NA Pajero bumpy ride on rough roads!

[Sammyboy]

Hey there, i'm new to this forum and i drive an 83 NA turbo diesel SWB. My car is really good to drive, but it is a bit bumpy over the rough stuff. Would new bigger better shockers resolve this problem or because it's a SWB, is it always going to drive like this on unsealed rough roads? Is there anything else i may be able to do to help eliminate this problem such as new leafs, torsion bars or anything else? If somebody could point me in the right direction, i would be very apprieciative.
Thanks,
Sam

[-Scott-]

Hi Sam, welcome to OL!

There are three basic things to try for a better ride over the rough stuff:

1. Drive Slower
2. Reduce your tyre pressures (where practical.)
3. Improve your suspension.

New shocks may be enough to provide a better ride, but they won't help much if your springs are too stiff.

I wouldn't bother with new torsion bars, unless you already have aftermarket units; these are likely to be too stiff, and a set of "worn" originals will probably be softer and more supple off-road.

Replacement leaf springs can get expensive in a hurry - hopefully somebody can give you some better tips than I can!

Cheers,

Scott

[Sammyboy]

Thanks for your reply, I apprieciate the advice. I do tend to drive slower on these tyes of roads, but sometimes I cant drive faster than 5 kmh on some of the worse roads. Are you (or anybody else willing to help me) suggesting that this problem I have could be more closely associated with the suspension rather than the shockers?
Thanks again,
Sam

[J Top]

If your rear leaves have gone "flat",lost their arch, they will give a rough ride.Some pajeros had nylon[?] pads between the leaves ,located through a hole in the leaf, and you can insert a needle point grease gun into these and improve the sliding .If the springs have filled up with sand or mud you can try taking them out and separating the leaves,wire brushing them and greasing them then reassembling them.This wil aid the soft sliding motion.
Which end is the harsh ride seeming to come from?
J Top

[Sammyboy]

Thanks for the advice, I think what you said made some sense because now that i think about it, the rough ride would have to be coming from the rear.

Sam