Rover Holic

Adding new springs to your Land Rover generally happens at one of two times.  Either when your original springs have given their best service and your truck starts to sag, or when you decided to get serious about off-roading and you want some larger tires on your truck.  In both instances, the questions are similar.  What do I already have, what is available to me, how will it ride, how tall will it make my truck, what tires can I fit when I add these new springs.  This page will address each of these issues in turn.

Springs for your coil sprung Land Rover are a very simple device.  They are all the same diameter, so they are all interchangable with variable results.  The primary 3 things you need to know are what is the height of the spring unloaded (free height), what is the “rate” of the spring meaning how stiff is it (this is given in pounds per square inch), and is the spring constant or progressive.  Progressive springs give more easily at first, offering a good on-road ride, but get progressively stiffer to help take on heavy loads.  These are very popular because they preserve the comfy feel of your land rover when you are commuting daily, but when you load up on the weeked, they can handle the load

Many people complain about the wallowy handling of the Range Rover and Discovery.  This is a function of the combination of springs, shocks and tire pressure that is also discussed in another article.  Increasing the rate of the springs in your truck will allow the truck to sway less.  It also makes the truck ride more firmly.  Some people feel this is an advantage, some don’t.  Finding what works for you is a matter of either trial and error, or getting into someone else truck and seeing what theirs feels like.  Get in as many as possible until you learn what you like.

Springs are designed to carry the load of the vehicle.  Do NOT confuse shocks with this purpose.  The shocks are only there to dampen the effects of spring bounce.  Shocks should not be relied upon to handle the load of your vehicle.  So how to know what rate you need?  Many spring manufacturers have spent a LOT of time on this one.  As a consumer, you really need to figure out how you use your vehicle.  If you want your vehicle to operate at its peak when you are fully loaded up with gear and people for the family vacation or the expedition trip, then expect the truck to ride VERY firmly when almost empty.  Progressive springs can help here but only so much.  If you purchase soft springs that are comfortable for riding empty or flexibility when off-roading, then expect a wallowy ride when you are all loaded up.

If you are an avid off-roader, you will want to get maximum flex from your springs.  In applications where you have removed the swaybar and are looking for maximum articulation, you want to know what rate you can fully compress without going to still.  This is actually pretty simple.  Weigh your truck with your normal offroading load on a certified scale.  For the weight of each axle, divide by two.  This will tell you what weight you have on each corner.  You then need to find a spring that will go to coil bind at that weight.  Any less and you are going to lose road handling unecessarily.  Any more, and you won’t be able to fully flex your truck.  Bear in mind that your bumpstops should keep you from coil binding, so you can add a little more spring rate than normal.

Who makes good springs?  Well, in the US, people generally purchase springs from one of 4 places.  Land Rover Genuine springs are of very high quality and come in a great variety of lengths and rates.  Old Man Emu springs, which are made by ARB, are imported by many companies from Australia.  They have a great reputation and come in a few different lenghts and springs rates.  They got a reputation several years ago for sagging over time.  They have apparently fixed these issues and should be regarded as a serious option for new springs.  Safari Gard offers springs in their suspension kits but until just recently, the were OME springs in custom lengths and rates.  New to the fray is RoverTym.  They make progressive springs in a few rates but the springs are top notch.  Bearmach also offers springs for lifting your truck.  They come in two lengths +2” and +3”.  They maintain the soft ride of your truck but are known to sag after a year or two. In the US, they are distributed by DAP.

In the charts below, we will highlight information about each manufacturers springs so that you can make an informed decision about what you are buying.  Please note that this information is NOT guaranteed since not everyone wants all the information available about their springs.  But an effort has been made to make sure this information is as correct and current as possible.