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Looked around a bit and could not find much info but how interchangeable are suspension components and bits between a defender and disco 1? Im looking at OME BP51 which they have a kit for the defender from 85-17 but not the disco.
Is there anything specific that im missing on why it wont cross over? It does take an adapter set more or less to fit the defender but it all comes as a kit.
I daily drive 104 miles every day and ive heard these are pretty great for both worlds...
Last edited by PyrateMickey; 12-12-2023 at 07:35 PM.
Shocks are good to go between D1 and Defender
Springs, you want to look at D90 springs specifically unless you want it stiff as can be
Install is 1:1 between them, while youre in there I highly suggest a set of galvo heavy duty terra firma shock turret rings, galvo shock turrets and galvo spring seats. The corrosion in that area can get pretty nasty and the turret rings are easy to snap off a stud or two (ask me how I know).
100 miles commute in a D1 is super brave, BP51 is a great shock. Cheaper options exist across the market but if you want a tunable shock go wild.
The D110 is not the same. So it depends on which Defender.
Are you sure on this one? D110 has the standard turret+plate upfront and an eyelet type rear.
Going off that knowledge, install videos and vendors listing shock compatibility for Fox, Terrafirma and others it looks to be identical.
the springs are not the same, they are not just a different rate but wider -- to be more specific, the rear springs
I know your comments were strictly about the shocks. I didn't mean to contradict that
Shocks are good to go between D1 and Defender
Springs, you want to look at D90 springs specifically unless you want it stiff as can be
Install is 1:1 between them, while youre in there I highly suggest a set of galvo heavy duty terra firma shock turret rings, galvo shock turrets and galvo spring seats. The corrosion in that area can get pretty nasty and the turret rings are easy to snap off a stud or two (ask me how I know).
100 miles commute in a D1 is super brave, BP51 is a great shock. Cheaper options exist across the market but if you want a tunable shock go wild.
Oh awesome sauce, thank you so much. 100 miles is a bit for a thirty year old rig but i really have no desire or love for the new rovers and my disco 4 is getting up in miles. So i figure i have about two more years to get her ready to take over duties.
I use to have a disco 2 which started me down this path 15+ years ago but i never modified it. Solid axles will be all new to me.
What's the link to the kit? I'd like to check it out.
What I've done on my D1 is install shock mounts on the rear that allow longer shocks. Mine are RTE. I think there are others available. Then I installed 12" Bilstein 7100 short body remote reservoir shocks. I did this for additional travel that is important for crawling. It makes no difference on a commute. I did custom valve the shocks. I feel this has to be done several times by a person who knows what they're doing and if they do not know, it may take a few times for them to figure out how valving works. I would not expect anyone to do this for the driver unless they valve similar vehicles all the time. It takes a feedback loop, so the driver should just figure on learning to do it for themselves. It's not hard to learn, and there is no one that can do it better than the driver because they're the ones who feel the difference and know what they want.
The rear shocks are the hardest because only the smallest valves fit and the shocks are angled so the damping is digressive -- the more the suspension is compressed, the more horizontal the shock angle is and so they dampen less and less as the suspension is compressed. There is no good way to resolve this without cutting into the rear cargo area to make room for tall coil-overs. But with some effort, a good shim stack can be found for a vehicle's weight and spring rate.
The front end is easier. It will take 60mm or 2" shocks. I used Bilstein 9100, but Fox and King will fit too. The key to fitting longer shocks is taller towers. Mine go all the way to the underside of the hood. The front suspension travel is not that great because the radius arms bind up, so the main reason to raise the towers that much is to fit longer shock bodies. With the shocks vertically oriented, the big valves and greater oil volume, it was a lot easier to find good valving.
I use the TF shock tower rings too -- well worth it to clamp the towers down better. The front could more easily be converted to coilovers. I don't know of any kit, but an average fabricator should be able to do a decent job, whereas I would expect it to take a wizard to do it in the rear with a clean result.
Internal bypass shocks could be a good solution, but other than an early attempt by Fox, I haven't seen much that would fit. The more modern designs where this stuff is relevant just accommodate bigger shocks.
What's the link to the kit? I'd like to check it out.
What I've done on my D1 is install shock mounts on the rear that allow longer shocks. Mine are RTE. I think there are others available. Then I installed 12" Bilstein 7100 short body remote reservoir shocks. I did this for additional travel that is important for crawling. It makes no difference on a commute. I did custom valve the shocks. I feel this has to be done several times by a person who knows what they're doing and if they do not know, it may take a few times for them to figure out how valving works. I would not expect anyone to do this for the driver unless they valve similar vehicles all the time. It takes a feedback loop, so the driver should just figure on learning to do it for themselves. It's not hard to learn, and there is no one that can do it better than the driver because they're the ones who feel the difference and know what they want.
The rear shocks are the hardest because only the smallest valves fit and the shocks are angled so the damping is digressive -- the more the suspension is compressed, the more horizontal the shock angle is and so they dampen less and less as the suspension is compressed. There is no good way to resolve this without cutting into the rear cargo area to make room for tall coil-overs. But with some effort, a good shim stack can be found for a vehicle's weight and spring rate.
The front end is easier. It will take 60mm or 2" shocks. I used Bilstein 9100, but Fox and King will fit too. The key to fitting longer shocks is taller towers. Mine go all the way to the underside of the hood. The front suspension travel is not that great because the radius arms bind up, so the main reason to raise the towers that much is to fit longer shock bodies. With the shocks vertically oriented, the big valves and greater oil volume, it was a lot easier to find good valving.
I use the TF shock tower rings too -- well worth it to clamp the towers down better. The front could more easily be converted to coilovers. I don't know of any kit, but an average fabricator should be able to do a decent job, whereas I would expect it to take a wizard to do it in the rear with a clean result.
Internal bypass shocks could be a good solution, but other than an early attempt by Fox, I haven't seen much that would fit. The more modern designs where this stuff is relevant just accommodate bigger shocks.
Oh awesome sauce, thank you so much. 100 miles is a bit for a thirty year old rig but i really have no desire or love for the new rovers and my disco 4 is getting up in miles. So i figure i have about two more years to get her ready to take over duties.
I use to have a disco 2 which started me down this path 15+ years ago but i never modified it. Solid axles will be all new to me.
If you arent married to the BP51s the Terrafirma gear is solid and will get you a lot further along on your build in terms of dollars spent. Buddy has BP51s on a land cruiser 80 and they are indeed great shocks, tuning up and down wont get used as much because you wont want to crawl under a hot dirty can and jerk them off with a wrench as you get onto/off of the trail.
At 3" you will want to start thinking about caster as well, bushings being my least favorite way to correct this. IMO I really dont think these trucks need any more than 2" unless you intend to do serious crawling. Even out of the box the approach and departure on these on these rigs are absolutely impressive. Id do a TF 2" kit and spend the rest on diff armor/skids/brakes/bumper. Will make it way nicer in traffic and less tippy.
12-12-2023, 01:11 PM
Suspension question
