Installation Instructions For Your Expeditionware Spring Retainers

 

Congratulations on the purchase of your Expeditionware Spring Retainers. These Spring Retainers will enable you run longer shocks than standard without the inevitable clunks of the systems currently available that utilize cones to reseat the springs.

Here is a view of the complete Expeditionware Spring Retainer set. Included in the set are:

Here is a view of the spring retaining plate compared to the factory spring retainer. Note how the spring retaining plate contacts the spring over a much wider area than the narrow factory spring retainer, spreading the pulling force of a retained spring over a much wider area than the factory version.

The spring retaining plates are 1/8" in thickness, the same as the factory spring retainer. The reason for using such a thin piece of metal is necessitated by the coil pattern of some springs. If we made the spring retaining plates thicker, then they would not fit between the coils of some springs. For example, the progressive rate of the commonly used heavy duty springs from Old Man Emu (OME part no. 762) will not accept spring retainers thicker than 1/8" without having to expand the coils with the thick retainer. Fitting thick retainers to the 762's would interfere with their proper operation.

To prevent the spring retaining plates from bending, we designed a bolster to fit on top of the spring retaining plate. The outer diameter of the bolster is very slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the thickest coil springs available for the Land Rover (OME part no. 763). The bolster's thickness and width prevent deformation of the spring retaining plate under all conditions. Even with both rear shocks removed and the axle twisting on the trail, the Expeditionware Spring Retainers will not give.

Reinstall your spring. Orient the coils so that the flattest part of the coils is situated on the outside part of the axle.

Slide in the spring retaining plate between the coils and align its two holes with the holes of the spring seat and the axle. Note that the spring retaining plate is situated toward the outside of the axle, toward the hub, and not the inside. This is necessary to retain the spring properly when the axle is tilted away from the body at full flex.

Place the bolster on top of the spring retaining plate and align its two holes with the holes of the other components.

Place two of the flat washers onto two of the bolts and insert them into the two holes of the bolster. Push the bolts through all of the components until they sit flush against the top of the bolster. If you need to, realign the components until you can press the bolts home.

To the two bolts you just inserted, fit a flat washer and nyloc nut to each and tighten the nyloc nuts until they are hand tight. Now take the time to ensure that your spring is properly situated against the spring retaining plate. Rotate the spring and try to situate it so that the spring retaining plate contacts the spring in such a fashion that the spring retaining plate will not compress the spring in any way when fully tightened while simultaneously maximizing the contact area of the spring retaining plate against the spring.

When satisfied with the orientation of the spring, fully tighten the lower two fasteners. Tighten the fasteners until you feel a good amount of resistance on the bolts. It is not necessary to torque down the bolts to a very high level of tightness, as the nyloc nuts will prevent the bolts from vibrating loose.

You are now ready to fasten the tops of the springs.

Here is a view of the how the upper Spring Retainer components will look when installed. From top to bottom are the spring perch cap, the spring retaining plate, the bolster, two lock washers, and two bolts. In the air space between the spring perch cap and the spring retaining plate will fit the spring perch and the spring.

Slide in a spring retaining plate between the coils and "thread" it into place by turning it on its axis and raising it to its proper position at the top of the spring. Unlike the lower spring retaining plate, whose two holes are aligned fore and aft, the orientation of the holes of the upper Spring Retainer components will depend on which springs you have fitted, and will necessarily vary from spring to spring due to the different coil patterns and heights.

Fit the spring perch cap on top of the spring perch and try to align the holes in the spring perch cap with the holes in the spring retaining plate.

For the Discovery and Range Rover Classic, slide the spring perch cap between the spring perch and the body. The spring perch cap is thin enough that you can do this. If you are having trouble sliding the spring perch cap in, then your body mounts are likely crushed or otherwise worn. You can unfasten your body mounts on the side you wish to work on to give the necessary clearance.

Here are the bolster and fasteners you will use to complete the installation of the upper Spring Retainer components. Note that the two bolts are fitted with lock washers and not flat washers. The lock washers are necessary to prevent the bolts from vibrating loose from the standard nuts welded onto the spring perch cap. Note that the bolts have been greased lightly to prevent future corrosion.

Using one hand to hold the bolster against the spring retaining plate, thread in one of the bolts to the spring perch cap. Then thread in the other bolt. When both bolts are threaded to the spring perch cap, rotate the upper Spring Retainer components until the spring retaining plate is properly situated to the spring. As with the lower components, an ideal location is achieved when the spring retaining plate will not compress the spring when fully tightened but fully contacts the spring on its entire outer surface.

When you have the upper Spring Retainer components properly situated, tighten the upper bolts. As with the lower bolts, tighten until you feel a firm resistance, but do not overtighten. The lock washers fitted to the upper bolts will prevent the bolts from vibrating loose.

Enjoy your Expeditionware Spring Retainers. If you have any questions about the installation of your Spring Retainers, please do not hesitate to contact us.

 

 

Expeditionware Spring Retainers

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