Springs Springs Springs

[seriousseries]

I own a 71 IIA 88".

It is in need of a new chassis which I am going to put under it this winter.

What are my spring options?

Parabolics
Factory suspension kit
Custom Suspension from truck leaf springs shop.

I ask because right now it sits at a nice height even with rotten shocks and springs.

My dad just finished his 6th ground up restoration and only uses factory suspension parts, but his lates (a 67 series IIA 88) sits rather low.

Could the springs on my rover be a custom job from a suspension shop?

Could the year affect the ride height?

Thanks

[badvibes]

I own a 71 IIA 88".

It is in need of a new chassis which I am going to put under it this winter.

What are my spring options?

Parabolics
Factory suspension kit
Custom Suspension from truck leaf springs shop.

I ask because right now it sits at a nice height even with rotten shocks and springs.

My dad just finished his 6th ground up restoration and only uses factory suspension parts, but his lates (a 67 series IIA 88) sits rather low.

Could the springs on my rover be a custom job from a suspension shop?

Could the year affect the ride height?

Thanks

serious-

I guess you've identified the options is the question which way should you go? What do you expect your suspension to do? Do you want bigger tires?Do you want lift? Articulation? Good street manners/ride? Are you going to haul heavy loads of gear? All the above? If you like the way the springs on your truck currently sit and the way they perform I'd refurbish them and get some new shocks of the right length.

I have a friend who has a '64 2A, so do I, and it's rather convenient to see the differences, or lack thereof, between our trucks and the mods we make. We both run 235x85x16 tires. I went with a standard 88 suspension he went with parabolics. Our trucks sit within about 1/2" of each other height-wise. We both think his truck rides better on and off road. He likes the articulation he gets, though if the shocks are the correct length a standard suspension will flex OK too. We're OK with this size tire and stock axles though Scott pushes his truck harder and has the broken axle shafts to prove it. I don't plan to wheel my truck as hard and use it more as a backcountry vehicle. I'm getting ready to install a rooftop tent this week. I'm hoping the stock 11 leaf rears will hold up better to loads of gear over time than parabolics. Time will tell.

So if you're a "Scott" go parabolics and push the envelope he has a lot of fun and he's fun to watch. For a backcountry trekker I think a standard suspension works well. But unless your current springs are thrashed, 3 out of 4 of my spring packs had at least 1 broken leaf that's why I bought new springs, it kinda sounds like you might be able to keep what you've got and just get shocks.

Jeff

[scott]

ain't nut'n better than big air in an old truck!

[alaskajosh]

I too am baffled by all the contradictory information out there among all the experts (real and self-proclaimed).

How many people have hailed paras as the best thing that ever happened to a Land Rover while just as many people call them (at best) a waste of money that will break, sag, and plague the owner with hazards including (but not limited to) death by roll-over.
I've heard at least one expert say that nothing rides smoother and articulates better than factory springs... Really.

All I know is that I'm not at all happy with the ride quality (smoothness) of the factory jobs. I, and my car, take a real hammering on the roads around here. And I have to think that the articulation could be improved upon as well.
But I'm scared to death of the parabolics after all the horror stories I've heard. Is it just a case of a few bad cases getting A LOT of attention?

[Terrys]

Josh, (and others)
I bought my first series truck 36 years ago, and to be very honest, I can not remember how many I have had since then. In fact, I'm going to pick one up this morning that I bought a few weeks ago. This new one sits on one ton springs.
I have put paras on two trucks in recent years. I can not point to a single example where I would have wished for something different. I was alot younger than I am now when I used one of these trucks as my sole means of transport, and also can not recall any experiences that would have made me wish for something different(conventional), though I seriously think youth tends not to understand or recognize comfort.
There isn't anything unique to Land Rovers and Parabolic springs. Ford has been using them on F series pickup trucks for nearly 40 years. I've also had 4 of those and they rode beautifully.

The manuver that people point to, when they speak negatively about parabolics, that may cause extreme body roll also keeps the highside wheel on the ground. In other words, the increase in articulation is both up and down, and both sides of the truck respond accordingly. The unladen side may respond less, but it's reponse is still better than multileaf springs.
I have a coil sprung truck and a parabolic sprung truck which have same body types (NAS 110 and Stage One 109) and can't say there's a whole lot of difference in driving them (They're both hot, cold, noisy and wet too).

[msggunny]

When i changed over to para's in 02 the difference in the ride was incredible.

It was like it actually had a suspension!

I dont know if it was because the orginal springs were rusted to gether or not, but i wont go with anything other than para's on my 88. 2 leaf in front and 2 in back. I ran that set up even with the safari top on it. No problems, but i have never been in terrain that requires a whole bunch of flex, yet.

Daily driving they are a god send. Trail's/dirt roads/off road good to go. The only "problem" i have had with them was during a 45 min trip down a dirt road with softball sized rocks strewn all over it. Had to slow down considerably to keep it from bouncing all over the road.

However: I have never had it "expedition" loaded, just hard top, camping gear, 20 gallons of fuel on top of the 20 in the tanks, some tools and 2 passengers.

No sagging yet!

[alaskajosh]

That's good to hear, gents. The paras may be back on my consideration list... I've got to do something.

Any drawbacks? Any naysayers care to weigh in?

[I Leak Oil]

Given all the "stories" that give parabolics a bad name I have yet to see any sort of scientific comparison of parabolic sping stability and original stability. I bet there have been many a rolled over Land Rover that had original style springs. Would any of the incidents that involved truck with para. springs still have occurred with originals? I bet a good percentage of incidents would have occurred no matter what spring was on the vehicle. We're driving old, narrow wheelbase, high center of gravity vehicles...rovers have terrible brakes, are way under powered and what's with the steel dash? I wouldn't trade mine for the world but if our biggest concern is safety then we should be driving a Volvo! Drive some trucks with different setups and decide what you want and need. Remember what opinions are like....
Jason T.

[daveb]

I rolled my 88 on it's side off-roading with the regular stock springs. Don't think it would have mattered if I'd been using parabolics.

I got my 109 up on two wheels going around Stanton Park here in DC. That was with Parabolics and I think there would have been more body roll with the regular springs and the wheels would have lifted sooner.

I drove Robert Davis's 88 a few years ago and I was able to peel out around corners from a dead stop. I never thought a LR could do that. Figured it would flip or something. That was also with parabolics.

Just make sure you get ones that aren't too light, and put some good shocks on it

That's good to hear, gents. The paras may be back on my consideration list... I've got to do something.

Any drawbacks? Any naysayers care to weigh in?

[SalemRover]

The ride is certainly better on Para's onroad. If you are offroad in a fully loaded vehicle then I would prefer the heavier stock springs. But if your not driving 5 peoples camping gear, food/drink and large amounts of wood in your 109 up a mountain then parabolics will be fine for you. That is the only time I was wishing for my ex-mod 1 ton springs... would have been nicer on the highway and easier up the trail. Besides that time I really like the nicer ride that the parabolics give. They do fine and imho opinion better offroad than stock springs in an unladen vehicle.

-Jason