New Springs provide a 1" lift?

[skip]

I was just wondering if I was to put on a new set of springs on my MU that will in return give my MU a 1" lift, will I need new shocks or anything to compensate the extra hight?

cheers

[Witchdoctor]

Skip,
By putting standard new springs on your Mu that will give you a little lift better ride, you should also replace the shocks if they have done over 80000K's if not stick with the one you have.

Dave

[geeves]

std shocks ok up to 50mm lift.
most replacment springs are between 30 and 50mm lift unless you buy specials. 30 = 1.4 inches 50=2inches

[skip]

Thanks guys, what brand leafs have you got? I was thinking of trying the OME Dakar leafs if they were not to pricy.
What Leafs are for the MU? are they just the same as the Rodeo?
I havent looked into it yet but how much is a good set worth that will get me a 40mm lift or alike?

BTW, do they just tighten up the Torsion bar to level it out?

cheers

[nig]

The thing you need to bear in mind with Rodeo springs is that the Rodeo is designed to carry one ton, and so some replacement springs might be a bit stiff on an unladen MU.
However, the Rockcrawler springs I have on my Rodeo are definately softer than the originals, so ask around as some Rodeo replacements are obviously softer than others.

[skip]

Howdy, Whats a good set of leaf springs that will give me a 2" lift? Cost?

Also will the torsion bar have to be replaced with a longer one?

cheers

[mudgrip4]

Hi Skip - just a word or two of caution from experience re using springs to create lift. It is entirely possible to lift your mu 2" with different leaf setup but it often comes at real cost to off road performance if you get it wrong. Not just a matter of bolting on new springs. Often the respringing is recommended by suspension shops who are not expert with offroading, and the result is you get stiff, inflexible springs arcing the truck up to a better height, but in the process losing much or most of your rear wheel articulation - a strength for an isuzu. This often happens and loss of 70% of articulation can occur - wrecking your truck's performance over uneven ground. Recent ramp tests with my club showed disastrous results for several vehicles using wrong spring lift setups.

Best thing is go to a reputable 4wd shop and ask what will give you spring lift, while retaining maximum articulation. Stiff springs and extra leaves do not generally work well, as your rear axle needs supple flexible springs to work best offroad. Softness before rigidity.

Check this out well before you decide what springs to use, as the wrong setup wrecks articulation (the extent to which your axles can travel up and down) and can seriously affect your truck's ability offroad. In a recent club ramp test a friend's well-modified landcruiser had dropped from about 670 points to 273, just above a hi-ace van - a direct result of fitting rigid high-arc springs to achieve a big spring lift.

Will make some enquiries here from 4wd specialists for your mu, but guys over there will be able to point you in the right direction.

Cheers Mike.

[skip]

mudgrip4, what do you reccomend I do?

I am just after a 2" lift that wont cost me an arm and a leg, and of course without effecting the off road performance, if anything I want it to improve it.
At the moment it has the Pedders Trak Leafs as reccomended on there website and it is a bloody rough ride.
I have OME Nitro charger shocks and factory torsion bar.

What should I do?

cheers

[fly3r]

HI, I have put Holden rodeo spring from Lovell on mine (HR-15)
they are the raise but not heavy duty. They would have given an easy 1.5in lift if not a little more, The heavy duty one will go 2in and up lift.

As far as flexibility goes, i've had my 4by resting on the bumb stops with the rear fully in the wheel well, and vise versa i'll post another photo up later

I spoke to Daniel from Lovells Suspension In Parramatta
79 Grose st
Parramatta NSW 2150
[phone]

He was really go and gave me the pair for about $450, how ever u probably will need new bush kits for them. they will also have the torsion bars they i think were about $360 pair, but u can just wind your up till its even.

Alternativly u could keep your old but very flexable springs and put on extended shackels and wind up the torsions

anyway heres a photo of mine, it has the HR-15 lovells springs and extended calmini shackels on 33in MTR's



hope it help.

[skip]

1.5" sounds good!

How does it ride with the lovell springs?

Would there be any problems with keeping the old torsion bars?
How much the bush kits cost?

cheers

[geeves]

I find the Lovels springs truely magic. I have the LWB bighorn so chose the heavy duty springs as oposed to the std ones despite advise to the contery On road the ride is better than the original springs and you can load the back up with concrete blocks without making the back sag. but empty on a quick trip over a twisty road it still hits the bump stops. Off road these springs do something the originals never did. The rear clamp on the springs allows a lot of travel and at full extension you can get a finger between the leaves ie at full drop only the top spring is doing any work. Also by going to 5 thin springs insead of the original thicker 3 they flex more as well.
Bush kits are quite cheap.
Shackle lifts work well but personaly I dont like them because for every inch you gain as lift you have to make the shackle 2 inches longer effecting departure angle and putting a lot more stress on the rear mount

[fly3r]

I still have the stock torsion bars on atm im getting replacment calmini torsion bar at the end of janurary, for 1.5 in u'll be fine with stock torsions!


As far as the bushes my mech put in all my calmini lift kit in and he got diff bushes to the ones that were supplied, I think they were like $60 or something??

who ever u get the springs off will be have the bushes to suit as well

[mudgrip4]

Above advice looks pretty good - people using after market springs which are giving lift while retaining articulation. If Lovells work for these guys just find out the type to use on your truck.
The other main options are:

Mine has a shackle lift - i.e. 70mm extended heavy duty shackles which give about 40mm increase in height at rear (1.5"), plus torsion bars wound up to level front. This is an ok way to go, likely the cheapest, and you retain the flexibility of your old springs for good articulation. Disadvantage is you alter slightly the driveshaft angle into rear of transfer case and this means you have to replace the seal there once a year - wears a bit unevenly - but only costs about $12 or so.

If lifting my truck again I would probably do a 35mm bodylift using poly spacers and longer bolts. This can be a cheap way to go though may need certification, which you might avoid using aftermarket springs. Also you may need to alter the radiator shroud, and the gearstick cavity if you go beyond 35mm.This hasn't caused any driveshaft angle problems for friends isuzus - though it has on a friend's mitsi.

My standard torsion bars fine with 40mm front raise. Trimming the top bump stops gives a bit more movement and centres the bar better within that movement. Raising front with torsion bars makes truck a little harder riding (in my model) but bigger softer mudgrips compensate well.

[mudgrip4]

Forgot to add Skip - you can choose any option to raise your truck - spring lift, shackle/torsion bar lift or body spacer lift - and commonly club trucks may use two of these together e.g. springs plus bodylift, or bodylift plus longer shackles if they want a big lift. Just see what works well with mates' isuzus, decide how much lift you will need for the level of offroading you will do (and the size of tyres you want to run), and pick an option that suits your budget.

If you have a doubt about some springlift recommendations, try to find a 4wd shop which may have ramp tested them and will know how they perform. The guys above use Lovells and like them which is a good indicator. If I remember I will also ask the local 4wd shop with ramp if he has any results with them on isuzus.

Cheers Mike.

[skip]

Cool, looks like I will go the Lovells!
What kind did you guys get? thickness? Whats the damage on a set?

I live near Albury Wodonga, is there a Lovells dealer there?

cheers

[fly3r]

I got them about $450 a pair for the HR-15 raised (not heavy duty),

Check out
www.lovells.com.au

they will have all the info on closest location and prices excluding GST.


The ride on the springs are bouncier, but i still got all the articulation up and down, I've owned sports cars b4 so don't mind the ride, it becomes really nice once i let the tyres down to 15psi for off roading,

[Jimmu]

I puit lovels heavy dutys on mine and it lifted 3" and the flex is not so great. I think Pig75 that pointed out to me that we should be using Jackaroo springs?

Jimmy

[geeves]

H/D springs are good on a LWB bighorn but the Mu is a lot shorter and 200kg lighter so this would not be the ideal choise. Try taking out the second to bottom leaf ie the one above the overload spring This should soften it and get the flex back. Also they seem to take a while to settle Mine didnt give full flex till they were over a year old