01 DII front suspension is a brick

[dmogie]

My 2001 D!! SE has 78k, SLS. It sits perfectly level and at the correct ride height according to the specs.The ride is very smooth at all speeds and actually quite nice EXCEPT-when going over railroad tracks or similar perpindicular obstructions there is no give whatsoever! It slams up and jolts (loudly) as if there were no shocks or springs at all. I am afraid of getting airborne. Anyone have thoughts about this? We put it on a lift at the local brake shop and other than the shocks being original, everything seems o.k. Could my SLS be maxing out once I get moving?

 

[jmrivera]

I'm not sure, but I don;t think the SLS can max out so much such that it forced the front suspension the compress completely...

Have the front shocks and springs been replaced? Steering damper?

Jonathan

 

[dmogie]

I bought it used, everything seems to be original... It rides and steers great, no shakes wobbles, etc.

 

[jmrivera]

If jump up and down on the fornt bumper, can you hear the front shocks and springs compress (slightly of course)...

 

[dmogie]

not unless I jump very hard, then I hear a soft noise.

 

[joey]

Hold the phone, original shocks at 78k.... I would say it is time to replace them, they were not designed to last that long.

 

[basstard440]

Also check the sway bar links, and bushes. My sway bushes went at 65,000 mi.

 

[tempestv8]

My 2001 D!! SE has 78k, SLS. It sits perfectly level and at the correct ride height according to the specs.The ride is very smooth at all speeds and actually quite nice EXCEPT-when going over railroad tracks or similar perpindicular obstructions there is no give whatsoever! It slams up and jolts (loudly) as if there were no shocks or springs at all. I am afraid of getting airborne. Anyone have thoughts about this? We put it on a lift at the local brake shop and other than the shocks being original, everything seems o.k. Could my SLS be maxing out once I get moving?

It just means that your front springs have sagged to the point where there's not much space between the bump stops and the axle. The smooth ride is due to soft springs, but soft springs eventually sag and this is why you are "crashing" or "bottoming out" over a speed bump.

Fitment of additional weight to the front of the vehicle, e.g. bull bar, winch, or even nudge bar, extra driving lights, 2nd battery, etc. will all contribute to the eventual sagging of the front springs.

You can fix this by fitting a spacer to increase the height of the front suspension, or fitting aftermarket suspension (aka suspension lift) like Old Man Emu. But we very wary of the implication - the front propshaft will fail sooner rather than later due to the increased angle of operation.

 

[dmogie]

Thanks to all of you!
I found a DII being parted out that only had 15k miles on it. The shocks and steering damper were shipped to me along with new-looking lug nuts for $100 (including shipping). It now rides MUCH better, but I think that springs might be next!

 

[tempestv8]

If you want to keep your DII 100% genuine, you can look for a set of front springs for a TD5, which is rated higher than the V8 due to the heavier weight of the iron block of the diesel motor. Could be hard to find TD5 front springs if you are in the USA though, coz the TD5 was not sold into America by LRNA.

Or simply fit some polyurethane spring spacers to the top of your springs. This will give you back some height which was lost when your original springs sagged.