Defender 110 ride quality.

The ride on my 110 TD5 CSW is quite bouncy.
I don't carry much weight in the back, and also have removed the side facing rear seats.
I wonder if there is anything l can do to improve the ride a bit.
The recommended tyre pressures are very high, l wondered about using a lower pressure such as 35psi.
Or maybe running it with 1/2+ tank of fuel instead of empty+
I believe Alive do road biased springs. Could l change the rear springs? What does the 110 CSW have as standard are they HD springs? My 110 seems a bit higher at the rear, than other 110's.
The rear height is 6 foot 8 inches (2.03m)

I have seen other 110 CSW just about fit under the barrier at my local tip, but mine won't.

lightning said:

The ride on my 110 TD5 CSW is quite bouncy.
I don't carry much weight in the back, and also have removed the side facing rear seats.
I wonder if there is anything l can do to improve the ride a bit.
The recommended tyre pressures are very high, l wondered about using a lower pressure such as 35psi.
Or maybe running it with 1/2+ tank of fuel instead of empty+
I believe Alive do road biased springs. Could l change the rear springs?

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Landrovers were always bouncy.

You can lower the pressures. Look in your owners book, it may list "Comfort pressures" in the chart. On mine, working pressures are 28 and 40 rears, but 30 all round is listed as a light duty option.

You should always keep a diesel tank as full as possible.

You can change springs, but it will probably still be bouncy just not so harsh.

It is harsh by design. Do you know it's history? It may have had heavy duty springs fitted, especially if someone set it up for towing [hence higher at rear]
You could treat it to a new set of standard springs and shocks, thus returning it to original but it'd only be a bit less bouncy....................... or sell it and buy a P38!

Springs have all got personalities of their own. 110 springs tend to be quite stiff to accommodate load carrying, especially at the rear. The models fitted with the self levelling unit tended to have slightly softer rear springs, as the self levelling unit pumps up under load to help them. Equally, some aftermarket suppliers have offered softer springs too. Old Man Emu suspension kits have softer springs, to keep the wheels in contact with the ground on rough terrain rather than for passenger comfort.

Try chucking a couple of sacks of sand in the back, that'll add 50kg - see if it makes a difference , if not chuck in a couple more - if it barely drops at the rear and still bouncy then you're probably on h/duty springs - good luck

The td5 model csw lost the boge hydromat self leveling unit ,(too expensive) so they had to fit different springs ,
the result is that they run with the arse end up . The variable rate springs should do the job ok , if not as well as the boge unit . If you are bumping about its most likely the tyre pressures , 30 front , is adequate for pretty much all situations , the rear is much more affected by loading . If you dont put much in the vehicle , people or load then running the rear at 30 will work fine . HTSH.

The ride in mine was originally hard, I changed the shocks which made a big difference. I also run mine with 1.9 bars in the front and 3.3 in the rear which helps.

mikescuba said:

The ride in mine was originally hard, I changed the shocks which made a big difference. I also run mine with 1.9 bars in the front and 3.3 in the rear which helps.

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I would have thought having 3.3bar in the rears unladen would give a very hard ride. But obviously it is working for you.

The contact patch is going to be pretty small at 50 odd psi too. Do they tend to spin or lock up?

3.3 bar tyre pressure?? And don't you live among snow? Anyway, on my rebuild I fitted standard shocks and springs, not sure how it feels as it isn't yet finished but it was a nightmare getting the shocks on. I had to ratchet strap from axle to chassis and close the spring up by ~45mm to get the shocks on. I'm expecting a very bumpy ride. I could change the shocks but don't want my 110's backside up in the air! Part no's were nrc 6389 (osr) and nrc 6904 (nsr) if that helps any. I don't have the boge unit.

Discokids said:

3.3 bar tyre pressure?? And don't you live among snow? Anyway, on my rebuild I fitted standard shocks and springs, not sure how it feels as it isn't yet finished but it was a nightmare getting the shocks on. I had to ratchet strap from axle to chassis and close the spring up by ~45mm to get the shocks on. I'm expecting a very bumpy ride. I could change the shocks but don't want my 110's backside up in the air! Part no's were nrc 6389 (osr) and nrc 6904 (nsr) if that helps any. I don't have the boge unit.

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Be very careful that isn't going to break the shocks if your suspension goes to maximum extension.

That's exactly what I'm thinking Turbo. At the time I just thought "it must be normal and when the body is on it'll be rate''. However, the weight of the body has made no difference.

Today l filled the tank with diesel, and reduced the rear tyre pressures to 38psi.

It is noticeably better! I wonder if the previous owner fitted HD rear springs. How would l know?

What is fitted as standard to the TD5 110 CSW?

Try the bags of sand! But TBH if you don't know it's history, invest in new standard rear springs, shocks and bushes - then go from there...............

I already fitted new standard shocks and bushes some time ago.
So l'll get a pair of standard springs if that's the best way to find out.

Discokids said:

That's exactly what I'm thinking Turbo. At the time I just thought "it must be normal and when the body is on it'll be rate''. However, the weight of the body has made no difference.

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Check it carefully, it shouldn't be that difficult to fit the shocks. Seen a few broken due to reaching end of travel, the centre rod usually breaks off where the thread starts.

lightning said:

Today l filled the tank with diesel, and reduced the rear tyre pressures to 38psi.

It is noticeably better! I wonder if the previous owner fitted HD rear springs. How would l know?

What is fitted as standard to the TD5 110 CSW?

Click to expand...

Have you looked at this?

http://rovers.red90.ca/springinfo.html