Ed Poore Posted November 21, 2011 Share Posted November 21, 2011 Right after a nice long 14h drive back down from the highlands with the head-lights pointing very low rather than simply adjust them I'll rectify the problem and fit some new springs to the front axle (already done the back about 6 months ago). The majority of my driving is road-based but I do have a 10,000lbs electric winch (wire cable) and a First Four Tubular Winch Bumper on the front (probably weighing in at about 60kg in total). So the question is - standard duty of heavy duty? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
landroversforever Posted November 21, 2011 Share Posted November 21, 2011 I would put a set of yellow/white Genuine springs. They are 110 HD fronts if I remember correctly! On my 90 they give a slight lift with a first four bumper but no winch currently. should sit nicely on a 110 HTH. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Poore Posted November 21, 2011 Author Share Posted November 21, 2011 I would put a set of yellow/white Genuine springs. They are 110 HD fronts if I remember correctly! On my 90 they give a slight lift with a first four bumper but no winch currently. should sit nicely on a 110 HTH. Cheers, I was thinking about the HD springs given the lump up front. Just ordered a set - now the challenge of trying to fit them in the new house with limited tools... Hopefully shouldn't need a spring compressor... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
landroversforever Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 I haven't needed a spring compressor when I've removed and refitted the springs . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Poore Posted November 22, 2011 Author Share Posted November 22, 2011 I did need a compressor when I did the rear ones (ended up putting the blade of our 3 ton mini-digger onto it and then tying it up with straps) but from what I remember when I redid the shocks the front axle drops a little lower. I suspect the rear-axle didn't drop enough because I still had the anti-roll bar attached. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bowie69 Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 A Jack between axle/radius arm and chassis means you can fit without compressors very easily. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmgemini Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 Go heavy duty if you have a winch. I've never used a spring compressor to change Defender springs. When you order the turret rings. Order Discovery TD5 ones. They have a rubber pad fitted, make the front a bit quieter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Poore Posted November 22, 2011 Author Share Posted November 22, 2011 Go heavy duty if you have a winch. I've never used a spring compressor to change Defender springs. When you order the turret rings. Order Discovery TD5 ones. They have a rubber pad fitted, make the front a bit quieter. I've actually got some turret rings (four of them in fact) but not the Td5 ones - that's if I can find them and assuming I brought them when I moved to Surrey... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Poore Posted November 26, 2011 Author Share Posted November 26, 2011 What a difference! As per suggestions went for HD yellow's on the front (already did the back with 110 hard-top ones - I've got a CSW) last year and only been for a short spin to go order an ammo cabinet but can notice the difference already. It's now sitting more or less level - at least 2" lift compared to the knackered ones. I hadn't realised quite how bad the old ones were until I started replacing them and noticed the bump stops had been hitting fairly regularly. The test will be the speed-bumps in Guildford on the way into work. Also kudos to Paul at Challenger - I found the turret rings but Paddocks when I'd ordered them hadn't sent the nuts to accompany them even though they were included. Tried to pilfer some from work but typically not a metric thread so no luck there. Stopped by at Challenger on the way home and instantly produced all 8 free of charge - I know they're pence but it's the little things that count, either that or the substantial service done a few weeks ago in preparation for the spin up to the Highlands... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
landroversforever Posted November 26, 2011 Share Posted November 26, 2011 Glad to hear its sorted . Did you go for Genuine springs? And on the nut front, my local place is like that too. little extra things like that just add to the great customer service! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Poore Posted November 26, 2011 Author Share Posted November 26, 2011 I didn't actually. I've had Britpart (shhhhh) ones fitted on the rear to replace the previous ones and get rid of the SLU for the last 17k or so and they've been (touch wood) fine. Had a brief look around for Genuine ones but didn't look very hard for a reasonable price and that could guarantee a quick delivery (driving 9 people plus kit to a shooting competition next weekend) - the only firm that I've not had problems with to be honest has been Paddocks, tried out a few others and had (up to) months of delays for something that was apparently stocked - even when I paid extra for next day delivery . Lady manning the reception in the office had a nice surprise when this lot (including a brake servo) got delivered - at least they're good about receiving personal mail and packages. Although I did chicken out of having a Famous Four tubular winch bumper delivered to the office - I'm not sure how well that would have gone down... It's not as if I've given them a particularly easy time either since 80% of that mileage has been with at least half a tonne in the boot. Fitted them initially to stop the back bottoming out when I was taking 9 people shooting regularly for a Uni club. Since finishing there I spent the summer back in Wales and most of the mileage covered then was driving (not particularly softly softly) on the farm with the back full of equipment / wood / general farm carp (including at one point our digger's bucket). The trips I did to and from London varied but again always carrying something - be it moving out after Uni so sofas / chairs / desks / guns / climbing stuff etc or doing some work for the department which meant I was shifting 250kg of motors (plus additional stuff) back and forth. The pièce de résistance was a week or so before moving up to Surrey to start work was just a tad over 3.5 tonnes of lamb to go to market in a three axle cattle trailer. That was an novel experience even it it was only a few miles. Oh and I couldn't be bothered to unload the logs that were in the back from cutting up trees on the farm so had the second row of seats full of chainsaws, machetes, ropes etc and the back almost to the roof of logs. The only time I've ever had to genuinely go down into low first out of necessity - turned around after loading up the sheep in one of the fields and parked there whilst we loaded the other two trailers up and then when I went to leave couldn't get started. I would have said it was a flat field but this being Wales what we define as flat is what the rest of the country calls 1 in 3. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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