Land Rover Off Road Modifications: Suspension

Think about your suspension before you go driving off road! Before venturing off road, think about your suspension!

While modern Land Rover models should be capable without changes, older vehicles you intend to load up with extra weight will probably need renewed or upgraded suspension.

When it comes to suspension, remember that cheap is never best - a budget component that fails in the back of beyond isn't much of a bargain is it? It could be hard to replace to, so always buy reputable makes and buy the best you can afford.

Don't just guess at which uprated springs or shocks you need, as the handling and performance of your Land Rover depends on you getting it dead right. Go to a specialist and ask their expert advice - its worth it in the long run.

Then there is the question of how far to raise it. Raised suspension can be useful for overland travel to give you a little more ground clearance and help cope with heavy loads - but it's best not to go for more than an inch or two of lift. Go much higher and you risk upsetting the centre of gravity and making your Land Rover unstable.

Remember that if you do fit suspension with a lift, you may have trouble replacing broken components once abroad, so you may have to bring along spares just in case.

At home in the UK, you may opt to lift your suspension if you do a lot of driving at off road courses, pay and play days or competitions. There are a lot of extreme suspension packages available if you are into this sort of thing. Have it fitted by a specialist and remember it will definitely have an effect upon on-road handling once you leave the off road course!

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