Dampers

[Spearos]

Ok, so MOT is due soon on my 90, the bottom rear damper bushes are fecked so I'm going to replace all four dampers - can't be arsed to fanny around with fitting new bushes, plus I don't know how old the current dampers are.

Question is what dampers to buy, I do mainly road miles with occasional greenlaning. What's best - Tuff Back, De Carbon, Pro Comp Monroe or other??? I understand gas charged dampers are the way to go...

Also, would changing the springs be worth doing??? Dumb question maybe, sorry if it is...

[Litch]

To be perfectly honest, if you have been happy with the original oil-filled shocks up to now then fitting Armstrong replacements is not a bad move and does not break the bank.

Gas shock certainly make a difference and will stiffen up the suspension slightly even if you retain your existing springs (obviously this depends on how worn/sagging your springs are).

I chose De Carbon a few years ago as they are a long established brand and came highly recomended, certainly they work very well and I have no desire to change to another brand.

Are the springs worth changing? That depends completely on their condition, if they are sagging at all or if you want to increase the ride height at all (why?).

If the vehicle is sitting level (well, as level as many WILL sit!) and the distance between the centre of the hub and the top of the wheel-arch is the same as on similar vehicles then why bother, new shocks will give it a new lease of life.

[Spearos]

Thanks for your input Litch. I've had the 90 just over a year and I'm perfectly happy with the handling so I think I'll go with the Armstrongs. I suppose if I decide to upgrade at a later date, the Armstrongs won't of been such a waste of money at £10 a corner.

As for the springs, I have no intention of increasing the ride height... yet And there are no signs of any sagging - it looks level enough, I guess if it was really bad you wouldn't fail to notice. I'll probably do as you suggest though and measure the hub to arch, just to check.

Thanks again,

Mark

[Santiago]

Hi, sorry to jump in but I am currenty facing the same issues.

I've been told Armstrong dampers are exactly the same as the original LR dampers, is it correct?

I have found out prices for both here (Argentina) and the original Land Rover ones (bought at an official LR dealer) cost double than the Armstrong ones which I am being told are exactly the same dampers that are provided to Land Rover.

Does this sound like correct?

Also, my springs are LR original and 8 years old and the vehicle sags quite a lot on 1 side in the rear. I´ve tried to level it using spcers on that side but it still looks unleveled.

Does it sound like it needs new springs?

[freeagent]

Yes - OEM landrover shocks are made by Armstrong-Woodhead.

i've got Monroe Adventurer 4x4 shocks on my disco, am quite impressed with them...

[Litch]

Yes, Armstrong are OE which is why I have no hesitation recomending them as they have served me very well in the past.

I would not use spacers to correct a list, I would say that your springs are definately shot and one has sagged more than the others and replacement is required. I take it there is no chassis damage?

[SteveG]

if they are both stndard 90's, you can measure between top and bottom spring mounts and height should be in the region of 265mm for stndard height.

If buying standard LR springs in the UK, you can often find cheap sets on ebay off new Defenders that have visited twisted performance, JE Engineering etc. I picked up two pairs recently for 99p a pair plus shipping.

If you can afford buying DeCarbons, (~£40 each) they are worth it for ride and handling if you do lots of on road miles.

Cheers

Steve

[Aragorn]

My recommendation would be koni heavy track shocks, They're only ~£40 each from paddocks and have adjustable damping so you can tweak them for the ride that you want. Good quality brand and i'd expect nothing short of excellent performance from them.

I picked up some 6 month old 90 front springs off ebay recently for £4 plus about a tenner postage. Defo the way to go if your not wanting to lift it!

[Aragorn]

hmm it seems paddock dont have them listed any more, and the google link to them says "this item is out of stock"

Dunno if they'll be getting them back in though!

[Santiago]

Litch,

Yep I will change my rear springs, probably for genuine LR ones.

I've checked and there is no chasis damage (relief), but thanks for reminding me.

Cheers

Santiago

[Spearos]

Ok, so, I've decided I'm going to go with the 'standard' Armstrong dampers. I plan to order them ready for this coming weekend, probably from Paddocks with some new Turret Rings and rear Bump-stops. Is there anything else I should be looking to buy that may 'break' whilst changed the dampers? I have some lovely galvanised turrets to go on too.

I've cleaned all the threads/bolts/nuts and given them a good dowsing of WD-40, the front dampers look a bit more involved to change than the rears. Any tips/tricks to aid removal/disassembly??

Many thanks,

Mark

[Spearos]

Ok, done the dampers at the weekend - seems a lot better now. Took me ages to do, those bottom bolts on the dampers are a right pain! I cleaned, treated and painted the chassis mounts and springs, copper greased all bolts and sprayed it all with waxoyl once finished - my MOT man will be impressed!

Thanks for all the people who took the time to reply, although I'm disappointed no-one mentioned the bottom spring cups might need replacing mine were well rusty, one even had two tiny holes in, so will need replacing - anotherjob to do soon! Should be a lot easier to do again though, now I've done it once and all the bolts should come undone a lot easier!

Cheers!