Anderzander Posted March 24, 2015 Share Posted March 24, 2015 The recent topics around series ride quality and available springs, has brought to mind the narrow springs on my 80" I don't want to lose originality and change them for wide ones - so my options are pretty much just having some made or having these re-set. Can anyone recommend either route ? and / or a company to do it ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soren Frimodt Posted March 24, 2015 Share Posted March 24, 2015 I bought a pair from Craddocks to fit my 80" last year. And so far I'm very pleased, no sagging or warping. My original ones are actually in an okay condition though they have gotten a little flat over time, but not much. But i figured I might as well change them while new ones are still available so the genuine ones now reside happily in the garage Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josh NZ Posted March 24, 2015 Share Posted March 24, 2015 I had good results from getting leaf springs reset, but from what the guys at the shop told me, its really only classed as a temporary fix as they can sag back again. How long that takes, is down to how much weight you carry, how rough the terrain it gets driven on is etc. I got my leaf springs reset (albeit in a 70 series cruiser) and I asked for a small amount of extra arch to counteract the re-sag if it ever occurred. I was blown away by how much better the ride was! All 4 cost me around $600 NZD and that included them removing, refitting and re-bushing the componentry. A worthwhile option if you can't get decent new ones in my eyes. Josh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuck Posted March 24, 2015 Share Posted March 24, 2015 http://www.jones-springs.co.uk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anderzander Posted March 24, 2015 Author Share Posted March 24, 2015 Hey that's helpful guys - thank you ! I wasn't sure about the quality of new springs - so encouraging to hear yours are ok Soren. Good feedback on the resetting too - how is that specified I wonder. Would I provide a distance between the eyes and they set it to that I wonder ? Thank you Mr Stuck - I'll have a look at them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josh NZ Posted March 24, 2015 Share Posted March 24, 2015 Specifying the distance between spring eyes would be the most logical way, I don't know if that's what they actually do. I guess the shop would be able to find a specs list (worrying with LRs tolerances!) and set them to that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bowie69 Posted March 25, 2015 Share Posted March 25, 2015 Wow, Stuck, they got em all http://www.jones-springs.co.uk/shop/category/land-rover-springs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuck Posted March 25, 2015 Share Posted March 25, 2015 Wow, Stuck, they got em all http://www.jones-springs.co.uk/shop/category/land-rover-springs Very high quality too. I bought a set for my 86", not cheap but you get what you pay for IMHO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anderzander Posted March 25, 2015 Author Share Posted March 25, 2015 Ooo - didn't know you had an 86" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
De Ranged Posted March 25, 2015 Share Posted March 25, 2015 I wouldn't recomend resetting springs when I was running my custom shop I had a client push for a custom pack and get them re-arched... I went with a local outfit I'd heard good comments about, 4 yrs later they are lower than where we started.... he hasn't used it to carry loads infact it probably spend 2 of those yrs sitting parked up Based on this I did a fair bit of research.... first not all spring steel is equal, and you can't apply the same treatment to different steels and expect the same results.... next there are alot of variables in the process first they have to normalise, some steels might require multiple normilsing treatments, then bend, then heat treat to harden and then heat again to temper so they will bend without braking now each one of these needs a different heat, time to soak in this heat and a technique to cool.... get any of this wrong and it won't be hard enough or too hard, then the temper phase same deal but with the added fun some steels like multiple temper treatments New steel comes with spec sheets detailing all this and the ranges, easy to get a good result for a specialist... now when its old springs its best guess as to what to do Add to this there are alot of guys that work off a colour chart as to the heat (the colour of the glow when hot) this gets vague as things as simple as cloud cover can change the tone of a colour making it possible to miss read the colour and change things alot this is incidentally the tech the local guys work with and kind of explains why I got a waist of money job Unless you can find a specialist who has done lots of landrover springs I recomend not risking your current springs or your money.... new springs might seem like a lot of money but in the long term they are a better investment Just a side note if you do decide to do this when I've done this I spec'd the height taken from a line across the top of the spring eyes to the spring seat.... this gave them the arch Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gremlin Posted March 25, 2015 Share Posted March 25, 2015 No Need to heat to re arch, we used to do them cold here, the primitive way with a big ass sledge hammer and piece H beam. We were young and foolish as it was dangerous, and used to spend a day with ears ringing....................... I always did mine at home in a simple jig with a bottle jack. If you have press its even better. G Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soren Frimodt Posted March 25, 2015 Share Posted March 25, 2015 I've only tried resetting springs once, but have helped on another occasion. In both cases we used a big old Roller for the job and slowly re-arched them cold. However I can echo DeRanged's experiences, within a year and a half both sets was flatter than when we started! And with all the work that went into it I doubt I'll ever do it again. Only reason back then was lack of money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deep Posted March 25, 2015 Share Posted March 25, 2015 No Need to heat to re arch, we used to do them cold here, the primitive way with a big ass sledge hammer and piece H beam. We were young and foolish as it was dangerous, and used to spend a day with ears ringing....................... I always did mine at home in a simple jig with a bottle jack. If you have press its even better. G I well remember helping some friends use the sledgehammer technique with a MkII Cortina's springs when I was a teenager. One leaf broke and exploded upwards, knocking my mate out cold with blood streaming out of his head. A quick trip to hospital and he survived but I would NEVER do this again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gremlin Posted March 26, 2015 Share Posted March 26, 2015 Yes dangerous, as when they break they go flying............................. Funnily enough the sledge hammer method used to hold up the arch better than the press or jack. G Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deep Posted March 26, 2015 Share Posted March 26, 2015 You might be right. That Cortina stayed well jacked-up for as long as I could remember! Dead opposite from the current teenager trend of lowering everything... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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