highway ride - help

[calibre]

OK - so the shop replaced the front lower control arms, and then they took it to an alignment guy. Apparently the alignment guy couldn't complete the job, because at some point the suspension faults came on and the truck dropped to the bumpstops. The alignment guy then had to wait for the LRIndy shop to reset the computer.

The LRIndy guy said that this can happen after replacing the lower control arms, until the alignment is corrected (steering angles, or something). Does this sound right? Or is there something else going on here?

 

[calibre]

So - front end done. Seems quiet and tight up front - solved the knocking. But, didn't solve the swaying/bouncing in the rear at high speeds. I guess I start debugging that end of the truck tomorrow.

For anyone in northern Utah, there's a great place in North Salt Lake that works on Land Rovers. They pulled the headliner down and fixed a major rattle, and took care of the sunroof drains as a courtesy!

 

[calibre]

If it is not sinking on the soft corner overnight I would not suspect the bag to be bad. There is a shock in there also so if it is bad then I think the entire unit would need replacement.

Modified rods can cause a temperary fault in extreme articulation but so can an senor going bad. They can also not react to the driving condition which might leave one corner feeling spungy. If it was out of calibration or bad leaving one bag less inflated you would notice that corner sitting lower even at a stand still.

It is not as simple as just replacing the sensor as it also has to be calibrated to match the other 3 heights with a diganostic computer. Otherwise you will probably have one corner off from the others.

Are sensors actively managing the airbag at high speeds, and making very quick adjustments to air pressure as the LR3 goes over a bump on the freeway at 80 mph? Is this true?

If so, has anyone else had a "spungy" corner at highway speeds due to a height sensor going bad?

 

[calibre]

Please help. I'm sick of throwing money at this thing.

Here's where I am at. New front lower control arms. New sway bar bushings front and rear. All 4 corners have a new air bag/shock assembly. 4 wheel alignment done twice. According to 2 shops, all other ball joints, bushings seem OK.

It still has a spongy / bouncy ride at high speeds (75 mph and above). Seems to bounce front and back, left and right over bumps. It is not a tracking issue. The steering wheel stays straight, and does not ****. It just seems to get "unsettled" when driving straight over bumps. If I am taking a high speed turn on the freeway, and hit a bump, it stays tight. But, hitting a bump driving straight unsettles it.

I'm left wondering if it is: a) crappy, old tires b) height sensor issues c) cross-link air suspension

PLEASE? Ideas?

 

[calibre]

Finally.

After 6 months or so of chasing this. I figured it out.

I put 4 new Pirelli Scorpion ATRs on, and the ride changed DRAMATICALLY. It is now tight, with no bounce or "spongy-ness". MAJOR improvement. The tires that were replaced still had plenty of tread, but something must have been terribly wrong with them. I'm not sure how old or how many miles were on them, but they were the 'good-for-a-years', and they apparently are the worst tires ever.

After throwing the new tires on, I headed down to Moab for a little Hell's Revenge. It was the best trip ever, and the tires are EXCELLENT! Highly recommended. Side note - has anyone done 'tip over challenge' down in Moab? I couldn't get the right line...

So there you have it.

Now, what should I do with 4 perfectly fine airbag/shock units? Ideas? Are they worth anything to anybody?

 

[ryan-in-oregon]

Where are you located and how much might you want for them? I may be interest as spares for the trail!

 

[calibre]

I am in Salt Lake City, UT. I would think $150 for each unit is reasonable, given that they are $400+ new?