Outer Limits 4x4 Board

G'day all,

Could people please let me know what front spring's your using, could you include spec's like free length, weight rate and even metal thickness. Also what shock too, and weather your getting a full travel out of the shock (e.g if your using a 14" shock but only getting 10.5")

Also let me know what vehicle it is in(so i know what weights in the front)

I looking at idea's for my project 90

I'm using OME 764's all round on a 90, they are about 220-230 pound 16.5" springs which seems about right for the front of a defender with winch and bullbar, they rarely bottom out hitting bumps at moderate speed and you get about a 2" lift.

there are some spring numbers you might find useful at:
http://members.shaw.ca/jbarge/springinfo.html

I am looking at changing the rest of the suspension (arms, shock mounts, cones etc) to free up some droop travel so I'd be interested in your findings.

The 764's seem a bit heavy for the rear of the 90 when unladen but am reluctant to lower the spring rate as the front flexes less easily than the rear already and lighter springs would just make it worse. I am currently running standard Konis and still have some polybushes in the front suspension which is part of the problem - they have to go!

When mine was a range rover I generally ran the stock rear springs up front. Would only give about 2in lift without much extra weight up front. I would use 10in shock travel and ran the springs retained top and bottom.

Sam

764s as well...Nice stuff...a wee bit stiff though...maybe a 180-220 progressive would be ideal for my truck (85KG bumper/winch)

110 defender cab-chassis
kings medium duty 2"lift koni shock at 1/2 turn
only arb bar, no winch
full travel is just obtainable.
i should of used toy 80 series front koni-245mm travel, 10"travel
i don't know of any longer good quality shocks pin to pin.
anyone help here????

Front Springs.

220 pounds x 16 inch free lth.
Bilstien shocks. (too short).

Michael.

G'day all,

Okay you guys with the 764's do you get full travel out of the spring? as in are they almost dilocating at full travel?

I have a set of rear RR springs here, they are approx 410mm long (approx 16") (and 15mm thick metal) but if I can get an extra 0.5" travel out of the front I will buy the longer springs (764's)

I have a set of 2" lift disco springs here that are OME and they are only 390mm (approx 15.5") long, So I assume they aren't 764's

The front of my truck will have a tube bar and eventually a winch

Full travel depends on the shock length...and I am using the N73 along with the 764s up front. I have dual optimas (40Kg in total) a bar, and a winch (80Kg) and at full drop, the spring is JUST about to dislocate. Good set-up in mu opinion

Discodino, if you had a longer shock, do you think you could get more droop? or do you think the front suspension design is getting to max travel where your's stops now?

Not sure if I can get more droop, but to tell you the truth, I am setting up my rig for comps, so droop is NOT everything, if you want more droop, any modifications to the current stock set-up is a waste of time/money, better go 3-link ASAP

Disco2 TD5 Auto with Steel bar. The weigh bridge gace me a front weight (including axle) of 1100kg

230lb/in 425mm. Not sure of the wire dia, but if you want this I can measure it. (Lovells)
Ride height initially was up 100mm over standard and after settling 85mm with an installed length of 300mm.

Used with Rancho 99143 (655/393) which produce a touch over 10" of travel. The axles will articulate until 1/2 of the spring dislocates on the drooop side, though the spring wont come out, BUT on the flat (crossed up though) the coil on the compression side is within about 10-15mm of full compression (as in the springs coils almost all touch each other) but the shock still has a little more travel to go (prob about an inch)


190lb/in 370mm 15mm wire (King Springs - oldies)
Ride height was up initially 40mm, settling to 20mm. Installed length is 235mm.

Used with factory shocks (210mm travel) which would allow full droop, but didn't achieve full compression on the uphill.

Slunnie, does your setup hit the bump-stop on full up travel ?? or do the springs not compress enough ?

DAS, the physical compressed size of the coil is what will limit my compression travel ultimately, and not the bump stops or shock travel in compression. When the Disco is sitting flat, crossed up in ruts then the coil will still have about 10-15mm of compression travel left in it before the coil is completely compressed. When climbing hills the coil obviously doesn't compress as much. I think with a winch on the front of it would max them out, but then again a slightly lower spring rate might also be the go in hindsight. I guess the learning point here is also to make sure the number of coils in your spring pack will allow you to actually achieve full compression before the whole lot binds up on itself. BTW, this setup uses ACE, and so is like running without swaybars when in low range.