Opinions for suspension

[NoHummer-Ed]

I have been looking at a different options for improving the suspension on my 90 for mud travelling and mountaining.

Unfortunately, I do not know any other close people with Land Rovers - Father has a Land Cruiser and is often an enemy in discussions! I humbly ask the forums opinion on the different options.

I have tools or places to work so whatever I buy has to be easy to fit. I can execute welding and cutting but it must be on a weekend in the road - so I prefer bolting and nutting in place if possible.

The options I am seeing advertised are:

Scorpio Racing, QT Services and Xeng. I see the forum has a bad breath for Scorpio - but I pray you ignore it for a moment.

I see many trucks with orange springs which are Scorpio - so I see it is common, but does not make the opinion always good!

QT and Xeng you do not see coloured so I cannot tell if they are travelling.

QT Hi Flex has many components for the price - but it uses open rose joints which are worrying to me. Even in India they only last until the rainy season then the mud makes them loose. England has mud every day!

Xeng is promising a new XFlex system http://www.x-eng.co.uk/ which is being clever. It makes use of a ball in a socket joint that I have not seen before. The ball lies on a Polyurethane bed with grease - so it should slide well. It has double springs that are like a telescope to have more extension. This kit has no dampers or brake pipes which must be sourced seperately.

Scorpio Racing Extreme Kit has more traditional parts with no unusual technology. It does have impressive photographs of trucks sporting the suspension. The kit comes with long dampers and orange springs - but the other parts look common. There is no idea of price either. I phone them and they ask to see my 90 before discussing price for safety. Asside from bad humours, is this kit as good as the photographs?

Are there other kits that I may want to scrutinise? Much help the merrier all.

Ed

[alantd]

AFAIK Scorpion suspension is OK.

They have a bad rap for service and cost (and some ethics around copying other's designs) but their suspension is known to be pretty robust. I have no idea on cost but I can't imagine it is cheap.

There will be cheaper ways of doing it, I'm sure, but if you want an easy life then they might be the way forward.

It also depends on how extreme you want your suspension. 1", 2"... disslocation (jury's out), 3 link...

[Orgasmic Farmer]

Have a look here. In the opinion of many top competitors on the UK challenge scene this is a damn good, and very strong, set up. Not necessarily the most impressive on the twist-off ramp but in the real world, where it counts, very good indeed

http://www.gwynlewis4x4.co.uk/page56a.html

[zulublue]

This might help, its a never ending topic.

Try this

[roachy]

correct me if im wrong but isn't the scorpion kit copyed from this?

Clicky clicky

might be cheaper?

[HiFonics]

Do you really want a package? If so Devon 4x4 do some OME packages HERE but when I come to do something with the suspension on my 110 I will actually have a chat with them and get the bits I actually need and spring rates that suit what I will be using the truck for.

Ben

[Young bobtail Rhys]

correct me if im wrong but isn't the scorpion kit copyed from this?

Clicky clicky

might be cheaper?

Ouch on your wallet if you buy from here! The full kit that includes absolutly everything costs....................................upto £4500 Scorpion are around the £2500 mark but I maybe wrong? Gwyn's kit which I would certainly recommend as I also use it, is £1200 and its old man emu so expect it to last and you definatly get what you pay for, fantastic.

[SteveG]

What do you plan to do with your 90? Do you plan to use it a lot on the road too? What tyres do you have/plan to fit? What's your budget?

What else have you done to your 90? Do have you sill guards, fuel tank guard, diff guards, HD track rod/draglink?

Give us an idea of the above and people will be able to provide better advice.

Thanks

Steve

[NoHummer-Ed]

Thankyou for your many responses. My reply is slow because I am using a phone-up in the outer world at the moment and the internet via is very slow. I cannot log in very often too.

My 90 is used 80% on the road though there are many poor roads in Crawley which make like off road! The 20% is play days and 'green lane' but I have no routes today. When I am returned home I will maybe join a club for communal routes.

At the moment my 90 has standard springs and dampers. It has Bearmack side bars, Mud Terrain Tires on black wheels. It has several recovery points but the bumper is ordinary.

I do not want to massive the suspension and in preference I would keep these springs for the ride and handleing on road is not bad. Even when the back is filled with stones it has good behavior. I would like a setup which gives me much more suspension travel and flexibility with long dampers and flexible drag links but keeping my bump travel similar. The centre of gravity is to be use as low as possible for good handling and stability on mountain sides.

My budget is maybe £2000, maybe as much as it needs but as less as it can be. I would be liking to have a cage from North Off Road in the future year maybe also from same pot.

Magazines cover many winch competitions. They look fun and hard muddy work too. I like to keep the option of entering these in future when I am more ready.

In the past, I have driven many hundreds of miles in mountains and technical driving for real life. My off road skills should be reasonable - but I never used a winch. Father and I once utilised a cow with a yoke to help us out of the mud but the cow did not respond to instruction as a winch does - so I may like to buy one of these too in the future year.

Ed

[Jon W]

If you like what you have already then there is not need to alter it and a cheap way of getting more travel would be to add. Longer shocks and dislocation cones such as the gywn lewis system uses. Many places sell dislocation cones. This way you maintain ride height and the handling characteristics but gain more travel. Then in time you feel like a lift or harder spring then you can just change the springs, when you want. You don't need to spend mega bucks on extreme travel.

With your budget of £2k I would do a few suspension mods, then cage and then see if you have money for a winch or a rear diff lock and shaft. As this wil lgive you a nice all round combination. As there is a limit as to how far extreme travel will get you and although it may look impressive a diff lock in the rear axle will improve thing a lot more especially in the mud.

Just my opinions on what I would do, if i had to start my truck from scratch again.

Jon

[JST]

OME springs and shocks with XEng X-Flex setup, the latter providing the articulation you will need for off road the former can be bought to what ever spec (stiffness/height etc) you want.

[NoHummer-Ed]

Thank you for your many helps.

I have talked to many people about what to decide - and in conclusion I have bought an X-Flex setup from X-Eng. There is details here: www.x-eng.co.uk/x-flex.asp.

It has arrived on Friday and it looks beautiful. The Aluminium metal is anodised blue and the arms are gold. They look too nice to get dirty my father thinks. I imagined the Joints after seeing on X-Eng web site as being smaller and insubstantial. In real life, they are strong and full of metal. They give me no void of doubt.

I have now fitted the arms. It was a really easy were it not for the heavy rain. This is described clearly in the instructions. In fact, the directions are very good. Sometimes my English is wonky and they were clear.

When we fitted, we removed the dampers. I jack vehicle with hiLift and the climber reached the top of the ladder rack before 90's wheel lifted. The movement is amazing compared to Friday.

If it is not raining this week, Father and I will fit the X-Springs. X-Eng man says that I may try the springs at standard height because there is benefit in a lower center of gravity. Only lift your springs if your tyres demand it. My existing tyres are 285/85/16 BFG and are working OK with standard springs - so I will see how it goes. Maybe 2" lift is just exhibitionist?

I am going to go to a Play Day at Slindon next. I will take some photographs and report on how well X-Flex function.

This is my first big modification - and it is pleasing for it to go well immediately. My handbrake is insubstantial - even on Fathers gentle drive slope. Many have said to buy x-Eng handbrake. I am presuming it works well? If it is as good as X-Flex - I definitely buy when monies allow.

Thanks again - Ed

[JST]

In response to the X-Brake - superb in my opinion. the old drum handbrake on mine needed to be stripped down and cleaned after every event to get it to work, X-Brake holds better and once fitted no maintenance!

having said that the std brake on my other truck works well and doenst need cleaning after off roading so i guess some are better than others?