2 or 3 leaf parabolics (yes, again!)

[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]

4 leaf

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?