> Obviously, the type of springs you have, weight in the vehicle etc, etc
will

> determine if you can take full advantage of this travel but it is there
if you

> can. Also, for those with two inch lifts, this will restore the amount of
> droop from static you have. Also, I guess this shows that if you have an
SG

> droop kit, you don't need those larger poly bump stops that Greg often
sells

> with the kit, unless of course you're running tires larger than 750x16.
Hope

> this is helpful to someone out there and if you have any questions feel
free
> to ask.

George

The longer bump stops are required when using OME springs. This is due to the springs coils touching at full compression. The springs are the limiting factor not the bump stops. The longer bump stops contact just before the spring bottoms. Also the loss of two inches of travel is due to the OME springs longer compressed length. With the Drop Kit you just gain back the travel you lost when changing to the OME springs. Overall travel is close to stock but with two inches less compression and two inches more extension.

You also need upper spring retainers.

Kristofer & Anita Swanson
and Ginger Bear too (the other land rover) Member: Southern California Land Rover
SCLR web site: http://www.pubsvc.dsr.com/landrover E Mail : InducSys_at_westworld.com
Home page : http://www.westworld.com/~inducsys/rover.html 95 Discovery V8i "Tortuga"
72 Land Cruiser FJ-40 "Slug"

Larry wrote,
>Which suspension, springs and shocks, are you switching from/to?
I had very tired sagging stock springs and shocks. I installed OME medium duty springs front and rear with Bilstein shocks in all for corners plus a Bilstein steering dampner.

>How do you find this size (215/85R16)? What make? Do you think they make the
>RR feel less stable on the road? They are about the same overall diameter as
a

>245/75R16, but it seems you won't be as likely to rub on things when
>steering. With the 245's you must adjust the steering stops, no?

I like 215/85s a lot. You gain about the same clearance as the 245/75 but don't loose as much turning radius and they put less stress on everything. The RR feels just as stable as with the stock tires. I only had to adjust one steering stop and only by a hair. Also, with the 215/85R16s, the spare still fits in the back. Something to consider for those running 245/75s, if the 245s don't fit in the back you could always carry a 215/85 as an emergency spare. I also find that the 215/85s give good bite and dig well. They are basically the metric version of 7.00x16 which Land Rover has used on RR and Discos, including Camel Trophy versions. I'm running BFG Trac Edges. Every tire is a compromise and I've found the BFG Trac Edges to be one of the best all round off road tire available. The Trac Edges are just as good and usually much better than BFG ATs in virtually all conditions (except maybe sand) and blow them away in the mud. The Trac Edges may not be as good as MTs in mud and some types of snow but they are just as good or better than MTs for just about everything else including packed or hard snow. Also, the Trac Edges behave very well on road and are not noisy.

Also Kristofer Swanson wrote:
>longer bump stops are required when using OME springs. This is due to
>the springs coils touching at full compression.
This is a good point which is why I mentioned it depends what type of springs tires etc you have as to whether you can get the extra compression that is inherent in the shocks. However, I inspected my medium duty OME springs and find it hard to believe that they fully compress before the bumpstop. Compared to the stock coils they seem close enough in coil diameter and the number of coils that there wouldn't be that large of a difference. After all, the stock springs still had at least an inch (if not more) of compression even with the bumpstops off. I could be wrong because I didn't really look into with close detail, but I doubt that the medium duty OME springs are more than four inches longer compressed than the stock springs. The HD OME springs are another story, I don't have any experience with these and they might very well be much longer when compressed than the stock springs. Anyone out there ever measured OME springs fully compressed or compared them compressed to compressed stock springs? I'd be curious because, like I said, the suspension mod is just an idea and I haven't bothered to compress the MD OME springs (to cold out!!).

George Bull
Effingham NH USA

OK - I'm going to stick my neck slightly above the edge of the trench and further my comments below...

I wrote;
> sun over time, and has complete OME suspension/bushes etc. which I'm
> not happy with but that's another story.

So this is the other story. Please bear in mind that it is my personal opinion etc. etc. and that I don't own shares in Woodhead or Bilstein and that I'm not trying to tread on anyone's toes.

My '79 RR came with Old Man Emu suspension fitted by the P.O. and OME specialist fitters here in Cape Town. The fitting was done about 18 months and 5000Km ago (the car wasn't driven much prior to me buying it) and the only things different to stock were Disco rims and the OME suspension. I have the reciepts/blurb so I can pass on the exact OME part numbers for the suspension components if anyone is interested. The only thing missing from a complete OME 'kit' on the car at the moment is the steering damper which (according to receipts) is standard LR issue and was bought in Ootshorn to replace the OME version for some reason that I don't know, but probably involved a large rock.

My first impressions when seeing the car were that it 'sat' very nicely - dead level and no hint of sideways wonkiness. The suspension seems to have a slight lift (like by 10mm or so) but isn't really very different to stock.

My first impressions on driving it were that it wasn't as comfy as a stock Range Rover over bumps etc., but that cornering on road was more precise.

On further comparison with a stock suspension RR (same year, model, new-ish suspension, nothing on the roof, same tyre pressures etc. but belonging to my friend Roger) the following points have come to light...

BTW our self-levelling units have long since snuffed it and have been removed.

• The OME suspension transmits more noise and vibration from 'small' bumps up into the car. 'Small' bumps include corrugations on dirt roads, cat's eyes marking lanes on the roads, drains and (I guess) pedestrians' feet. The difference in comfort (not control) on long stretches of corrugated/rough dirt roads is significant, making me want to make my tyres softer to absorb some judder.

I don't know if this is due to springs, shocks or bushes (or all 3).

• OME suspension provides less body roll around corners and less 'dip' when braking _hard_. Noticeably. I don't know if it affects the maximum speed at which you can take a corner because I'm not keen to push the cars that far. One thing I have noticed is that the OME machine seems to cope better with 'S' bends (due to the body rolling around less?).
• When pushing it really hard on dirt roads (haven't done this in Roger's car but have with mine and an '85 RR wth stock suspension), the OME susp. provides more control and less of the pitching and wobbling I associate with the non-OME RR when being driven so it almost takes off over small dips and bumps in the track/road. When I'm going this fast, comfort is not an issue as I'm in a hurry anyhow and it's not my usual mode of travelling. It is much more difficult to 'bottom out' the OME suspension, too, but I avoid trying that trick.
• OME shocks stay cooler (to the touch - no science here) than stock after a fast drive on dirt roads with the vehicles following each other.
• Axle articulation seems fairly similar between stock and my OME, but I haven't jacked up the cars and measured what happens - off-road performance where the axles are really being moved around by the terrain seems similar but when driving the non-OME vehicle I am less aware of how far the wheels are going up and down because it feels more like the axles are moving and less like the whole car is rising and falling. What I'm tring to say is; it seems that if I had a full cup of tea on the dash and drove across an axle-twisting ditch at a particualr speed, I'd spill less with stock suspension.

I can't comment on longevity of any of the components, but the OME stuff looks more industrial. Tyre wear - ? I also have no comparison for laden vehicles, except to say that a Range Rover without a self levelling unit fitted looks really sick if you put 750Kg in it and then tow a heavy trailer!

The reason I'm not happy with the OME kit is that the Range Rover has a ride like an unladen LR 90 - stiff and controlled but you feel small bumps and vibrations (nothing like as bad/good as a SIII, tho'). Not that there's anything wrong with the ride of a 90!!! I just love the traditional RR ride because it eats smaller bumps and corrugations for breakfast and gives a feeling of ultimate comfort with little vibration transfer to the passenger compartment.

I know, I know; you can't have your cake and eat it but in the blurb for OME it touts 'progressive rate' and 'extended travel' etc. etc. so I had imagined soft ride at normal spring compression with a stiffening effect as the suspension was pushed - the best of everything. Perhaps I must go out and buy a 4.6HSE?!. Since buying a RR instead of a SIII I've turned into a snob.

My personal feeling is that I'd rather stick with standard spring/shock rates and a soft ride, despite the body roll (white knuckle passengers used to saloon cars!). I'm not saying standard components, because I'm sure that OME or whoever could make higher quality springs and shocks with identical characteristics to stock.

It's not often that I drive the Range Rover like a rally car so I'm not hyper interested in slightly better control under extreme circumstances. It seems to me that if I frequently pushed my car hard or was planning to bash the suspension hard on a regular basis, I'd fit what I've got, otherwise try and replace with standard rate or at least soft-response components. If I was regularly carrying a big load I'd try and invest in a quality self-levelling unit and perhaps heavier duty rear springs.

I would like more diff clearance, though, which means bigger tyres, which means lifting the suspension, which means moving away from stock! As usual, everything depends on personal preference and the uses to which the vehicle is put...

Is there anyone out there who can tell me more about which suspension components affect which aspect of the ride? I'm interested to know which bits to blame...! I'd take a running guess that it's a complex combination of bushes, shocks and springs.

Hope this expands sufficiently on my earlier statement. All comments appreciated.

All the best,

Andy
brantxit_at_iafrica.com