WTF have i done!

[POPEYE]

Sorry to be posting about this yet again but i'm not at all happy with the way these L/C springs have gone on, the one on the drivers side is rubbing on the shock, it's actually pushing the shroud over and theres a rubbing grateing sound when i bounce the back, the other side is almost touching, i've seated the spring ends in the same places as the old ones and the axle ends are fine, it's just the tops, there bigger diameter than the stock ones which is the problem, it's not going through an mot like that, so dont know what to do now, stick the old ones back on with 2" spacers (anyone want to swop new l/c springs for 2" spacers,?) just stick the old ones on with no spacers (gonna look like a saggy arsed bitch) any ideas? just aint got the money for owt else,
even toyed with grinding some off the springs! loads of people's fitted these springs ok aint they? why me

[PDR]

"WTF have I done",

it’s obvious isn’t, you have altered and ruined a perfectly good design in a way that Toyota did not intend.

You can run into unforeseen problems once you try and “improve” things by fitting non-standard parts. I remember a lad who raised a Disco and then found the springs kept popping out each time he took it off road... ended up fitting the standard suspension back on in the end.

I have rebuilt and modified a number of vehicles in the past... sometimes it works out well. Other times it turns out to be so frustrating that you end up wondering if it was actually worth it.

Hope you get it sorted.

PS, I was going to mention in the other thread that the springs looked to be seated badly.

[biosurf]

I'm not sure if the locating top hats would help with this but if they would then I have a spare set. You can have them for what I paid for them- Ł55 inc post I could get them in the post to you to try and if they work pay me when you have the cash?

[Sancho]

it’s obvious isn’t, you have altered and ruined a perfectly good design in a way that Toyota did not intend.

That's helpful.

Sorry to ask the obvious, but are you sure they're the correct springs Ian?

[PDR]

[QUOTE=Sancho;510445]That's helpful.

QUOTE]

But the bottom line is it is true.

I’ve been there, done that, got the T Shirt, certainly with a Land Rover. I know how hard supposedly simple tasks can be. Fitted raised suspension and then found the shocks where topping out even though they “should” have fitted by all accounts (had to by new shocks). Spent a whole day removing seized chassis bushes which was the hardest part of a year-long total rebuild. . I came very close to giving up that day!

I’m not trying to be sarcastic or hard-hearted. I just know from lots of past experience working on LR’s, MG sports cars, motorbikes etc. that the moment you deviate from a well tested and tried design that manufactures have spent millions testing, then you can run into some serious problems. Yes they CAN be overcome but sometimes you have to ask if it is really worth it.
For the last few years or so I have sought out and bought top spec standard vehicles and kept them pretty much standard only adding a few select items that I really wanted. The only things I have changed on my SSR-G 3:0 V6 are the tyres and fitted both a bull-bar and tow bar.

[Apache]

They ARE NOT the correct springs. They are designed for a Landcruiser.

BUT they can be made to fit. Loads have done it. I have and dont have any rubbing problems, and they've never dropped out offroad. (BTW, springs dropping out is due to overarticulation, not the fact that you are using a different spring - a longer one as in this case is less likely to drop out all other things being equal)

Spring seats may help. I have a set that I haven't got round to fitting yet.

PS, PDR - why did you fit a bullbar? Plenty of cattle round your way? I doubt Toyota recommend it these days...

[roylittle0]

What i think is you should remove them and send them to me i will then transform them into Toyota uprated springs and send them back to you at no charge

Sound good to you


But on a serious note, many people have done this mod so you know it will work, the only thing is that they are not seated correctly, looking at your last picture they are hanging over the top rubber, therefore the only way i can see around it is to fit the spacers, the no height gain type, this will allow the spring to sit correctly, if the top mount sits at a slight angle then it will have a tendency to push out in the middle, its the only way it can go.

[Sancho]

They ARE NOT the correct springs. They are designed for a Landcruiser.

I meant correct as in the same as what everyone else has managed to get to fit....

[POPEYE]

That's helpful.

Sorry to ask the obvious, but are you sure they're the correct springs Ian?

Thinks so Adam got the details from one of Vinces posts, there from milners,
HDJ80's part no 003784, quoted that when i ordered and can only assume they've sent the right ones, they are a fair bit longer, wider and the thickness of the coil is greater, makes my old ones look spidery in comparison,

Bio!, are they the non lift "top hats" or the 2"spacer type for the old springs?
either way i think i'd like to take up your offer, when it clears i'll have Ł30 in my paypal account so i can send you that and the rest when i get my money at the end of the month if thats ok, have to pospone Apache's stickers for a bit

PDR, certainly dont take offence, your quite right to a point, ya mess with anything you can expect problems, however the number of sucessfull mods carried out on these vehicles must run into the hundreds if not thousands and fitting these land cruiser springs in particular must have beed done by many many people, which is why i ask have i done summat wrong, are they the wrong springs, i dunno, the top seating is not right whichever way ya cut it, the springs bigger than the seating and the springs being forced to "bow" out at the back due the the angle or angle's of the chassi mounting point and the axle mounting point, as for em popping out well as there's f##kall holding em in (other than the weight of the truck) even the standard ones could pop out i guess, if thats toyota design which it obviously is i aint impressed, i'd prefer to see decent size "cups" each end of the spring myself
or maybe the shock in the middle of em, i know most coil spring suspension vehicles have the same set up, just seems a bit "not quite good enough" to me, but what do i know

[surfenstein]

i'll tell you what the problem is ian,pro comp shocks dont have a metal shroud,but the shocks you have do.thats why they are rubbing.do you still have the arb connected?????

[POPEYE]

the ARB is connected but the panard rod is'nt, i see you point tho, however if i eventually get those desert fox shocks for the back they do have metal covers, alternativly i'll have to get procomps, was hopeing to get it in for mot prior to replaceing them tho and it wont pass wiht that rubbing, other side just clears whic makes me think the seating plates would help

[surfenstein]

take the arb off,that will straighten the springs out.the plates will help seat the springs,but the springs will rub on the desert fox shocks because of the shroud.

[Albannach]

They're seated wrong. The front of the spring should sit off the front of the original seats, with the end of the coil resting on the chassis. That way they don't foul the shocks.

[POPEYE]

Cheer's Mark / albannach, will do, to make it a bit easier for myself i'll stick the spring clamps on while there compressed then lower the axle, do you think extended drop links on the ARB would help? and looks like procomps for the back then

[MattF]

do you think extended drop links on the ARB would help? and looks like procomps for the back then

Stop being a girl and ditch the A.R.B.