D1 2" lift - what height at wheel arches?

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bsa_m21
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Joined: Mon Mar 02, 2015 1:30 pm
Location: Surrey, BC

D1 2" lift - what height at wheel arches?

#1 Post by bsa_m21 » Tue Mar 27, 2018 3:45 pm

Hi,

Last year I added a medium firm 2" Terrafirma lift kit to me 96 D1. Since then I've added a bush bar and a winch up front.
She has been looking a bit low in the front for a while, so I took the opportunity in today's limited sunshine (in the lower mainland) and measured.

Stock, I'm told, the axle centre to wheel arch lip s/b ~18.5" front and 19.5" back. Well she is measuring ~18.5" front and 21" back. So I guess its a bit too much weight up front for the medium duty TF springs.

What do the guru's suggest? Add in a spacer below the spring? Switch to a heavy duty spring? Take the old rear spring and put them up front? Something else?

Thanks.

M.

punkinracer

Re: D1 2" lift - what height at wheel arches?

#2 Post by punkinracer » Tue Mar 27, 2018 4:45 pm

You could add a shim under the perch which is pretty easy to do, round slab of aluminum works great! . Keep in mind it wont do anything to change the spring rate at all. Front and rear springs will not swap around, physically they are close in size but the rates are quite different. Best option would be to get heavier ones up front - stay away from the OME springs, as they are garbage in my opinion, had two sets fail on me so far!

Pat

bsa_m21
Spanner Man
Posts: 811
Joined: Mon Mar 02, 2015 1:30 pm
Location: Surrey, BC

Re: D1 2" lift - what height at wheel arches?

#3 Post by bsa_m21 » Fri Mar 30, 2018 10:31 pm

Well I got energetic today and decided to see about making a spacer to bring up the front end height. I pulled the truck into the garage and then measured the wheel centre to rim height. 18.5" on the pass side, 20" on the drivers side. And yes, I remember checking - I didn't reverse them on the initial install, as both springs (TF018's) were identical, not one longer than the other like came originally from Land Rover.

So I machined up a 4.25" x 1.5" thick slug of aluminum from some scrap I had in the pile, drilled a 3" hole down the centre and two bolt mounting holes. Had to disconnect the sway bar at the frame to let the axle drop far enough to be able to lever the assembly in under the spring and shock.

Took her out for a drive and a bit of local offroad (very little as it was a construction site) then back to the garage. Now she sits at 20" on both side. :bounce:

Only casualty was a blood blister from pinched finger while trying to get the unit back in. :oops:
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M.

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