RandomLandyFan
Trekker
Its still set up for long term overlanding in Africa so extra fuel, water, spare parts etc. etc. Fine when fully loaded but it handles like a leaf sprung Land Cruiser pick up now that its empty!
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Defender rear Springs...
- Thread starter Geobloke
- Start date
Its still set up for long term overlanding in Africa so extra fuel, water, spare parts etc. etc. Fine when fully loaded but it handles like a leaf sprung Land Cruiser pick up now that its empty!
Any feedback from them on the re-con job ?
I do have some news. I have picked up the strut. Its been re-gassed and the seals and oil replaced. I just need to get new balljoints for the top and bottom of it, fit it and then test it now. It wont be done until the snow has gone though! Reconning it was not a particularly hard job by all accounts, we just need to see if its all worked!
I assume they managed and its holding its pressure... cool ...
Not an easy job to swap in situ I should imagine though...
Not an easy job to swap in situ I should imagine though...
SimonHobson
Extreme Landy Fan
No, it's a bit awkward.
I think the best way is to remove the brackets it attaches to and take the whole thing to the bench. Steps required :
Drop one (or both) dampers off their top pins so the axle can drop a bit lower.
Undo A-frame ball joint, let axle drop clear. There is now no load on strut.
Undo the two long bolts through A-frame arms and fulcrum bracket (that's the one the bottom end of the strut and the big ball joint are in).
Under the four bolts holding the upper strut bracket to the crossmember - you may have to cut these off and fit new ones.
Take whole assembly to garage and work inside
The ball joints "just screw in" to the ends of the strut. They'll be stuck, and there isn't much to shift them with. There are flats in both teh strut shaft and ball joint - but you need thin spanners which therefore have b***er all strength. A little heat will probably help - but don't use too much as it's a precision hydraulic component under pressure.
One of the Land Rover mags had a workshop article on replacing the strut a while ago. The gaiters aren't available, but they listed supplier/part numbers for some "universal" ones that are the right size. No I don't still have the article.
Reassembly is the reverse of the above as the manuals joke
I think the best way is to remove the brackets it attaches to and take the whole thing to the bench. Steps required :
Drop one (or both) dampers off their top pins so the axle can drop a bit lower.
Undo A-frame ball joint, let axle drop clear. There is now no load on strut.
Undo the two long bolts through A-frame arms and fulcrum bracket (that's the one the bottom end of the strut and the big ball joint are in).
Under the four bolts holding the upper strut bracket to the crossmember - you may have to cut these off and fit new ones.
Take whole assembly to garage and work inside
The ball joints "just screw in" to the ends of the strut. They'll be stuck, and there isn't much to shift them with. There are flats in both teh strut shaft and ball joint - but you need thin spanners which therefore have b***er all strength. A little heat will probably help - but don't use too much as it's a precision hydraulic component under pressure.
One of the Land Rover mags had a workshop article on replacing the strut a while ago. The gaiters aren't available, but they listed supplier/part numbers for some "universal" ones that are the right size. No I don't still have the article.
Reassembly is the reverse of the above as the manuals joke
et voila....
http://www.landyrebuild.com/rear-suspension.shtml
This chap doesnt mention doing anything with it but I would like to assume it works before he put it back in nice and clean.
The brackets seem to have captive bolts on the chasis ? which worries me as they will shear.
http://www.landyrebuild.com/rear-suspension.shtml
This chap doesnt mention doing anything with it but I would like to assume it works before he put it back in nice and clean.
The brackets seem to have captive bolts on the chasis ? which worries me as they will shear.
SimonHobson
Extreme Landy Fan
I think all the bolts are through bolts ... but ...
Some of them are (IIRC) only fitable in their normal direction without the body in place. I'm fairly sure thay can be fitted the other way round though. Having said that, I've not actually had any of them apart. IIRC, the body section crossmember (crossmember that supports the front of the rear tub/rear of the middle row area) which is a common rot item and has been replaced has some holes it that might not be standard which would allow for fitting the Boge strut upper bracket bolts.
Not sure why he took the upper link brackets off - it's only one bolt to remove the arm from the bracket, and you'd want to be fitting new bushes while you got them off.
Some of them are (IIRC) only fitable in their normal direction without the body in place. I'm fairly sure thay can be fitted the other way round though. Having said that, I've not actually had any of them apart. IIRC, the body section crossmember (crossmember that supports the front of the rear tub/rear of the middle row area) which is a common rot item and has been replaced has some holes it that might not be standard which would allow for fitting the Boge strut upper bracket bolts.
Not sure why he took the upper link brackets off - it's only one bolt to remove the arm from the bracket, and you'd want to be fitting new bushes while you got them off.
I'm going to try and undo the nuts that retain the top and bottom ball joints in their housing and then jack up the chassis until it is higher than the leveller will extend. I am hoping that it might come out at that point. Until the snow thaws and it warms and dries up i wont be crawling under there to fiddle with it, or see if this method will work!
SimonHobson
Extreme Landy Fan
That will almost do it, but you need to disconnect at least one damper mount - with the axle at full droop, there's still travel left on the strut. So I'd suggest undoing both dampers and let the axle drop. But be aware that this means you'll be to the point where there's no pressure left on the springs and hence next to no weight left on the rear tyres - hence very little stability.
What I'd suggest is a variation on how I did my axle swap. Carefully jack up the vehicle and put stands under the chassis - for the axle swap I put them in front of the axle so I had clear space behind to roll the axle out and the new one in, just to do the strut it doesn't matter. You don't need to get the wheels clear of the ground - just jack up the chassis to whatever height you can safely manage and suppose. You can now jack up one side of the axle at a time and remove the wheel, and slip the damper top mount off it's pin before letting the axle down. With both wheels and dampers off, the axle will drop until the strut holds it - so take the weight of the axle with the jack to compress the strut a little while you undo it's ball joint nuts, then lower the axle while you retrieve the strut.
Well that's one way I'd attempt it.
What I'd suggest is a variation on how I did my axle swap. Carefully jack up the vehicle and put stands under the chassis - for the axle swap I put them in front of the axle so I had clear space behind to roll the axle out and the new one in, just to do the strut it doesn't matter. You don't need to get the wheels clear of the ground - just jack up the chassis to whatever height you can safely manage and suppose. You can now jack up one side of the axle at a time and remove the wheel, and slip the damper top mount off it's pin before letting the axle down. With both wheels and dampers off, the axle will drop until the strut holds it - so take the weight of the axle with the jack to compress the strut a little while you undo it's ball joint nuts, then lower the axle while you retrieve the strut.
Well that's one way I'd attempt it.
Thanks Simon. I think that might end up easier than removing the very rusty bolts that hold the brackets on. I have some large tractor axle stands, so can get the thing up nice and high, and still keep it very stable on the stands. When the weather warms, i'll take a proper look.
Hi,NB:
- RKB500300 fitted from 2006-2007 to HT and DCPU - NOT CSW Overall it is a softer spring than RKB101111. LR responded to complaints that RKB101111 was too stiff for the HT and DCPU when unladen so developed and fitted RKB500300 instead. Ironically it was found that for a working, fully laden, heavy 110 fitted with RKB500300 the back end sagged too much and LR fitted RRC3266 helper springs to restore the carrying capacity.
Hope this helps folks out in the future
I am new to this forum and just registered to get any further information about these RKB500300 springs. Above it is stated that they are fitted to 06-07 HT and DCPU.... Any chance that someone has some kind of "official" documents about that like a workshop manual or s.th. like that?
I would like to ad them to my 1996 Hard top Tdi with the helper springs but the German TÜV/MOT would like to see that they where fitted in hard tops with at least 1850 axle load to make them road legal for my car. Don't ask me... I think it's supid as they where fitted to Defenders but in the end it's my only chance to get that problem solved...
Thanks
Stephan.
I recently fitted some of these springs to mine as I acquired some parts removed from another Defender which was being upgraded(?!)(https://www.lrukforums.com/threads/and-today-you-have-purchased.31059/page-115#post-1698456).
From what I could ascertain they were fitted to Puma models... You ought to be able to find part numbers for specific models from the RAVE..?
From what I could ascertain they were fitted to Puma models... You ought to be able to find part numbers for specific models from the RAVE..?