Replacing torsion bars and rear springs

[Mighty Mick]

I've got a '00 rear coil model that's a bit vague on the road. I liken it to when we were kids making billy carts out of big old prams, the ones with 12" wheels and springs on every corner. One bounce and it kept bouncing, but not up and down, more side-to-side and general wobbling about. Another analogy is it feels like being in a gusty wind with the vehicle rocking a bit for no apparent reason.

The other day my wife picked me up from work in it, and as she drove around the corner (low revs 2nd gear), I could just see it rocking side-to-side at every little bump in the road. It was like she was sitting on one of those rocking-horse-on-a-spring you see in the park.

Last and not least, when I travel across shallow dips in the road or shallow concrete drains (we have a few here in town, 50km/h over them), the back end thumps away as if it can't handle them. Throw a few bags of cement in the back and it's real bad. Anyway, I think you get the idea.

I took it to Pedders (100km away) and they did their check and found the bushes in the rear control arms probably needed replacing. They couldn't do it because they had three blokes off sick(!), so I went back home and had my local mechanic do it a few days later. One arm and half a leg later, it doesn't handle any differently.

It has new tyres, new front wheel bearings, new shocks all round, and a wheel alignment. Both my local mechanic and the Pedders mechanic didn't think anything else needed doing, but the Pedders mechanic he didn't have time to take it for a spin on the day.

With 236,000km on the clock, I thinking it might be time to replace the front torsion bars ($250-$300) and rear springs ($160). I'll leave the front sway bar and panhard rod alone because both mechanics found nothing there to warrant replacement.

Even after this I may have to get someone to look real hard at the steering from the pump to the ball joints and everything in between. I'm not convinced the handling issues are all suspension, but I don't think it's all steering, either.

I'm happy with standard height. No extra lift needed. I owned a NH Pajero before this and still have the Gregories book, and I have the Challenger manual downloaded from this forum. The instructions to remove and replace torsion bars looks fairly straight forward. Any advice or things to watch out for? Thanks.

[mts247]

Sounds like shocks to me. really low tyre pressures also make 4wds very "wishy washy" to drive.

From what i've read most don't replace the torsion bars, just the springs. and then jack up the torsion bars to your liking.

Mine has HD rear springs and its the roughest 4wd i've driven, i think it'll get some lovells coils very soon, BTW it drives like its on rails.

Also check that a previous owner hasnt removed the rear sway bars...

So in summary. get some shocks, and that'll also get the shock bushes done to...

[baggins]

Not an expert. However. I replaced my rear springs with raised lovells myself. An easy job really. I found that the lovells coils have too many winds and too thick a wire. And so when the car would be loaded or went over a big bump it was a huge thump like metal on metal. Looked under the car and the paint had worn off the coils where it had been touching.

No good. Took them back. Replaced them with the heavy duty raised coils. Same thing. Big bumps would bind the coils.

Have asked for a refund. But that's another story.

Went back to standard coils. Fixed. At the time my standard coils were 190k old. And had done 3 or 4 extended outback gravel road trips. I'd say very well worn. But the thump and bash was gone again.

I now have kings. They advertised a thin stronger wire with less coils.
These are by far better. And cheaper. If you going to change. I would suggest kings. Not much harder than my standard coils. But much better feel on the road. Less wallow and sway.

Perhaps you sideways rocking is related to the watts linkage?

[Mighty Mick]

Been real busy and haven't done anything until today.

Sounds like shocks to me.
...
So in summary. get some shocks, and that'll also get the shock bushes done to...

Yes, I thought the same, and had new shocks done all 'round just after I bought it. The old ones were rooted, there was no doubt, but the swaying and swerving business didn't change much, and it still bottomed out.

Not an expert. However. I replaced my rear springs with raised lovells myself. An easy job really.
...
I now have kings. They advertised a thin stronger wire with less coils.
These are by far better. And cheaper. If you going to change. I would suggest kings. Not much harder than my standard coils. But much better feel on the road. Less wallow and sway.

Perhaps you sideways rocking is related to the watts linkage?

Ha! That's what I did. I've put them in this afternoon and the difference is FANTASTIC. Everything seems to be the way it should.

Bought set of standard height, heavy duty King springs, $148 for the pair. Took me three hours to put them in. Now that I know what I'm doing, I could knock at least half an hour off it if I had to do it again. Found taking the wheels off made things a whole lot easier, just had to be careful not to let the brake line take any weight. Local mechanic quoted over $300 for springs and $150+ for labour, so it worked out good cost saving in the end.

Found the King springs had one more coil than the ones that came out, but there was a 30mm ride height boost, hardly enough to warrant a comment. Not much added, and I didn't really want any, so it worked out very good in the finish.

I may still end up replacing the front bars...maybe, but I reckon I'll probably end up being very happy with it now and just tinker and keep up the maintenance.

Thanks for the comments guys.