Softening suspension of Mk1 Dispatch

[kenbw2]

I've got a Dispatch with extra stiff suspension. On the one hand I appreciate that it's obviously in good condition, but on the other hand I feel every tiny bump.

This is in contrast with the Synergie, which is based on the same chassis. That has buttery soft suspension, and I kinda want that.

Obviously it's going to be a straight swap with them being so similar, but I want to keep costs down.

Would I need to replace just the shocks, springs, or both to get a smoother ride?

I've collated the part numbers for the three Dispatch/Synergies I have:

[Peter.N.]

I don't know what this craze for rock hard suspension is all about, none of the modern cars seem to ride like the old ones. I recently bought a Mercedes C220 which is supposed to have a good ride, and its much harder than the Peugeot 406's I have been running. I notice also that the later 406 I now have rides much harder than the old one as it 16" lower profile tyres, I'm going to fit the 15's from the other one. Rant over.

You need to know the spring rates but I would think the ones from Synergie would be OK except for the reduced load rating. I assume the harder springs are for weight carrying so providing you are not going to fill it with bricks or concrete blocks it should be OK. It would be a modification though so I don't know how you would stand with the insurance.

Peter

[kenbw2]

I assume in my case it's harder suspension to factor in the max gross weight, but I'm nowhere near that.

Do you reckon it's springs or shocks I'd need to swap?

[Hell Razor5543]

The stiffened suspension fad is because people think this leads to better road holding. James May HATED cars that had been developed at the Nurbergrin, as the suspension was so hard that hitting any bump caused your teeth t rattle and ache!

[Peter.N.]

Yes so do I and low profile tyres have just made it worse. Bring back cross plies I say.

Its the springs that are mainly responsible for the ride, you may well find that the original dampers will be OK.

Peter

[Paul-R]

Bring back cross plies I say.

When radial tyres were introduced I remember the publicity saying that the more supple tyrewalls would give a less harsh ride compared to crossplies.

It's the continuing drive to lower and lower profile ratios that's the problem.

[white exec]

Do accurately check your tyre pressures. On some cars, even a couple of psi over the recommended pressure can make the ride really unpleasant. Serious under-inflation can produce dangerous handling and loss of directional and cornering stability, but it might be worth just trying dropping by 2psi, and see whether it makes a difference. But get your gauge checked against others for accuracy.

Some tyres have much more supple tyre walls than others. Some "reinforced" (5-ply) tyres are fine for stressed conditions (eg heavy loads on a single axle - eg on a caravan) but not the most comfortable. Michelin Energy Plus, with their supple walls, have a good reputation for mopping up small nobbles and ridges (provided not over-inflated), and are many folks' choice for Citroen suspension, where sudden edges can be otherwise decidedly unpleasant.

Might be worth checking out the tyre situation before actually swapping springs. What tyre size are you currently on?