I hate slamming a company but I work hard for my money, you know? I have an 04 Discovery with the SLS (air bags) and I like them. I hook my boat up and it levels itself. I do a little off roading and wanted more ground clearance and want to keep my bags. I purchased the Terra Firm 2" spacer blocks and installed them. Ride height was perfect, ride comfort stayed the same but the rear shocks maxed out on extension. I looked around and found the Terra Firma +2 shocks, called British Atlantic and the guy said they would fix my problem, $300 sold. I installed them and now I am having trouble with something in the front end bottoming out on compression. I called, and asked about replacing the front springs with 2" lift springs. The guys starts in about how I need to replace all four springs because I am going to blow out my air bags because I was using them to lift the rear. I had to stop him mid sentence and explain the spacer kit came with front and rear spacers and the air bags were at the same place as stock. Then he tells me the +2 shocks are for lifts over two inch and are too long for a 2 inch lift. The first guy at BA didn't know that or the second guy at BA is wrong? Can I do the spacer lift or not? What should I do?

 

I believe you would have been better off with stock length shocks. Especially with TF I believe they say there shocks have more travel across the board.

 

I don't know who's at blame, but I'll try to explain the issue for you. I wish you would have called L8 or myself, who have both installed/owned these trucks.(not to crap on AB, I think Eric there would have explained it)

Front springs get spacers, and the shock mounts move up. Rear springs get spacers, and the shock mounts don't change.

You needed stock height front shocks, +2" rear shocks. This is due to the shock mounts being inside the spring in the front, moving up the height of the spacer, and the rear shocks being outside of the spring, unchanged by spacer height

 

I will contact you. You are absolutely right about the differences in the way the front and rear shocks mount. I would like to purchase the 2inch longer springs for the front so that the front shocks mount back down in their original place. I am guessing that will fix the issue? Thank you.

 

Ok I'm a bit confused now, probably remembering a previous thread on +2 shocks.

Fact or myth: 2" lift needs +2 shocks or not?

 

This makes perfect sense now (I hope). A 2" lift using spacers needs longer shocks in the back because they mount from the body to the axle and the standard length shocks in the front because the shocks mount to the spacer plate instead of the stock mounting place on the spring perch. If you use a 2" lift using longer springs you need longer shocks on all four corners because you are using the stock shock mounts on all four corners. I could put the old front shocks back on but I think I would rather go with the longer springs.