[gd1418]

I like the word bobbing. Yes, it is very much in the older scorpios with the leaf springs. To be honest the newer ones too have it.

My FNG suggested something to me that made a lot of sense. Ever since the bobbing and the side-by-side roll has considerably reduced, plus the ride feels better.

Originally, the leaf spring set of the Scorpio consists of 5 leaves. While the support gap between 1 & 2, 3 & 4 and 4 & 5 leaves is ok and load bearing, the distance between the 2 & 3 leaves is more, thus exerting extra strain on leaf No. 2. And mostly it is the leaf #:2 that snaps.

FNG suggested me to add one more leaf between 2 & 3 to increase support. I did that and after that undertook a 3000 Km trip to Leh & back. My scorp held steady on hairpin bends, jumped over boulders without bobbing and the rear seat passengers didn't bang their head on the roof. The attached picture will explain this better.

Leaf #:6 is the added leaf:

Originally Posted by mooza

Wow, gd1418, that sure is quite a logical analysis!

Well, in my case, apart from body roll, I also wanted to reduce my feeling of the vehicle's constant bobbing up and down & from side to side, which I have heard is more prevalent in Scorpios (since you also own a Safari, please correct me here, from your personal experience).

I do not know whether the composite leaf spring will help in this case.

Regarding the idle rpm setting at 900 rpm, I will do it at a good FNG nearby. Thanks!

[mooza]

Thanks gd1418, your photo made things so clear. Adding a leaf to stiffen my rear suspension seems to be a good first step option, considering that the composite leaf spring pair being offered to me has a price tag of 20k.

If fellow BHPians can suggest a good FNG for leaf spring work close to Koramangala or Marathahalli (Bangalore), it would help a ton. Cheers, Mohit

[condor]

@GD, didnt the ride become stiffer with the added leaf ?

[triedeverything]

There is considerable deposit of brake dust on the front wheels of my Scorp. It has not done a long distance trip yet and has in all just done about 350 km in 2 weeks. Here is a picture.

[SS-Traveller]

Originally Posted by triedeverything

There is considerable deposit of brake dust on the front wheels of my Scorp. It has not done a long distance trip yet and has in all just done about 350 km in 2 weeks.

Brake dust from the front pads, esp. when new, is perfectly normal. Your brake pads are just bedding in. Expect the dust to reduce over the next 1000 km or so. After that, having heavy brake dust deposit on the rims is abnormal, and would lead one to suspect malfunctioning of rear brakes (i.e. overuse of front brakes to provide the same amount of stopping force).

[triedeverything]

Originally Posted by WanderNomad

All of those who wish to add an additional switch for fog lights without a hole in the dash, there is a switch available which fits into the blanks next to Fuel lid switch / rear defogger switch. Its a simple process, just take out the blank and add this switch.

Hey Nomad, can you post a picture please? Are you talking about the switches in the AC console? Or is this applicable only to the entry level Scorp?
Here is a picture of my console.

[getsurya]

Hi Triedeverything,

I support what SStraveller said about brake dust initially. It is normal for that to happen and after some odo run you should not have it.

[4x4addict]

@wandernomad & @tried:

This switch is no longer a blank for the VLX version. It is the switch to turn off the Micro hybrid. Right now there are no blanks are the AC switch is a single piece. Looks like drilling is the way to go.

[gd1418]

@condor: Before this was undertaken, I was told that the ride would become stiffer but on full load the ride would be smoother. But immediately after this job, I left for Leh with full load - 4 passengers, and boot full to the brim.

None in the car complained about stiffened back, neck or ride after the trip. I've sort of got used to the ride when I ride alone in the car.

Originally Posted by condor

@GD, didnt the ride become stiffer with the added leaf ?

[a_mukherji]

I have 2006 model of Scoprio. Is it possible to completely replace leaf-spring with coil spring as in new Scorpio ? If it is possible, will it better or will it be still at par with GD's solution of inserting an extra leaf ?

[WanderNomad]

Originally Posted by 4x4addict

@wandernomad & @tried:

This switch is no longer a blank for the VLX version. It is the switch to turn off the Micro hybrid. Right now there are no blanks are the AC switch is a single piece. Looks like drilling is the way to go.

You are fully right.

Originally Posted by triedeverything

Hey Nomad, can you post a picture please? Are you talking about the switches in the AC console? Or is this applicable only to the entry level Scorp?
Here is a picture of my console.Attachment 266834

A very rough and quick attempt. I have marked the blank (I am not good at editing pics)

[Red Liner]

This is why the SLE rules. And thats precisely the switch I am going to use for my Aux lights.

PS: Just got the 100/90 done on my headlights. Philips Rally + Roots kit. Great upgrade. Everyone, just go for it.

[condor]

gd1418 : I've sort of got used to the ride when I ride alone in the car.

@GD : You were told that on full load, the ride would be smoother. 4 people + luggage is quite close to full load, and the Scorp has behaved as predicted.

Leaf springs will behave better on more load. The question is - how is the ride on lighter load ? Not about getting used to, but about more bounciness / more stiff / .. ?

[mooza]

Originally Posted by a_mukherji

I have 2006 model of Scoprio. Is it possible to completely replace leaf-spring with coil spring as in new Scorpio ? If it is possible, will it better or will it be still at par with GD's solution of inserting an extra leaf ?

My ASC here at Bangalore told me last week that coil springs for rear is not possible for my leaf spring Scorpio.

The bobbing & wavering quality of ride, in my opinion, is due to lower damping ability of the shocks. This is evident at standstill itself, when you bounce the vehicle from the sides and release it. The vehicle continues to bob up & down for another 5 to 6 oscillations, before fully coming to rest. I have checked this on three other leaf spring scorpios at an ASC and confirmed this. A well damped suspension must settle down to rest within 2 oscillations. (When I do this on my Ikon, it settles down at first cycle itself! Of course, this is a low slung sedan with a very low CG, so wrong yardstick for comparison).

Apart from GD's idea, & the composite leaf spring (supposed to have better inherent damping characteristics), shock absorbers with better damping seem to be only solution left. But the aftermarket shocks start at 38k for the full set (Bilstein B6), unless someone can suggest shocks of another brand, which is better priced.
Cheers, Mohit

[amitk26]

Originally Posted by mooza

Apart from GD's idea, & the composite leaf spring (supposed to have better inherent damping characteristics), shock absorbers with better damping seem to be only solution left. But the aftermarket shocks start at 38k for the full set (Bilstein B6), unless someone can suggest shocks of another brand, which is better priced.
Cheers, Mohit

It may be a sacrilege to state on this thread but what is the brand of shocks used on Sumo grande ? it's amazingly stable with leaf spring setup or is it purely due to elliptic leaf spring design they have used and chassis.