Replacement of Air Strut Assembly: 06 LR3 HSE

[jwest]

And two more questions for any and all takers:

1) Are the rear air struts as much fun as the front to replace??
2) Can the struts be rebuilt, or is it even worth doing, considering the new price of about $300??

Struts ideally do not lose enough air overnight to notice.

If the dash ever says something about it, then it's more than a slow leak. Between that and nothing, it's actually hard to know how slow or at all seeing as they do things that cause the compressor to come on even when perfectly new and no leaks.

Rear are, I think, a little easier though I cannot recall for sure.

So rebuilding is theoretically doable but there is one part that you have to use from the old ones that I have never been able to find new so that I could also have a complete old backup sitting in the garage.

About the "twisting": so you used a dedicated floor jack under the strut bottom right? If you have the angle right, it just sits there so that part should be easy enough. Then you should also be able to freely rotate the strut as needed because at this point, it shouldn't be attached to anything. ( you had whole front end off the ground right, 2 jacks stands under engine sub-frame or sliders just behind front wheels?)

Where do you live? I'm in NC right now. If you consider rear struts, you should also consider just doing everything like the sway bar bushings, end links, toe, maybe even both upper and lower control arms....

 

[djatkinson]

jwest,

Your insights on air strut/compressor behavior are interesting! As I stated earlier, my whole reason for changing this air strut was because of the compressor activating more than I remember from earlier days, in addition to my Rover tech telling me that it will need changing soon. I never got a dash warning light, or a constantly lowered corner, as I did before having the front right strut replaced. At this point, I'm wondering!
Oh, well...at 177,000+ miles, it'll need it soon anyway, right?!?! That's why I'm also wondering about the rear air struts...
*An interesting aside--my Rover tech has a 2005 LR3; he replaced his air struts with coils. I'm just not willing to do that. He's a bit more of a hard-core off-roader than most, and keeps another Rover (Defender?) for really serious off-roading.*

I doubt I'll be rebuilding any struts, since the proper parts aren't available. We'll see..

You mentioned getting the angle of the strut a certain way to get access to the air line inlet. I had the whole front end lifted at the time, right behind the front wheels. It seemed like I was unable to get the bottom of the strut through the middle opening in the lower control arm at the right angle/fit to drop the strut through, supporting it with the jack, thus allowing enough room to get my hands to it, and be able to see it. In addition, the line was bent at a right angle, making it difficult to both straighten the fitting out, and try to line it up to the threads in the strut. I guess you'd have to see it to believe it...

I just updated my info to include my location-Grapevine, TX, NW corner of DFW airport. If you're ever flying through here and have to stop for awhile, let me know. I'll haul you out to a nice little brewery here in town!!!

Dan

 

[Houm_WA]

How does your Rover tech know that they will need replacing soon?

This has been a question of mine for a long time....I have replaced both fronts but my rears seem good. Feels like new; I have 128,000 on the clock. How can a person tell when the rears need to be replaced???

Fronts are easy to diag, if the upper control arms smack the aluminum body, it's time to change it. ...but the rears? Tougher....and they take less load; I have to think they last a lot longer. Anyone have insight?

Also, I am not an advocate for the coil conversion if you intend to take the LR3 off-road. Just my opinion but I feel like you lose too much in the trade (in terms of capability) and this topic has been debated ad nauseum.

 

[djatkinson]

Houm-WA,

You ask how my tech knows? I don't know; I guess I should have asked! I know that they have sophisticated and very expensive diagnostic tools that have the blessing of the mother ship in the UK. Is it possible to use such tools to diagnose failing air struts?
I'm with you on keeping the air struts. The service manager at the place where I've had work done is also an admirer of the air struts, explaining to me how the ride is so much better while off-roading. My tech didn't really explain why he prefers coils; maybe he just doesn't want to work on his own truck any more than he has to!!

 

[jwest]

Houm-WA,

You ask how my tech knows? I don't know; I guess I should have asked! I know that they have sophisticated and very expensive diagnostic tools that have the blessing of the mother ship in the UK. Is it possible to use such tools to diagnose failing air struts?
I'm with you on keeping the air struts. The service manager at the place where I've had work done is also an admirer of the air struts, explaining to me how the ride is so much better while off-roading. My tech didn't really explain why he prefers coils; maybe he just doesn't want to work on his own truck any more than he has to!!

I'd bet a case of microbrew he simply doesn't want to worry/deal with the air struts. The coil deal actually reduces maximum clearances and also reduces articulations. It becomes a stiffer car-like event off road IMO. They're not terrible, but the cross linked air is engineered to seriously diagonally articulate. It's kind of awesome. Go look at my recent few posts in "show off lr3". There are a few with 34" stuffed up in.

 

[jwest]

 

[jwest]

 

[djatkinson]

jwest,

The images you show make a great case for EAS!.
It looks like your Rover is well-equipped for the trails. I'd like to get there some day.
I see that it is 'expedition modified'. Could you list what all that entails???

The N. TX Rover club puts on an event in E. TX in April, for off-roading. If you're out in this area, you might want to join us...

 

[Houm_WA]

Yeah, dj said his tech has a Defender for wheelin so probably went coil just to make it less expensive to maintain. I get that...I wouldn't do it, but I get it.

Jwest what trail is that? Just Tahuya?

 

[jwest]

Yeah, dj said his tech has a Defender for wheelin so probably went coil just to make it less expensive to maintain. I get that...I wouldn't do it, but I get it.

Jwest what trail is that? Just Tahuya?

tahuya didn't have anything like that as i recall but the dry photos are Naches just after historic sign and the muddy ones are after getting through a black rated Evans Creek.

The wet photo is pre-strut spacer and the dry is post spacer.

The far east end of Naches has some fairly rocky sections. The worst rocks I went through down there were at Elbe ORV park though.

I'm not usually into just screwing around somewhere unless it's to test something out but the Naches is cool because you connect through to another area and the scenery is fun.