How to Cure a Saggy-bum 80series

[Red_Nut]

Team,
my 80 series diesel is pretty much stock except for a couple of bolt-ons. The rear suspension rides great when the vehicle is unladen, but sags when you chuck some weight in it or throw the boat on.

As far as I know the suspension is all standard, and has not been on the vehicle for very long.

What ideas / options do people have for rectifying this? I don't want to spend much cash so was thinking about rear coil spacers as an interim measure until the suspension needs replacing????

Any other ideas out there?

Cheers.

Ed.

[finga]

Are they factory springs or aftermarket??
If they're after market they may be for the street use kinda blokes not the tow the boat and chuck all the gear in the back type of fella's.
A new set of springs might do wonders to the 80 series.
In my old wagon I use a progressive spring.
Are they available for cruisers??

A new set of springs might even be less mucking about and cheaper then the coil spacer option.

[scrubba01]

Air bags is probably the other option but might cost a bit more.

[FNQCairns]

Spacers will do the job, the work is not that much less than replacing the spring anyway if all things go well, I think cruiser springs are fairly long so apart from being illegal you will probably get away without any spring binding.

Consider a set of progressive springs (70odd $ each if you shop around), the coils per inch decreases with length, if you get the soft end the next category harder in poundage than original equip ones with the hard end whatever you decide will suit your loads, chosen like this they will usually last the life of the car without sag and help take away a lot of the floaty boat ride these cars are know for.

cheers fnq

[BenDover]

you took the words right out of my mouth fnq, progressive springs.
Cheap. Easy as to fit. And best solution for you. Chock your front wheels, disconnect your rear shocks at 1 point. Use a bush jack to jack up the rear until the spring falls out. Put in new 1's and let down. Re attack shocks. done.

[kind_cir]

Had two 80's do the Cape with me and were towing campers both with good quality aftermarket springs and shocks new before the trip. Both failed and they fitted air bag helpers when they got home problem solved as on their next big trip no more saggy bum.

[White Pointer]

G'day,

A couple of points. The back end shouldn't drop much coupling up the boat. If it does the trailer balance is probably wrong and imposing too much load on the towball. If that's the case you risk chassis damage.

Otherwise your rear springs are seriously past their use by date and the shocks are probably RS as well. Forget spring spacers because they are probably illegal and that will leave you un-insured. Forget airbags if they are compensating for stuffed springs. You will just wreck the chassis.

If your car still has the rear sway bar and it works properly, progressive rate coils springs won't do much.

I suggest (a) make sure the trailer balance and towball down force is ok and (b) restore it to OE springs and shocks - because they were not too bad in the first place.

White Pointer

[Steeler]

Hi
Agree with Whitepointer regarding polysprings ( expensive to say the least ) and spacers. Suggest call King Springs Brisane,they won't sell direc to public but will give you the RIGHT advice.Pretty sure they will suggest HD std height for you, a thicker diam spring as apposed to the O.E.

Cheers

Steve

[BenDover]

Yeah but king springs sag fairly quickly... Better spending a little more and getting a better brand.

[scrubba01]

Depending on the size of the boat there could be up to 300 - 400 kg on the tow ball as you need this to ballance the ride. Not enough weight on the tow vehicle and you will start to get the pendulum effect.

[Steeler]

Yeah but king springs sag fairly quickly... Better spending a little more and getting a better brand.

Might have to provide rednut with a brand name he can ask for,King springs manufacture for a variety of others also.

Cheers

Steve

[Kleyny]

I say take your whole set up down to your local spring works and get their opinion.
No money waisted on guessing, talk to the pro's.

I would dare say they would say progressive coils.

neil

[BenDover]

The spring shops say they are ready to go straight out of the box. But trust me they all have to settle. After the first hard 4x4ing weekend, time to get the tape out and remeasure. So far kings and dobinsons are the worst (in 5-6" that is) and especially in the wagons. Standard height will take much longer to sag, but they will.

Lovells dont sag.

[White Pointer]

Depending on the size of the boat there could be up to 300 - 400 kg on the tow ball as you need this to ballance the ride. Not enough weight on the tow vehicle and you will start to get the pendulum effect.

G'day,

The owners handbook will tell you the maximum downforce load. Do not exceed it or your risk damage to the vehicle, you are uninsured and you can be knocked off and put off the road for a defect.

On my Rodeo with 3.0T capacity the maximum down force in 150Kg. On my Discovery with 3.5T capacity the down force is 250Kg. Remember that every Kg you impose behind the back axle lifts weight off the front.

Trailer balance is critical.

White Pointer

[FNQCairns]

The spring shops say they are ready to go straight out of the box. But trust me they all have to settle. After the first hard 4x4ing weekend, time to get the tape out and remeasure. So far kings and dobinsons are the worst (in 5-6" that is) and especially in the wagons. Standard height will take much longer to sag, but they will.

Lovells dont sag.

Yeah lots of people complain over sagging although usually once the reason is found it's due to the rating of the spring, not so much the brand, many to get great flex go with soft springs aka around standard or less even....they will sag, for a tow vehicle/weight carrier first the rating needs to be ramped up and the physics then means less/no true sag.

I have kings all round 2 inch lift and they where deliberately rated to carry a load well and they will not sag, 3 years and nothing more than a slight settling in the first few months and nothing else since and there should never be. Usually sagged springs unless looking for lots of flex = bad advice given.

Are the lovels a thicker/more coil springs for each rating or something? i remember researching them but forget why i ended up choosing another brand.

cheers fnq