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Apart from the Ninety and One Ten models
(which were the first Land Rovers to use coil spring suspension, and
which are recent enough to still be financially out of reach for a
great many Land Rover enthusiasts), Land Rovers use semi-elliptic leaf
springs and telescopic shock absorbers, the latter mounted on rubber
bushes at their top and bottom ends. They should be firmly attached
but these bushes do wear and their replacement should be considered
normal. Likewise the chassis and spring bushes may be worn and in some
cases the shackle plate and spring bolts will also need to be changed,
but this is a straightforward and inexpensive operation. The springs,
however, should be in good condition and free from rust, which tends
to splay and distort them, eventually causing fractures. The swinging
shackle on the front springs should be as near vertical as possible
and the spring’s leaves of equal thickness throughout their length.
The rear shackles should lie at about 15 –
20 degrees and, once again, the spring leaves should be of uniform
thickness over their whole length. Look at the ends of each spring
leaf, where most of the wear takes place, and check its thickness. If
you need to change a spring it is essential to remember that they are
handed, ie, the spring for the driver’s side has more camber than
that for the passenger’s side. This takes into account the weight of
the driver. Springs for the diesel-engined Land Rovers are a heavier
duty type than those for the petrol models.
It is not uncommon to find a Land Rover fitted
with wrong spec. replacement springs and this could affect its
handling quite badly.
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