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Anyone using a Terra Firma lift kit ?

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16K views 17 replies 12 participants last post by  NPT90 
#1 ·
Does anyone have any feedback on using a Terra Firma 2" lift kit on a 110 ?. Had looked at OME but a couple of people at last year's MAR said they found them too soft after a year or so.
 
#2 ·
friend of mine has a 110 with the terra firma and pro comp shocks. the kit has been on for about a year and he want's to take it off. It lifted the vehicle more than 2 inches so he has drive line problems and it steers a little funky without the castor correcting radius arms.

I have a 110 with the OME kit and the fronts seem to settle over time. Just mix and match your OME to what ever you need for the load you carry.
I have driven the 110 with terra firma and pro comp set up and it is all over the road and while soft off road it seams a bit wallowy but that could be down to the softer shocks.
 
#7 ·
You can keep the Chinese terrafirma stuff.



As far as issues lifting, I think springs really bring out the ugly face of a worn out Land Rover. I had a run around on my Classic but its "about right" although it consumes u-joints at an alarming rate.....

OME has downsized their shock selection to a one size fits all. Not sure what to choose from at this point. Fox and Bilsteins can be custom valved but those seem to have issues with the heims.


A stock Rover is hard to beat
 
#8 ·
You can get a 2" lift with OEM LR springs. D90 rear springs on the front, 110 van springs on the rear. 2 inches of lift on a 110 will make the steering feel a bit looser (which you might not even notice if your steering parts are worn), otherwise shouldn't cause any problems unless there are other components needing attention. More than 2" and you have to start dealing with the caster and at least the front driveshaft.

Sorry for no P/N's but my main laptop had an accident, and my backup has no links or other LR stuff on it.
 
#9 ·
The problem people do not understand when they claim "I got more than 2" of lift" with a 2" lift spring, is that more then likely the suspension they're replacing has sagged. So when fresh springs are installed it may appear they've gained more than 2", but if you take the actual measurements that's probably not the case.

It's also a misconception that you do not have to pay attention to caster and pinion angles when lifting a truck 2". When lift springs are installed, the axle is being pushed down, thus causing the axle to move rearward and dump forward. The pinion is being pointed up.

Sure, people run stock radius arms and stock drive-shafts all the time with 2" springs. These people think that unless the truck is vibrating at 30mph like a paint mixer everything is good. But it's not.

Other people think they can install Rovertym's "caster corrected radius arms" are everything is fine. But that's not right, either.

If you want your truck to drive nicely, you have to address castor and pinion angles separately, no matter what size lift you're running. Radius arms should be used to correct the pinion angles, and castor corrected swivels should be used to correct castor. There is no other way. This is true on 2", 3" or 5" lifts. Just because you "only have a 2" lift" does not mean this stuff does not need to be addressed.

As far as the shocks go, if your shocks are too soft it can cause your truck to walk in the road, and can be hard to stay in your lanes at times. This is not a tell-tale sign that your shocks are trash, but it is a sign that something needs attention. It could be that your pitman arm is loose or that some bushings in your front-end are worn and that is causing your truck to weave in the road. Other times it's due to worn shocks, or inadequate shocks.
 
#10 ·
All you say is valid Dan, but it is a fact that a lot of people are running ~2 inches of lift with no problems. My 110 is up a bit over 2", and there are no problems, it doesn't drive dangerously, it's not eating driveline parts. My RRC was similarly lifted, and again, no problems.

The other issue that crops up once you get past 2" is the length of the pitman arm.
 
#11 ·
I'm confused at to what the pitman arm has to do with anything.

And I agree with you about the 2" lift not causing some problems, to a point. In fact, I had 3" lift springs on a truck before and had no other issues, no vibes, etc.. But on another D1, a 2" lift made it vibrate like a mo-fo and I needed to change out the front drive-shaft to a DC. I'm convinced no two Rovers are the same.

With that said, just because you can get away with not using a DC shaft, or adjusting pinion angles or castor, does not make your set-up optimum.
 
#12 ·
My comparison is between two early 110's an 84 and an 85. The 84 has a 200tdi with 255x85x16 and the 85 has a 300tdi with 255x85 x16
85 300tdi OME 767 front OME 755 rear fairly firm ride even loaded.

The 84 with the terra firma suspension and pro comp is taller by quite a bit when parked side by side. I am sure the steering needs some help and handling is subjective. Not sure what weight rating the terra firma spring are but it is tall.
Both suspensions from stock had settled over time but the resulting lift is far greater with the terra firma, of course OME advertises 1.5 to 1.75 lift usually.
 
#14 ·
have no experience with terra firma shocks but can say that the procomps have next to no valving on in bound and only seem to have any affect on return. Drove around with a set for 1200 miles and the truck handled like a death trap. Off camber the truck felt like it was going to flip. I like a stiffer shock that controls lean/body roll more.
 
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