Outer Limits 4x4 Board

bill, i intend doing the shackle reversal partly for the reasons above but also to help with pinion angle and slip joint length.
i like the idea that the pinion rotates around the transfer case output instaed of against it (and further away).
i an enjoying the leaf tech here, bens hands on knowledge is very helpful, although i am leaning to toy60 series rears allround. they have the largest stock eyes around aren't too wide that they limit twist. also i believe suzuki make a "holey bush" that fits nice.
i don't mind the longer leaf since i want to run 38"-40" swampers.
david
(want it to look like tim coopers truck- bcb offroad?)

Simon - I saw on another forum you had been given a ridiculously high quote for resetting and retempering your springs. When I did mine the spring place charged $60 PER PAIR!!! Not $280 per spring that you were quoted. Shop around.

Hey Ben,

I responded on the other forum to this also...yeah I've shopped around and the prices are high allover; piss poor. I think the dollar being down doesn't help matters either. The cost of new springs in standards is so high at the moment that I'll go with the RM Para's.

A question I have for you though was regarding the standard shocks and the long gas shocks. Can I use my old Monroes and leave the break pipes stock using the Para's too? I'm curious about this having read your comments at LRE about this stuff...

Ta, Simon

Simon,

Bear in mind - that I have never seen a truck with parabolics get anywhere near as much travel as mine and a couple of friend's Land-Rovers with modified semi-elliptic springs. On the other hand if comfort is a major priority then the para's should be more comfortable than semi-elliptics. Beware what rear springs you choose - there are 2leaf, 3 leaf and 4 leaf rears - you need to find a balance between comfort/travel and load carrying ability. If it was me I would probably run the 2-leaf rears (although not reccommended) because I am most interested in travel.

If it was me and I was trying to do a budget build I would buy a decent 2nd hand set of SWB petrol front springs from a wrecker. In good condition they work quite well. You will have to do a bit of searching though.

For the backs you can reset the springs yourself but it will be a lot of work (especially for 8mm leaves)- You need a big hammer, an anvil and good earmuffs.

With shocks - bear in mind that you generally can't fit longer shocks without fitting raised shock mounts. On Series Landrovers the factory shocks on some models could have been longer - so maybe the shocks sold with the parabolics compensate for this. You can run your shocks - you may just have a bit less travel and the shocks will probably limit travel. The brake hoses should be fine with std shocks, and even with the shocks sold with the paras. If not there are plenty of companies who will make you longer ones. I run Rangerover brake hoses on the front, because these are much easier to find than the military ones that were specced originally. I think these are a bit longer than std series brake lines.

The other factor to consider with shocks are that the std shocks only provide damping in extension, not compression. Shocks for coil sprung vehicles have to provide damping in both directions because the spring offers no friction damping. As I have said before, paras act like coils in that respect (why they provide a comfortable ride) so you really need a coil-spring type shock to get the best ride and offroad traction. So eventually it would be a good idea to get suitable shocks, but you can buy them yourself (after doing the measuring I mentioned earlier), you can probably get them cheaper that way.

Hey Ben

I was going to get the 2 front and 2 rears in the para's...I would have liked to get the 3 in the rear for loads but they cost quite a bit more.

I was just about to pull the trigger on the RM's....but everytime I talk to you about it I just keep wanting to try for the standard set up. I may need babying through the process...but would you mind talking me through this if I can find some standard front springs from a petrol?

I think I could do with mailing you off the board about it if thats ok with you? My e-mail is psi_fan@yahoo.com

There is a Landy swap meet coming up on the 25th of this month where I might be able to find some springs...I might be able to score some elsewhere also. I think I could do this your way with some help...I'd prefer it to be quite honest...and save the money.

Shoot me a mail so I can get your addy.

Best, Simon

I was talking to a bloke named Bevan a while ago, He had what he thinks is the very first set of parabolic springs fitted to a series Landey in Australia. Although he is happy with the ride, he complained of increased axle tramp under brakes. I don't think he uses the truck for serious offroading. Years ago when I tried Transitvan front parabolics on the rear of my shorty, the axle tramp was so severe that I regularly had to press the kinks out of the leaves in my hydraulic press until I fitted a torque rod from the top of the diff to the crossmember behind the transfercase.
Bill.

Hey Daddy,

The two guys I know personally in OZ who both have RM Para's on their Series vehicles have never had anything but great things to say about them and no reports of the kind you mentioned. It's also fair to say that they offroad to a relative degree of difficulty, atleast enough to have made such anomolies come to light long ago. I don't half wonder if the results of the axle tramp with Para's are an artifact of some other combination of parts or the nature of the individual set of springs themselves?

I have driven and ridden in a few landies with RM parabolics. The ride and handling are very good and I haven't noticed any axle tramp problems. Can't speak for other brands though.