2 or 3 leaf parabolics (yes, again!)

[printjunky]

I know this horse has been beaten near to death, but just in case anyone has any new insight ...

About to pull the trigger on RM parabolics. Debating 2 or 3 leafs. Leaning toward 3. It's not so much the cost (~$90 diff), but I'm told by RM (while implying that 3 might be overkill) that I'll not benefit from ride enhancement with undersprung 3 leafs. (though anything's better than almost riding on the axle like I am now!) He mentioned keeping some weight back there will help that if I go with 3. Any other concerns or thoughts?

1973 SIII, 88" Petrol, Pickup Cab.

I tow a 16' boat (mostly) short distances. The trailer may not be made (or the axle location not appropriate) for the boat, as the tongue weight seems high. My guess is something approaching 120lbs. I use the tongue jack.

This summer it will be getting an external cage, similar to a D-90 cage. Won't add much weight, but I will use that for some minor stowage during camping trips and such, but no real, heavy expedition gear. Probably put the hi lift on there.

And I carry about 60 or so pounds of tools and spares in back most of the time.

Thanks!
Shawn

[busboy]

I don't have parabolic springs but also have been toying with the idea of getting them. I do tow trailers of all kinds though with other vehicles and hitch/pin weight is very important, for a tag/bumper pull the hitch weight should be minimum 10% and up to 15% of the gross trailer weight. 120lbs would give a trailer and boat at 1200lbs total, any heavier and you don't have enough hitch weight. I can almost guarantee that if you tow there will be times you will hook something much heavier to the vehicle, I often move a small dump trailer 7-8000lbs loaded so my hitch weight is 1050lbs to 1200lbs, my 88 Landrover handles this no problem on the front or the rear. I tried this same trailer on the front of a 2006 jeep TJ with coil springs and it buried it. I'm trying to say if you tow at all don't stick some weak springs under it.

[TedW]

I have 3 leaf rear paras and occasionally tow a 22' boat - 4000 total lb. +/-. Lots of sag on the back end. My frame would likely sit on the axles if I had 2-leafs.

That said, I run a soft top and would probably prefer 2-leaf rears if I wasn't doing any towing. With the soft top, the back is still a bit stiff - but much better than my former blood-in-the-urine genuine springs.

Based on your description, my $0.02 is that you go with the 3-leafs, because you have a hard top / cage and may have too much body sway with the 2's when you are loaded.

[Les Parker]

Interesting to see the 2 leaf parabolic's mentioned above. RN sells the kit with 2 leaf front and 3 leaf rear, is the RM set up different to this?
We've found that fitting some good shock absorbers (OME/Procomp) are just as essential to ensure the Rover does not misbehave when cornering.

[TedW]

Interesting to see the 2 leaf parabolic's mentioned above. RN sells the kit with 2 leaf front and 3 leaf rear, is the RM set up different to this?
We've found that fitting some good shock absorbers (OME/Procomp) are just as essential to ensure the Rover does not misbehave when cornering.

Les: I bought my para's (2-leaf front/3-leaf rear) with OME Shocks from you 5+ years ago. They are not RM's - I believe that you had recently stopped selling them. I found the OME's to be too stiff with the soft top, so I reinstalled my Woodheads: No problems, no body sway, and a more comfy ride.

[busboy]

I have 3 leaf rear paras and occasionally tow a 22' boat - 4000 total lb. +/-. Lots of sag on the back end. My frame would likely sit on the axles if I had 2-leafs.

Thanks for posting that, I think you just ruled out parabolic springs for me. Although my factory springs are the original ones I had an extra thicker leaf added many years ago so if you are sagging the 3 leaf ones they would be no good for me especially as you can only get a 2 leaf front spring. I move a 14,000lb 20ft gooseneck around on the front and a couple of years ago I had a skidsteer on it that I didn't want to unload, I don't know what the hitch weight was but I couldn't turn the steering wheel I had to over inflate the front tires just to turn the wheel when moving, the front springs didn't even complain.

[TedW]

Here's what my truck looks like with boat attached - a squirrelly experience on the road, and one that I don't recommend.

[busboy]

Wow that does make your Landrover squat at the rear, have you thought about installing air bags. They are easy to install and the air pressure can be adjusted from 10psi to 100psi to compensate for loads. I had them on my last truck and the onboard air compressor was really great, you don't have to install an air compressor or use a controller but you can get manual or wireless ones.

[TedW]

Wow that does make your Landrover squat at the rear, have you thought about installing air bags. They are easy to install and the air pressure can be adjusted from 10psi to 100psi to compensate for loads. I had them on my last truck and the onboard air compressor was really great, you don't have to install an air compressor or use a controller but you can get manual or wireless ones.

I only take it 5 miles to a boatyard in the spring, and 5 miles back home in the fall, so I manage with what I have. Otherwise I'd use someone else's truck!

[o2batsea]

Slide the trailer wheels a foot forward. That will take some of the tongue weight off the Rover. It's not that the truck can't pull the load, it's that too much boat is on the hitch. Put the boat in the water first!

[TedW]

Slide the trailer wheels a foot forward. That will take some of the tongue weight off the Rover. It's not that the truck can't pull the load, it's that too much boat is on the hitch. Put the boat in the water first!

Great idea! I'll do that after the boat goes in the water this spring. BTW, I have the boatyard do the launching: I don't let my truck get near any salt water!

[busboy]

I'll admit I know nothing about boats, but I do know hauling stuff, you MUST have at least 10% of the gross trailer weight on the hitch for a bumper pull and 17% absolute minimum for a goose/5th wheel. Although your Landrover is squatting in the rear the part where it drives "squirrelly" is often from too little hitch weight and reducing it further without knowing what you actually have for weights may result in a catastrophic accident, and the squatting is from just too weak a spring. I would suggest weighing the front axle, the rear axle then the two trailer axles with the boat on then take the trailer off and reweigh the landrover axles again. Some simple math and you will know how much the landrover weighs, how much the boat and trailer weighs and how much weight is on the hitch. I know aluminum boat trailers empty are very light but so is a landrover so if you do move the axles to take weight off the hitch don't forget that you do tow the trailer empty as well and the same 10% still matters. Your boat yard may have a set of portable scales.

[cedryck]

Only 2 cents here,
When deciding what springs to place on your rover you might ask what are you going to do with it? Off road, towing, I believe that one makes a compromise between off road capabilities, you know articulation of the axles, (light springs, 2 leaf rears,) and towing ability, at least 3 rear. I use a small jet ski trailer with my 88, that has 2 leaf rear springs, love them off road, they move like butter, and allow the axles great articulation, but, not so good when towing more than a load of neatly stacked brush to the dump. I might get away with towing a motorcycle, or Jet ski, but nothing heavier.

[busboy]

Only 2 cents here,
When deciding what springs to place on your rover you might ask what are you going to do with it? Off road, towing, I believe that one makes a compromise between off road capabilities, you know articulation of the axles, (light springs, 2 leaf rears,) and towing ability, at least 3 rear. I use a small jet ski trailer with my 88, that has 2 leaf rear springs, love them off road, they move like butter, and allow the axles great articulation, but, not so good when towing more than a load of neatly stacked brush to the dump. I might get away with towing a motorcycle, or Jet ski, but nothing heavier.

I couldn't agree more, thing is some of us want it all, me included, lol. I would dearly love for a smoother ride around town and to have the off road articulation you talk of sounds promising, perhaps I'm the one that should be looking at getting air bags on all 4 corners then going with 2 leaf parabolic springs all around.. The on board air could also supply the air lockers I have been drooling over for some time.

Just wondering if you have ever used snow chains with your parabolic springs and if so on all 4 or just the rear?

[cedryck]

I have not fitted chains, have found for most of the offroading I do, the new BFK km2 are gripping enough, chains I think would just add more to it.

[busboy]

I have not fitted chains, have found for most of the offroading I do, the new BFK km2 are gripping enough, chains I think would just add more to it.
The chains do add incredible traction in both snow and mud, my son and I both carry them year round. Two days ago the police came to the camp where he was working and asked him if he could come with them to rescue an ambulance with someone in the back that had skidded off the road in a blizzard, he chains up and follows them, hooks on with a tow chain and out it came. Good deed for the day, lol.

[BGreen]

I have a 1972 SWB Station Wagon and use 4 leaf parabolic rear/ 2 front to haul a 7000 pound cargo trailer and I sit level fully loaded. If 2 or 3 do not work for you use the heavy Duty 4s, as that is an option also.

[busboy]

I have a 1972 SWB Station Wagon and use 4 leaf parabolic rear/ 2 front to haul a 7000 pound cargo trailer and I sit level fully loaded. If 2 or 3 do not work for you use the heavy Duty 4s, as that is an option also.

As I use the front of the Landrover more that the rear for moving trailers I have pretty much decided against parabolic springs as I'm positive I can't get the weight I need on the front without air bags and while 4 would work on the rear it defeats the object of going to Parabolic springs, that of a smoother ride.

[greenrover]

B Green - do you go off roading and if so what sort of articulation do you get with the 4 leaf? I have a LWB and would like to tow but do not want all four wheels on the ground if doing moderate off roading

[Andrew IIA]

I have 2-leaf front and 3-leaf rear parabolics on my '63 88" Station Wagon with a heavy roof rack. Great for me, hauling 3 dogs, gear, camping, etc.

[printjunky]

After about 18mos living with my Rocky Mountain 3 leaf rear parabolics, I thought, for posterity, I'd update this post with my impressions .

I went against a few recommendations here (most seemed to be vaguely pro 3-leaf) and more importantly against the recommendation of (the incredibly helpful) Jeremy at RM, and got the 3-leafs. I have a pickup cab 88" SIII - and it's my daily driver and regular road-tripper. My rationale for going 3-leaf, was based on towing a small boat regularly in-season, and future-proofing (future cage/rack-storage/full length top, etc). While towing the boat (~100lbs T-weight), or loaded up in all 7 seats (or as high a pile of firewood as I can jam in the back, etc.), it handles like a dream. Smooth, stable, virtually bounceless (and quite a bit quieter).

You guys hear a "but" in there somewhere?

But, Except for the boat, those fully-loaded events are fairly rarities. And the boat tows probably average twice a week, for 12 or so weeks usually about 2 miles (though a few 20 mile round trips). I ride topless the entire time it's above about 45 (that t-shirt weighs more than you'd think - I kid). But the top isn't heavy at all. I can lift on and off solo, pretty easily. So probably not much difference there.

The downside, is that completely unladen, I have what feels like about the same ride as my original springs (except they were very fatigued - the Rover sat embarrassingly low in the rear - and would bottom out with two guys in back). But still, the ride was and is ROUGH! Especially in winter when the roads heave due to frost, and there are snow and ice patches to bounce off of.

I guess I still hold out hope for the futureproofing aspect of my plan to have been a wise choice. Though during particularly rough drives, I often daydream about offering them up for an even trade for 2-leafs or cash close enough for me to get them. I actively avoid the worst roads in town, if I can. But a bit of a rough ride isn't the worst thing, most of the time.

So my experience is mixed. I'd prefer to be able to do an A-B test on both setups before I changed anything. I have no other way to asses the unladen ride improvement vs. more-deflection-under-load compromises, except trying them. But my guess is that I'd probably be just slightly happier with the 2 leafs - at least under the current setup and use of the Rover.

[SafeAirOne]

Just carry around 8 bags of tube sand in the back of the rover when you are otherwise unladen.

[REDrum]

With a front-end loaded soft-top 88 (tire on hood, winch, after market bumper, 31M battery) has anyone run 3 leaf up front and 2 leaf in rear paras? Or even kept stock up front and just 2 leaf para in rear?