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[Betsy1969]

I’ve noticed in various threads including Series 2’s for sale that people are fitting gas shocks to their Landrovers. What is the advantage in this , it’s not as though they are serious competition vehicles. Do they perhaps help to achieve a slightly smoother ride ?

Andy

[Birdsnet55]

I have only fitted gas shocks with Parabolic springs, you need longer shocks anyway.

Paul

[ChrisJC]

It seems that the gas part simply means the damper is filled with pressurised gas to stop the oil cavitating under high loads:

https://www.bilstein-shocks.co.uk/blogs/news/17256573-are-gas-shocks-absorbers-filled-just-with-gas

I suspect they make no difference, assuming they are like-for-like (in the sense of stiffness in each direction).

Chris.

[Betsy1969]

Thanks guys. Interestingly I fitted standard spec and length shocks on my 88 when I got it a few years back and it seems ok to me even though it has parabolics fitted.

Having said that I’ve only used it on the road so far

Andy

[Grandadrob]

As Paul ^^^^ said. Parabolic springs need more damping. I have used them with Parabolics.

[AlexB]

I have always used standard shocks with paras
road and farm use

I did, however, change my standard shocks to some black and white ones in an attempt to soft the ride on standard springs, and kept them when I reverted back to paras

[PetrolFour]

I've got a set with stock springs. Because... on there because they were not really any pricier at the time, and are supposed to be better. They are better than previous - hardly a fair test.

So why then?

A: Well, they're not worse. Thing is, it's like comparing 5-6YO hardened tyres with new. Impossible to be objective. The greatest improvement to stock springs, and ride-quality, is to keep them moving.

[Larry S.]

Gas shocks came as part of the parabolics set I purchased. 

[oilstain]

Sorry if this is OT but on my 88" I have Rockey Mountain parabolic springs fitted in hope of the promised better ride, some in the past have claimed as good as coil springs but if I compare my 88" ride with those of my 86" with standard leafs I see little difference and whilst hard to tell good leaf springs may be better or at least as good

[PetrolFour]

Agreed. As with so many things depends on hte reference points. A thread high-jack, I'm not sure it is, gas shox and parabolic are broadly related.

Stock springs will seize together, and very quickly. Regular and consistent use stops this. LR did not intend us to buy a new LR and then not drive it.  However,  today's occasional-use owner plays about, and does exactly that. Often the springs have seen no use in decades. Once we see a rock-hard ride, 500-1500 miles cures it. Dependent on your luck, they'll:

A. Free-off.
B. Free-off and Sag
C. Free-off, break and Sag.

Thus is the case for parabolic fitment/ gas shox. Else watch endless Youtube spring rebuild guides.

If you are willing to achieve A, (and lets face it, this is unlikely for most), your old springs will bed down. A dob of grease helps.


I run stock springs in constant use. Leave them a couple of months as we all did in COVID and they were back-breakers until they freed-up. And so it goes.

If you've got a rock-solid set of springs, and fit parabolic, expect there to be chasm in the ride improvement. That's hardly a surprise. Anymore than no real difference against decent greased stock-springs.

Improvement won't be the change in spring-type. A spring is a spring. Be clear, not keeping stock-springs moving is the issue, not the springs per se. Stiction is the factor here.

[Larry S.]

Sorry if this is OT but on my 88" I have Rockey Mountain parabolic springs fitted in hope of the promised better ride, some in the past have claimed as good as coil springs but if I compare my 88" ride with those of my 86" with standard leafs I see little difference and whilst hard to tell good leaf springs may be better or at least as good

I have the same brand.  The ride is a lot smother than it was before, but the original springs weren't the best.

[PetrolFour]

Yes a fair comparison is decent, stock free-moving springs. Which if we're considering PBs will be unlikely.

Thus if we truly intend  to get the bottom of the OP's question, we need to understand the question at root, and at what point we start from.

If you've got your stock springs in pretty much the same use-pattern as LR intended, thus you use them, either 'little and often', or 'lots and often', you can realistically expect your springs to move. Else you can't.

Ask yourself, how will you choice of shox help? This if we drive the thing, say once a month, and the springs have not seen constant use in decades? With no real use they won't free-off and never will. Your springs don't move...

Why mess about? Stick your gas shox on there, - with an RSJ on each corner - and have it done.

Whereas ParaBs don't suffer inter-leaf stiction in the same way, and if there is a perceptible improvement with one type of shox, over another, you're in with a chance of seeing it. Because they move.

Clearly, this applies to good stock-springs too, AGAIN because they move. Thing is... they won't do that without regular use.

Long-game whilst it helps, grease won't stay in there, not in all weathers anyway. How can it? But grease, and speed-bumps helps free-off springs. As does rebuilds with grease, and never driving far enough for the grease to make its exit.

Springs in 'real' use have a rusty-dusty look that emits two inches distant to the axle U-bolts to each spring. Sight of this, speaks a volume. Apart from mine, I've only seen that on three other Series LR. I can hardly be surprised, nonetheless I find this rather sad - and I've seen hundreds.

[PetrolFour]

As Paul ^^^^ said. Parabolic springs need more damping...

Kinda.... Again it’ll be about the start-point.

i. Yes. Where our stock springs don't move,   Remove the shox completely, shox choice can't matter anyway.

ii. No. Where our stock spring are new/rebuilt - greased within and inch of their lives. Greased-springs offer nil, or very little friction damping. They'll move near as well as PBs, and need shox as PBs.

iii. Yes. Where our stock spring are in daily use. Stock-springs in use won't stay greased. Won't need grease. Dry as LR intended. They do some of the damping anyway. Less work for shox, they give old-skool friction-damping.

iv. Yes. PBs, see a body-roll increase, and yaw as the ride-height goes up. You'll not pitch so much on stock-springs, hence it’ll handle better on stock. There's a requirement for a damping increase to; control the yaw; replace the lack of friction-damping. More so in an 88 over a 109.
How much more is open to debate.

The case for PBs gets stronger for an LR in little use, with otherwise seized solid springs. A spring-rebuild achieves the same without the arguable ride/yaw penalty.