110 rear suspension self level thingy

They use the suspension movement to pump up a hydraulic accumulator that provides extra lift via the A-frame to level the rear suspension at the factory setting, allowing the use of softer springs than otherwise would be needed for carrying a load. Also fitted to the early Range Rovers, but a different factory setting.

If the suspension is lifted, they provide no extra lift. JD

Cheers for that - I'm new to these wierd coil thingies!

Icky. 'If you've got a problem, stuff a worm in it' Berk - The Trap Door

Their main function is to keep the vehicle "level" when the rear is well loaded, a Station Wagon with 11 passengers is undrivable if the unit fails. They help with towing, but only if trailer is far more nose-heavy than it should be.

Richard

I've been meaning to pose this question to the hive mind for a while now. I'd like to fit softer springs to the rear of my 110 pickup to make the ride a little quieter, I rarely carry a heavy load other than me. Can I get the best of both worlds with softer springs and a load leveller?

Answers on a postcard please.

I can see no reason why you could not do this except that the self levelling units are rather pricey. Note that the maximum weight of the wagon with levelling suspension is a couple of hundred kilos less than without, so your maximum load would be limited. The levelling was fitted to County trim wagons, but the suspension of these is identical to other 110s except for the added self levelling and the lighter springs. Should be a bolt-on job for any 110, and probably 130 as well I suppose. Not sure about 90, as the rear axle is different. JD

Ian Hi,

There is another alternative in the form of adding air suspension bags inside the rear coil springs. Those inflate with an air compressor (you can either fit an onboard one or fit an air tank, fill it up with pressurised air and have a reserve to inflate the air suspension bags a couple of times until you refill it at a service station. You can find a secondhand air tank at trucks' breakers for little money)

A set of such air suspension bags will cost you around 90 to 140 pounds from one of the main LR spare parts sellers but I am sure that Richard will be able to also offer something interesting.

The self levelling thingy is definately more expensive.

Take care Pantelis

RRC3266 Coil Spring Helper - Rear 110 Heavy Duty & 130 Extra Heavy Duty (Not Station Wagon) £17.51 inc VAT RRC3352 Retainer - Coil Spring Helper - Rear 110 Heavy Duty & 130 Extra Heavy Duty (Not Station Wagon) £ Pend RRC3355 Retainer - Coil Spring Helper - Rear 110 Heavy Duty & 130 Extra Heavy Duty (Not Station Wagon) £ Pend This is an extra coil spring that goes inside the existing ones. Cheap and neat if you need it.

Richard

So if I fit County springs to my truck instead of the 110 heavy springs, can I fit a shorter spring inside it to take the load when the suspension compresses enough? Or am I misunderstanding you?

I'd prefer a shorter spring set inside the main springs if it's workable, it seems like a good solution.

Hmm, sounds interesting but I'd prefer something simpler rather than adding airbag, compressors, wiring, pressurised tanks and all the piping. Especially considering that I don't expect to really use it very often, the idea of shorter springs inside the main ones that Richard has mentioned (I think that's what he was saying) sounds more like my kind of thing.

That's the idea - though self-leveller springs *may* give a bit to much body roll until the helpers kick in.

Richard

...and Ian Rawlings spake unto the tribes of Usenet, saying...

This may be no use at all, but I have seen what are called "helper springs" sold through caravan suppliers. They seem to consist of an airbag which you fit inside the spring and inflate when doing heavy towing. AIUI, they deflate and come out again when you don't need them. Mainly for the Ford Mondeo brigade who tow a tonne and a half once a year. They sound a bit of a fiddle to take in and out, and obviously you need a source of compressed air to get them blown up to start with, but they don't need air tanks, on-board compressors and the like. Could be a cheap(er) and simple solution if you only need the extra spring rating occasionally.

I could be totally wrong on this, as I've never used them, but I've never let that stop me before :-)

Cheers, it should be OK on the roll front on mine as there's not much weight up-top at the rear, so if a County is acceptable on County springs, then mine ought to be. IIRC the 110 County of similar vintage to mine (1994) didn't have anti-roll-bars in the suspension.

I'll stick helper springs on the list of landy updates, to be worked on once the plastic rocket is going again sometime next century!

On or around Sun, 19 Feb 2006 11:38:34 +0000, Ian Rawlings enlightened us thusly:

I don't think they're shorter - I think they were designed to give an increased spring rate without making new thicker springs, for the 130 which is apt to carry heavier weights. Quite why they did that instead of simply having heavier springs, I don't know. If you were bothered about ride quality when running light, then dual-rate springs are easy enough to make - and a lot of the LR springs are dual-rate anyway.

i once saw a series 2a landrover with the standard leaf springs on the rear, but also had a set of coils that were mounted on the axle, on the diff side of the leaves. that bloke must have been carrying some serious weight. anyone else seen these on a series landy?

Sam.

Rubber helper springs are listed in the S2a/3 optional equipment parts book, RTC8000. I am sure I have seen pictures of the the coil setup you describe somewhere but can't find it - not in the catalogue of options I have for

All 110 CSW's should have rear anti-roll bars, they are part of the "County Pack"

Richard

The coils weren't rubber, they were steel springs probably from pick-a-part or something. I doubt this was a factory option, looked very much like a home done job just like the rest of the car. He had made shelf that came off the roof out of an old traffic sign. T'was a real heap (with a 202 aswell).

Sam.

Ian Hi,

The helper springs are NOT shorter they are smaller in diameter than the outter ones of 110 and 130 vehicles.

I am sure you already know that rear 110 and 130 coil springs are larger in diameter than the rear coils on 90, RaRo Classic and Discovery S1 vehicles. So the helper springs are positioned inside the rear 110/130 coils offering an increased load capacity at a much lower cost than the helper shock absorber. But then again the helper shock absorber's main function is to re-instate the vehicles parallel position relative to the ground's level. Helper springs will allow more load to be carried but will not level your vehicle.

Another option is to fit even stronger coils springs and those were available by Carmichael for their fire tender applications on 110 and 130 vehicles. They were also available for the Range Rover Classic fire tender applications and the same company has also produced the helper springs used for the rear suspension of Camel Trophy specifications Discovery vehicles.

Take care Pantelis

Cheers, what with all the conflicting views on it I think I'll forget the springs idea for now, I'm not trying to carry more load, but am trying to soften the suspension for normal day-to-day use while retaining the ability to carry a heavier load if I need it. Perhaps the inflatable bags idea would be better, fitted if I ever need them.