Old Man Emu suspension systems are designed, tested, and built in Australia. Four wheelers everywhere should expect a system that will provide the load carrying requirements for work, increased wheel travel for use off-highway applications, and ride suppleness to eliminate the harshness of washboard roads and choppy city streets. Old Man Emu engineers its suspensions for the safest allowable lift with minimal vehicle modification, ensuring improved control and handling and increasing wheel travel for excellent performance. Old Man Emu suspension systems also allow one to carry the heavy loads common to expedition vehicles without sagging the springs.
Old Man Emu's attention to detail ensures that every individual coil spring is carefully matched to the corresponding shock absorber to work as a fully integrated system. Fitting a set of Old Man Emu coil springs in conjunction with a set of Old Man Emu Nitrocharger Shock Absorbers or LTR Shock Absorbers will instantly result in improved towing capability, genuine expedition-type load carrying capability, enhanced traction, and excellent on-road performance and comfort.
Old Man Emu springs are normally "handed". That is, there is one driver-side spring and one passenger-side spring per pair. This usually results in a listing vehicle toward the passenger side on most Land Rovers. To prevent this, we "match" our springs into two DS or two PS springs per pair.
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Variable Or Constant Spring Rates Formed On Precision Mandrels Shot Peening Fully Scragged & Load Tested Exacting End Configuration Manufacture Manufacturing Consistency & Quality
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| Old Man Emu 761 Front Medium-Duty Springs (761) $83 The Old Man Emu 761 Front Medium-Duty Springs are designed to sustain the weight of a medium-duty bumper such as the LRNA factory brushguards fitted to the front of Disco1's, Range Rover Classics, and Defender 90's. The 761's will also fit the front of the Disco2, but will give approximately 1" additional lift over the 777 and 779 springs designed specifically for the Disco2. We recommend the 761's only for those who know that they will not fit a heavy-duty winch bumper or winch to the front of their vehicles. The 761's are priced individually but you must order in pairs. |
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| Old Man Emu 751 Front Heavy-Duty Springs (751) $83 The Old Man Emu 751 Front Heavy-Duty Springs are designed to sustain the weight of a heavy-duty winch bumper and winch fitted to the front of all Disco1's, Range Rover Classics, and Defender 90's. We recommend the 751's for all front applications, whether or not a heavy-duty winch bumper or winch is fitted. The 751 springs also fit the front of the Disco2, but will give approximately 1" additional lift over the 777 and 779 springs designs specifically for the Disco2. The 751's are priced individually but you must order in pairs. |
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Old Man Emu 766 Front Extra Heavy-Duty Springs (766) $83 The Old Man Emu 766 Front Extra Heavy-Duty Springs are designed to sustain extremely heavy weights fitted to the front of all Disco1's, Range Rover Classics, and Defender 90's, such as diesel engines, very large winches, front bumpers overbuilt to ridiculous standards, hood-mounted spare tires, or other heavyweight applications where the 751's are insufficient. We recommend the 766 for applications where the 751's have already been tried but have been found wanting. The 766's are priced individually but you must order in pairs. |
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| Old Man Emu 777 Front Medium-Duty Springs (777) $83 The Old Man Emu 777 Front Medium-Duty Springs are designed to sustain the weight of medium-duty bumper such as the LRNA factory brushguard fitted to the front of Disco2's. We recommend the 777 only for those who know that they will not fit a heavy-duty winch bumper or winch to their vehicles. The 777 is also suitable for fitment on a Disco2 with winch bumper and winch, but is not intended to be lifted beyond factory height. The 777's are priced individually but you must order in pairs. |
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| Old Man Emu 779 Front Heavy-Duty Springs (779) $83 The Old Man Emu 779 Front Heavy-Duty Springs are designed to sustain the weight of a heavy winch bumper and winch fitted to the front of Disco2's. We recommend the 779 for nearly all Disco2 front applications, whether or not a heavy-duty winch bumper or winch is fitted. The 779's are priced individually but you must order in pairs. |
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Old Man Emu 764 Rear Medium-Duty Springs (764) $83 The Old Man Emu 764 Rear Medium-Duty Springs are recommended for vehicles carrying what Old Man Emu terms "medium" loads in the cargo area. The 764's fit the rears of all Disco1's, Disco2's, Range Rover Classics, and Defender 90's. We usually recommend this spring for the rear of Defender 90's only. The 764's are not recommended for Disco1's, Disco2's, and Range Rover Classics due to the light 220 lb. spring rate. The 764's are also very suitable for front applications when 3" lifts are desired on the Disco1, Range Rover Classic, and Defenders. The 764's are priced individually but you must order in pairs. |
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| Old Man Emu 781 Rear Heavy/Medium-Duty Springs (781) $83 The Old Man Emu 781 Rear Heavy/Medium-Duty Springs are designed to sustain the weight of heavily laden vehicles on expedition use. The 781's fit the rears of all Disco1's, Disco2's, Range Rover Classics, and Defender 90's. We usually recommend the 781 for users who want more load-carrying capacity than the 764's provide, but yet want to run a more flexible spring than the 762's because of the 762's resistance to stretching on retained rear suspension setups. The 781's are also very suitable for achieving a 3" lift on the rear of Defender 90's. The 781's are priced individually but you must order in pairs. |
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Old Man Emu 762 Rear Heavy-Duty Springs (762) $83 The Old Man Emu 762 Rear Heavy-Duty Springs are designed to sustain the weight of heavily laden vehicles on expedition use. The 762's fit the rears of all Disco1's, Disco2's, Range Rover Classics, and Defender 90's. The 762's are a variable-rate pattern to provide extreme load-carry capability yet still provide a supple ride when the vehicle is unladen. We usually recommend the 762's for the rears of all Land Rovers that will carry large and heavy loads except the Defender 90. The 762's are priced individually but you must order in pairs. |
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Old Man Emu 763 Rear Extra Heavy-Duty Springs (763) $83 The Old Man Emu 763 Rear Extra Heavy-Duty Springs are designed to sustain the weight of very heavily laden vehicles on expedition use. The 763's fit the rears of all Disco1's, Disco2's, Range Rover Classics, and Defender 90's. We recommend the 763's for the rears of Land Rovers that will carry extreme loads in the cargo area. The 763's are priced individually but you must order in pairs. |
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Old Man Emu 10mm Trim Packer (OME80PF10) $13 The Old Man Emu 10mm Trim Packer is designed to act as a shim to level out listing vehicle. Fit a Trim Packer to to the rear spring on your vehicle's low side to level things out if your vehicle lists to one side. |
The question of what springs to fit to one's Land Rover for one's application can be a difficult one with the array of springs that exist. The difficulty is compounded by the common usage of the terms "light", "medium", and "heavy". Just how heavy is "heavy"? How light is "light"? In an effort to help our customers choose the correct spring for their application, we provide the following information from Old Man Emu's application guide. Applications are categorized by vehicle type. An explanation of the data contained in tables follows.
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Part No. |
Axle |
Rate (lbs./in.) |
Recommended |
Length (DS) |
Length |
Resulting |
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761 |
Front |
200 |
Medium Duty (0 lbs. to 110 lbs.) |
15.7" |
15.4" |
2" |
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751 |
Front |
230 |
Heavy Duty (110 lbs. to 250 lbs.) |
15.3" |
14.9" |
2" |
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766 |
Front |
280 |
Extra Heavy Duty (220 lbs. to 350 lbs.) |
16.6" |
16.6" |
3" |
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764 |
Rear |
220 |
Medium Duty (unspecified) |
16.9" |
16.5" |
2" |
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781 |
Rear |
290 |
Medium/Heavy Duty (unspecified) |
16.7" |
16.3" |
3" |
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762 |
Rear |
300-340 |
Heavy Duty (440 lbs.) |
16.5" |
16.1" |
3" |
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Part No. |
Axle |
Rate (lbs./In.) |
Recommended |
Length |
Length |
Resulting Lift |
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|
761 |
Front |
200 |
Medium Duty (0 lbs. to 110 lbs.) |
15.7" |
15.4" |
2" |
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751 |
Front |
230 |
Heavy Duty (110 lbs. to 220 lbs.) |
15.3" |
14.9" |
2" |
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766 |
Front |
280 |
Extra Heavy Duty (220 lbs. to 350 lbs.) |
16.6" |
16.6" |
3" |
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752 |
Rear |
270 |
Light Duty (unspecified) |
17.3" |
17.3" |
2" |
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755 |
Rear |
280 |
Medium Duty (660 lbs.) |
17.1" |
17.1" |
2" |
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754 |
Rear |
420 |
Heavy Duty (1,100 lbs.) |
17.1" |
17.1" |
3" |
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Part No. |
Axle |
Rate (lbs./in.) |
Recommended |
Length (DS) |
Length |
Resulting |
|
|
760 |
Front |
180-250 |
Light Duty (under 0-50 lbs.) |
15.1" |
14.6" |
2" |
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761 |
Front |
200 |
Medium Duty (50 lbs. to 110 lbs.) |
15.7" |
15.4" |
2" |
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751 |
Front |
230 |
Heavy Duty (110 lbs. to 250 lbs.) |
15.3" |
14.9" |
2" |
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766 |
Front |
280 |
Extra Heavy Duty (220 lbs. to 350 lbs.) |
16.6" |
16.6" |
3" |
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764 |
Rear |
220 |
Medium Duty (unspecified) |
16.9" |
16.5" |
2" |
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781 |
Rear |
290 |
Medium/Heavy Duty (unspecified) |
16.7" |
16.3" |
2" |
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762 |
Rear |
300-340 |
Heavy Duty (220 lbs.) |
16.5" |
16.1" |
2" |
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763 |
Rear |
360 |
Extra Heavy Duty (440 lbs.) |
16.5" |
16.1" |
3" |
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Part No. |
Axle |
Rate (lbs./in.) |
Recommended |
Length (DS) |
Length |
Resulting |
|
|
776 |
Front |
160 |
Light Duty (under 44 lbs.) |
16.2" |
15.4" |
2" |
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777 |
Front |
180 |
Medium Duty (44 lbs. to 110 lbs.) |
15.6 |
14.8" |
2" |
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779 |
Front |
220 |
Heavy Duty (110 lbs. to 250 lbs.) |
16.2" |
15.2" |
2" |
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781 |
Rear |
290 |
Medium/Heavy Duty (unspecified) |
16.7" |
16.3" |
2" |
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762 |
Rear |
300-340 |
Heavy Duty (220 lbs.) |
16.5" |
16.1" |
2" |
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763 |
Rear |
360 |
Extra Heavy Duty (440 lbs.) |
16.5" |
16.1" |
3" |
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Part No. |
Axle |
Rate (lbs./in.) |
Recommended |
Length (DS) |
Length |
Resulting |
|
|
760 |
Front |
180-250 |
Light Duty (under 0-50 lbs.) |
15.1" |
14.6" |
2" |
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|
761 |
Front |
200 |
Medium Duty (50 lbs. to 110 lbs.) |
15.7" |
15.4" |
2" |
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|
751 |
Front |
230 |
Heavy Duty (110 lbs. to 250 lbs.) |
15.3" |
14.9" |
2" |
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|
766 |
Front |
280 |
Extra Heavy Duty (220 lbs. to 350 lbs.) |
16.6" |
16.6" |
3" |
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|
764 |
Rear |
220 |
Medium Duty (unspecified) |
16.9" |
16.5" |
2" |
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|
781 |
Rear |
290 |
Medium/Heavy Duty (unspecified) |
16.7" |
16.3" |
2" |
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|
762 |
Rear |
300-340 |
Heavy Duty (220 lbs.) |
16.5" |
16.1" |
2" |
|
|
763 |
Rear |
360 |
Extra Heavy Duty (440 lbs.) |
16.5" |
16.1" |
3" |
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Note that there is considerable overlap between the several Land Rover vehicles. For example, the 751 is suitable for heavy front loads for every vehicle except the Disco2. Similarly, the 762 is suitable for all heavy rear loads except the Defender 110.
DS & PS Springs
The DS and PS designations denote "Driver Side" and "Passenger Side". Most Old Man Emu springs are "handed" and intended to be installed to a specific side of the vehicle. We have found this system can work on the Defenders but does not work well on the Discovery and Range Rover Classic. These latter vehicles usually list toward the passenger side when fitted with handed springs.
To avoid having your vehicle look like a torpedoed steamer, we sell our springs matched from side to side. In other words, the springs you purchase from us will be both DS or both PS.
We believe that the matching of springs generally results in a more level vehicle but provide the DS and PS length specifications for those customers who wish to stay with Old Man Emu's recommendations. Upon request, we will ship you unmatched springs, i.e., a pair of springs with PS and DS springs, if that is your preference.
Some vehicles will list whether or not matched or unmatched springs are fitted. These vehicles just want to lean. The Old Man Emu 10mm Trim Packer is designed to act as a shim to level out listing vehicle. Fit a Trim Packer to to the rear spring on your vehicle's low side to level things out.
Always fit the Trim Packer to the the top of springs only, and not on the bottom.
An alternative to the Old Man Emu 10mm Trim Packer is the Land Rover Vehicle KIT Rubberized Spring Isolator, which is also 10mm tall and provides the same amount of lift.
The difference between the Trim Packer and the Rubberized Spring Isolator is that the Isolator may be fitted to the tops and bottoms of the front and rear springs, rather than the tops of the rear springs only like the Trim Packer.
Which Springs Should I Fit?
Rather than follow the strict guidelines set forth in Old Man Emu's Application Guide, we usually give the following advice to our customers.
If your vehicle is stock and you simply want a taller stance, fit the medium-rate springs for your particular vehicle in both front and rear. The medium springs will give you a taller stance and will also give your vehicle improved handling on the road. You will also be able to carry medium loads (as defined in the tables for your particular vehicle) without sagging your springs.
If your vehicle is fitted with a heavy-duty front bumper like the ARB Winch Bar or the TJM Bull Bar, even without a winch, we recommend heavy-duty front springs. In our experience, the heavy-duties are required to prevent your front end from sagging even if you do not have a winch fitted. If you do have a winch fitted in addition to your heavy-duty front bumper, then we highly recommend the heavy-duty front springs on the ground that the medium-duty front springs will sag. Most offroad vehicles also fit a second Optima Battery or Odyssey Battery to accommodate high-amperage equipment like winches and auxiliary lights. This additional weight will sag the front of the vehicle even more.
For the rear, our position is that if you are going offroading, you should be carrying all of the necessary recovery equipment required for offroading, spare parts, food, Power Tank, Engel Freezer Fridge, fuel and water containers, spare clothing, etc. All of this equipment weighs a considerable amount. Accordingly, we generally recommend heavy-duty or extra heavy-duty springs for the rears of the Disco1's, Disco2's, and Range Rover Classic.
For example, Ho's Disco2 is fitted with 751 front springs and 763 rear springs, which provide a 3" lift on the Disco2. Even under the weight of the Superwinch X-9, ARB Freezer/Fridge, 15-lb. Power Tank, Safety Devices Highlander Roof Rack, and loaded Pelican Cases, this truck is not sagging under the weight. The 235/85-16 size Michelin XPS Traction tires also give more trail clearance without ruining the the vehicle's overall proportions.
For the Defender 90, we generally recommend medium-duty springs (764's) for the rear because the rear of the Defender 90 is considerably lighter than the other vehicles and cannot carry the payload and passengers that the other vehicles can. Defender 90's fitted with 762 springs usually lean forward heavily and tend to look like hot rods, even when heavily loaded.
This Defender 90 is fitted with 751 front springs and 764 rear springs. The vehicle does not have a "hot rod" appearance and sits very level from front to back. The 255/85-16 tires are another nice touch for the overall aesthetics of this vehicle. The added lift from the Old Man Emu springs can make the factory 265/75 tires look small. 255/85-16 tires combined with the Old Man Emu lift make for a very stock-looking truck that does not look overlifted or overly done.
Some Land Rover owners report a very stiff ride with the 762 rear springs. We have not found this to be true at all in our experience, but obviously what feels "harsh" to one person will feel good to another person. Sensitive buyers have in the past had to choose between the 764 medium-duty (220 lb. rate) and 762 heavy-duty (320 lb. rate) rear springs. Old Man Emu now has available a spring that splits the difference between the 764 and 762 rear springs: the no. 781. The 781 medium/heavy-duty spring has a 290 lbs. rate and a straight coil. The 781 is nearly ideal for Land Rover owners who cannot choose between the 762 and 764 rear springs. The 781 is a nearly perfect spring for Discovery and Range Rover owners who want a long travel rear suspension with retained rear springs. The 781 is stiff enough to support the heavier weight of these vehicles but is flexible enough to provide substantially more stretch than the 762 when Spring Retainers are fitted. The straight coil of the 781 also provides for easy installation of the Spring Retainers. The 781 is also suitable for the relatively few Defender 90's that carry loads heavy enough to bottom out the 764 MD rear springs.
We do not recommend the light-duty springs for any vehicle. One of the advantages of the Old Man Emu Springs is that they are stiffer than the factory springs. This stiffness will help prevent your vehicle from sagging when fitted with heavy loads, but it will also help your vehicle's handling at its now taller height. We believe that if you raise your vehicle, you need to stiffen its springs in accordance with such taller stance to maintain vehicle stability side to side. Also, we believe that the light-duty springs are not a sensible purchase because the purchaser will almost always want to upgrade to stiffer springs as he inevitably fits more equipment to his vehicle.
3" Lifts With Old Man Emu Springs
When more than 2" of lift are desired, there are several Old Man Emu spring combinations that will yield more than 2" of lift.
Ho's Disco2 was fitted with Old Man Emu springs but had a 3" lift over the factory height. He is able to achieve this 3" of lift by fitting 751 springs in the front, 763 springs in the rear. Shocks on Ho's Disco2 are the Old Man Emu N107 and N108 Nitrocharger Shock Absorbers.
Kristian Meyers leads Axel Haakonsen, Mike Peters, and John through a portion of the famous Rubicon trail. The difference between Kristian's 3" Old Man Emu lift and Axel's standard Old Man Emu lift is readily apparent. Both Kristian's and Axel's Discoveries are fitted with the same 235/85 tires, but Axel's Discovery appears almost squatted compared to Kristian's 3" Old man Emu lift. Both vehicles are heavily outfitted with lots of trail equipment.
John's Defender 90 is fitted with 751 heavy-duty springs in the front and 764 medium-duty springs in the rear. This is the "standard" 2" lift on the D90. John's tires are the Michelin XZL in size 8.25 R16. John wanted a little more lift and sound and vibration attenuation, so he added the Land Rover Vehicle KIT Rubberized Shock Tower Securing Rings to the tops of his front springs, and the Land Rover Vehicle KIT Rubberized Spring Isolators to the tops of his rear springs, as well as to the bottoms of all four springs. These lifted John's D90 another 20mm of lift over the 2" lift and added a great deal of sound and vibration attenuated to John's noisy Defender. Shocks on John's Defender are the Old Man Emu LTR05 Shock Absorbers.
Whatever amount of lift you desire, we recommend that you use only Old Man Emu springs to obtain your desired lift. We do not use or recommend other aftermarket springs.
Several other aftermarket companies offer springs for use on Land Rover vehicles, but these springs have been tested and been found severely wanting. Among other deficiencies, these springs do not appear to be scragged or shot-peened during the manufacturing process and tend to sag very quickly. They also do not handle heavy loads as well as the Old Man Emu springs, even though these springs have the same nominal load ratings as the Old Man Emu springs. We both use and recommend only Old Man Emu springs for best results.
All of the recommendations stated above are general guidelines and should not be taken as gospel or dogma. All Land Rovers vary from the factory, and the different modifications that each owner will fit to his vehicle will change the variables even more. If you have any questions about your specific application, please do not hesitate to contact us regarding your special needs.
ARB
Winch Bumpers
Old
Man Emu Shock Absorbers And Steering Dampers
Land Rover Vehicle
KIT Rubberized Spring Isolators & Shock Tower Rings
Superwinch
Winches
Expedition
Exchange Incorporated
20775 South Western Avenue, Unit 102
Torrance, CA 90501
Telephone: (310) 618-1875
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