Not doing anything next week.
Like I said it's not a precise science. Would a 200+ kit be fine if you actually needed +250 for example, sure. You don't have to measure to the nearest kilo. But you have to consider the pounding these things can take. I specc'd mine to +600 as mine is a monster of thing. I used EFS which I consider up there at the top of the line. FNB met the spec I needed and sold me the kit. It was awesome to drive even when fully loaded. And then like an arse, I stuck my adventure trailer on the back with a nose weight of way more than it should have been and over two trips I reckon I have b*ggered them up. OK it's only 2 springs to replace. But I'd rather do that, get the nose weight right on the trailer and go again than fit bags as a bodge.

Question is what range is out there to buy. Some of the guys recently bought EFS from somewhere in Poland I think and got good kit, good prices and good service. Fit good stuff and fit it once. I know Ironman are popular but the finish on them is appalling. They'll be rusting by the time you make the ferry. Decent ride though. OME are expensive, hard to get hold of at times and very hard. Andy, Tom, Sam - you wanna jump in here with the EFS kit that you got? Sam, your set up sounds similar to this requirment.

Thanks again, well if you are serious about working on my vehicle, I cant get it to you next week but I can get it to you in a month or so, I have a mate that lives in your neck of the woods I can stay with him. Funnily enough youve worked on it before at the Overland show. When I first bought it there was a funny rattle in the engine and it kept overheating, you tightened up the fan belt for me which fixed the rattle. Turns out the guy before me fitted a radiator half the size it should have been. It looked like it was out of a hilux or something and it was full of radweld. So we swapped it out for a new one and replaced all the hoses flushed it through a dozen or so times andnow it doesnt overheat anymore. Its blue/grey and the inside converstion looks like a boat! Weve completely overhauled the engine, electrics, break and cooling system. I just need to finish it off with a loud stereo a winch bar and a 2" lift.
 
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Weight is the critical factor as mentioned, fully loaded up with fuel and supplies for 1000km I carry about 300-400kg of kit. No winch, bumpers or rtt though (tbh never needed a winch). I have a 2" lift and standard Toyota shocks, and they have worked fantastically for 50 000 miles mostly off road. my springs are in need of replacing but the shocks are fine.

Worth considering your route and availability of spares in the places you'll be. Whilst ome, efs or the others may be very nice the chances of you finding a replacement part in the middle of Africa are slim, and at best may involve a long wait and be very expensive. Standards parts will be available in a lot of surprising places.

Thanks Mark, ive reconditioned a great deal on her and certainly tried to keep everything factory standard. Ive even ummed and arred about lifting it but I think its the right thing to do for an African trip (East coast - Cape town) A friend of mine did teh same trip a couple of years ago and also didnt need any kind of winch or winch bumper, Im a big believer in keeping things simple and light. Ill take a few of my own spares but I dont think shocks are something id take, maybe springs?

Have you done that trip?
 
View attachment 138915 Ironman have updated coating, they have had a big push on the shocks especially, I ran the Foam Cell pros on my 80 and after three years they were still like new. Attached below is quite handy when looking/comparing shocks. I currently have a set of remote res shocks for my Patrol but very tempted to not use them and put the Foam Cell Pro’s on.

Something worth considering is back up, if you do have a faulty item along the line, who can backup the warranty with keeping stock of what you are investing in, do you have to wait days or week for replacements.

Thanks Tommy again food for thought, I never had any idea there were so many makes to choose from. OME is the make I see most mentioned, which is what are on her now. But Ill take a closer look at these makes now. Thanks again.
 
The information in the atachment is quite useful, gives you an idea of what’s what. It would be interesting to see a price comparison across them all.
 
Furthest south I’ve been s the Tropic of Cancer so far.

A friend is in senegal at the moment having come up the west coast and now heading south again.
 
Thanks again, well if you are serious about working on my vehicle, I cant get it to you next week but I can get it to you in a month or so, I have a mate that lives in your neck of the woods I can stay with him. Funnily enough youve worked on it before at the Overland show. When I first bought it there was a funny rattle in the engine and it kept overheating, you tightened up the fan belt for me which fixed the rattle. Turns out the guy before me fitted a radiator half the size it should have been looked like it was out of a hilux or something and it was full of radweld. So we swapped it out for a new one and replaced all the hoses and it doesnt overheat anymore. Its blue/grey and the inside converstion looks like a boat! Weve completely overhauled the engine, electrics, break and cooling system. I just need to finish it off with a loud stereo a lift and a winch bar and any other ideas anyone has for overlanding!.
Just mention the curtains, he'll remember
 
No, I remember now! Howdy doody! Of course we did.

I must get that invoice out to you.
 
Maybe overkill and a bit pedantic but I would also fab up and install +2" spacers for the anti roll bar drop links front and rear too.

I'm running the Ironman Foamcell Pro shocks on my 120 series with OME front springs, appreciate it's not the 80 series experience but I've had them on for around a year now and more than happy with how they are performing and wearing.
 
DwC - why do you want the 2" in the first place ? what sort of problem are you anticipating with the stock height ?
 
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