Series 3 LWB in Buckinghamshire - Front Springs

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Kingshill-Rover

Kingshill-Rover

New Member
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8
Location
High Wycombe / Amersham
I have a 2.6 Litre (6 cylinder) Petrol LWB Series 3. The front springs look like they are in good condition but there is very little "bounce" in them, with the shackles hardly moving. (The rear springs bounce fine!) Everything has been removed, lubricated and refitted. The front springs are on the longer shackles with the middle bar.... might this mean that they have been replaced, for some reason, with the "one ton versions"? Springs have no identifying codes on them. They are 11 leaf springs. The front end does look very high.

Open to suggestions. Don't want to replace perfectly good springs, if new ones will have similar lack of bounce.

Also, I was wondering if there were any LWB Series 3 owners in South Bucks who might be kind enough to let me stand on their front bumper and jump up and down. I just want to know if all LWB Series 3 are like mine, or if mine needs the springs and shackles replaced.
 
Have you tried separating spring leafs , derusting , lubricating them, then while apart measuring the leaves to compare with spec. There is also opportunity to remove a spring leaf if above makes no difference

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Are the dumb irons the extended 1 ton type? If not, remove. My 109 front end doesn't move much on the suspension. That's with parabolics.
 
If the springs are not rusted solid. There are still lots of options on spring rates. Period and more modern setups.

If you don’t need or want a lift. Just run standard shackles. You might also want to try taking a couple of leaves out of the spring packs to lower the spring rate.

No need have it riding rock hard these days. And I’m willing to bet you aren’t building it as a work truck intended to haul its max GVW.
 
300bhp/ton said:
If you don’t need or want a lift. Just run standard shackles. You might also want to try taking a couple of leaves out of the spring packs to lower the spring rate.
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Refurbing my rear springs one side had two small ones broke on one side, so I trimmed down one of the other sides to match , worked well but noticed when tub full of manure it hit bump stops when going over lumpy ground but not fully loaded was fine, maybe a noticeable drop in ride height when it’s standing

So where you say remove take leaves out which ones would you choose
IMG_1264.jpeg
IMG_1269.jpeg
 
Kingshill-Rover said:
I have a 2.6 Litre (6 cylinder) Petrol LWB Series 3. The front springs look like they are in good condition but there is very little "bounce" in them, with the shackles hardly moving. (The rear springs bounce fine!) Everything has been removed, lubricated and refitted. The front springs are on the longer shackles with the middle bar.... might this mean that they have been replaced, for some reason, with the "one ton versions"? Springs have no identifying codes on them. They are 11 leaf springs. The front end does look very high.

Open to suggestions. Don't want to replace perfectly good springs, if new ones will have similar lack of bounce.

Also, I was wondering if there were any LWB Series 3 owners in South Bucks who might be kind enough to let me stand on their front bumper and jump up and down. I just want to know if all LWB Series 3 are like mine, or if mine needs the springs and shackles replaced.
Click to expand...
That's a bit of a surprise as the 2.6 lump is a hefty 'ole thing (owned a '79 Safari version years ago) so I would have thought it would have had some effect on the springs. As said remove any extended shackles to bring the ride height down.

Can't you get a gang of local kids to 'bounce' the front end .. just make sure it doesn't become a habit :rolleyes:
 
Kingshill-Rover said:
I have a 2.6 Litre (6 cylinder) Petrol LWB Series 3. The front springs look like they are in good condition but there is very little "bounce" in them, with the shackles hardly moving. (The rear springs bounce fine!) Everything has been removed, lubricated and refitted. The front springs are on the longer shackles with the middle bar.... might this mean that they have been replaced, for some reason, with the "one ton versions"? Springs have no identifying codes on them. They are 11 leaf springs. The front end does look very high.

Open to suggestions. Don't want to replace perfectly good springs, if new ones will have similar lack of bounce.

Also, I was wondering if there were any LWB Series 3 owners in South Bucks who might be kind enough to let me stand on their front bumper and jump up and down. I just want to know if all LWB Series 3 are like mine, or if mine needs the springs and shackles replaced.
Click to expand...
6cyl 2.6l here as well and my front suspension is pretty solid too.

I did wonder if the springs were not doing much springing but it's been up on axle stands for a while and standing on the front bumper and bouncing it proves it does bounce, the bounce was not all in the tyres, but it does not bounce much.

I can attest to the 6cyl engine being a heavy lump as @norseman mentioned, having moved one on an engine hoist a few times.
 
6pot said:
I can attest to the 6cyl engine being a heavy lump as @norseman mentioned, having moved one on an engine hoist a few times.
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The only occasion I ever had the need to do this (to retro-fit a P5 engine) I used a borrowed garage hoist .. pukka thing used in a friend's commercial workshop.

It broke it :oops:
 
norseman said:
The only occasion I ever had the need to do this (to retro-fit a P5 engine) I used a borrowed garage hoist .. pukka thing used in a friend's commercial workshop.

It broke it :oops:
Click to expand...
:oops:

I used a hired one and fortunately it didn't break it, or the straps. They were long straps so I put them twice around the engine and kept the jib as short as possible.

The front springs are 11 leaf, I assume the suspension is hard so that the front end doesn't wallow.
 
6pot said:
:oops:

I used a hired one and fortunately it didn't break it, or the straps. They were long straps so I put them twice around the engine and kept the jib as short as possible.

The front springs are 11 leaf, I assume the suspension is hard so that the front end doesn't wallow.
Click to expand...
Being the heavier Safari model mine rode quite well I seem to recall, went like a train with the P5 lump installed & no worse on fuel either, thanks to the abundant power & overdrive.

That was back in the 'eighties .. I still miss the old girl.
 
There is a way to make your leaf springs perform in a more civilised way. Rover used this techique on their P4/P5 back in the day.
The springs are greased thoroughly between the leaves and then fitted with leather gaiters to keep the water and road dirt out. I have done it once where a friend made up some heavy vinyl gaiters for me. It made a noticeable improvement.
I jacked up the Landy to get the springs on full droop and cleaned between the leaves with a power washer. I ended up releasing the end of each shock to gain clearance. Once dry I applied moly CV grease using a paint brush and an air gun to help fire the grease everywhere. Those gaiters have survived at least 20 years (vehicle sold now).
 

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