Changing shocks

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Ttwo

Ttwo

Active Member
Posts
288
Don't know if anyone can tell by my pic on my profile but what's the best way to check if in running standard height shocks?! The child are yellow and shocks are white so I asume there not the standard ones maybe just newer but same height....mine look rusty and all the coating is peeling off and after a little bit of off roading it makes a clicking when I turn so thinking strut tops...anyway I want them changed as it was sat for 3 years and hasn't been looked after by my mate who had it first...he said he added something to the shocks that drops the wheels down 2" when it's going over rough terrain.... I was looking at a set of terrafirma 2" lift kit with springs http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2-Spring-Lift-Kit-Terrafirma-shocks-Discovery-1-/151747295898 just don't want it lower than it is now...
 
I'm no expert here but your shocks and springs seem normal height to my thinking. Yours appears to be the same height as mine. A 2" lift is quiet noticeable. ( I personally think they look ugly with a 2" lift)
2014 several of us did a trip to Morocco. The P38 in the group had a 2" lift terrafirm kit; One shocker broke. Talking to the guys they said they wouldn't bother with the lift if they were doing it again. None of the other vehicles in the group had a lift and we crossed everywhere we wanted to go without any problems.
http://land-rover-discovery-1.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/day-2-morocco-trip.html
 
Thanks for your view I think I'll just buy some regular ones then ie a upgraded set but std size but do you think the terrafirma are a bad choice??
 
Your springs dictate the ride height, mate. Not your shocks. Both are very important bits of kit, so buy the best your budget can afford. I'm thinking not Terrafirma, but as johnlad says, you have to make your own mind up ;)
 
Ok so scrap them then lol now just to try find a reliable kit at a reasonable price
 
I looked on britpart and there seems tobe some choice with light medium heavy etc....what sort of thing will I be looking at for off-roading and road use?! Med/hev or just med or heavy
 
Super gas or cellular dynamic are the brands..... I think it's going tobe quite split to what people recommend as you normally say the one you picked even tho you haven't tried to other brand
 
I use delphi deCarbon shocks with genuine land rover springs, standard height and rating. fantastic ride, a shed load better than my old bearmarch blue HD springs and britpart shocks. Although that could be because my new genuine springs are a softer rating than the old bear march HD ones?
Ive also heard Bilstein shocks are excellent.
I would highly recommend the deCarbon shocks though even if there not the cheapest. I know TJC land rovers in norfolk use the decarbon shock and genuine spring combo on all there top rebuilds
 
Springs & shocks are a very personal choice and what suits one won't suit another, LR designed a very good system and unless you know what you are doing you can end up with a vehicle which is unstable (and sometimes un-driveable) while being no better (on or off the road) than the standard vehicle.

I have played with the springs & shocks on my 90 a fair bit over the 16-years I have owned it, some changes have worked well while others did not.
Being an ex-MOD FFR it was pretty stiffly sprung, made moreso by the fact that I never carry any weight.
I did loads of research and with my first attempt got it spot on, Scorpion Racing Std Ht HD springs and De Carbon gas shocks, the springs were softer than the original units but the gas shocks really helped stiffen it up. This lasted well until one of the rear springs snapped (after about 10-years use) and with Scorpion no-longer trading I had to start looking all over again.
With a broken spring I was forced to make a decision very quickly and got it wrong. I fitted Bearmach HD blue springs but went too HD on the front and have down-graded (twice!). I then went OE springs all round for a softer ride and to tighten it up fitted Koni Heavy Track shocks, this worked very well but I found that on the (rare) occasions I did load up the back of the vehicle it almost sat on the bumpstops. I did toy with the idea of buying OE HD rears but as I had the Bearmach HD rears sitting around I decided to give them a go matched with the OE fronts, it worked very well and for the first time in several years I am happy with the ride & handling again. :)

OE front, Bearmach blue HD rears & Koni Heavy Track gas shocks, all working with OE bushes.
 
I've got Britpart standard height springs which are a bit taller than the rather tired standard ones I took off so it looks like it's had a lift even though it hasn't. I really bent the plastic and got Koni heavy tracks and have a ride I'm happy with. It's a little stiffer than I had before, but it doesn't roll so much on cornering. But as above, it's very personal and depends what you want to do. If I was doing a lot of driving in situations where it was cross axled, I might find my present springs a bit too hard and find myself with wheels in the air.
 
Brown said:
I've got Britpart standard height springs which are a bit taller than the rather tired standard ones I took off so it looks like it's had a lift even though it hasn't. I really bent the plastic and got Koni heavy tracks and have a ride I'm happy with. It's a little stiffer than I had before, but it doesn't roll so much on cornering. But as above, it's very personal and depends what you want to do. If I was doing a lot of driving in situations where it was cross axled, I might find my present springs a bit too hard and find myself with wheels in the air.
Click to expand...
I like the sound of that, mate. I bought my springs from my local Landy specialist when I was naive about Britpart's reputation. They weren't expensive and he uses a lot of Britpart stuff. They didn't come in a blue bag, but I reckon that's what they are. Pleased to hear a positive comment about them!:)
 
I wouldn't have given them a second look, but people on here seem to feel that springs are something that Britpart has got right. James Martin swears by them.
 
Yep, britpart springs are actually pretty good, I've fitted a few sets along with allmakes and bearmach, which also seem pretty good.
 
Al2O3 said:
I like the sound of that, mate. I bought my springs from my local Landy specialist when I was naive about Britpart's reputation. They weren't expensive and he uses a lot of Britpart stuff. They didn't come in a blue bag, but I reckon that's what they are. Pleased to hear a positive comment about them!:)
Click to expand...
OEM springs aren't a fortune, either! :)
And unusually for ****part the springs aren't all bad. Several I know have genuine/oem fronts and the britpart HD on the rears, seems to work well on a Ninety, specially if you are going to carry a lot of weight.
Myself I find standard genuine all round is best.
 
Brown said:
I wouldn't have given them a second look, but people on here seem to feel that springs are something that Britpart has got right. James Martin swears by them.
Click to expand...

aaronmorris said:
Yep, britpart springs are actually pretty good, I've fitted a few sets along with allmakes and bearmach, which also seem pretty good.
Click to expand...

Turboman said:
OEM springs aren't a fortune, either! :)
And unusually for ****part the springs aren't all bad. Several I know have genuine/oem fronts and the britpart HD on the rears, seems to work well on a Ninety, specially if you are going to carry a lot of weight.
Myself I find standard genuine all round is best.
Click to expand...

GET IN! :D
Cheers, gents. I've been a bit worried about those springs!
 
Them Koni shocks are a lot of money...lol I weren't really looking to spend loads...but I suppose if you want a set that won't break then it's worth doing...just not yet....I only wanted a chafe as old ones look tatty and if I hit a bump in the road or a hole there is a loud bang from the front end...in other works and short shap shock and BANG but slow a steady there's no noise..it handles like **** but I think it's just the big wheels and the fact the steering arm was bent and then re straightend by a winch won't help lol I just cba to get it in the air plus I don't really know what I'm at
 
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