RR Classic Faulty suspension

Abit odd for me posting in this section I know but a friend of mine who owns a near standard RR classic 3.9V8 is having problems with his suspension. It has 3 different ride settings or so Im told and it is stuck on the lowest one which im told is for getting in and out of the vehicle.

Is this a common problem? Can it be fixed easily?

He is also contemplating switching over to springs as it is a tourer/camper and it carry's all his necessary kit.

Thanks

J

It is a common problem and is generally the compressor pump which is manufactured to a low quality, and breaks up internally. This causes two issues; one being it will not work at all; or it will work and will only deliver a tiny quantity of air at too low a pressure and volume to work.

The obvious solution is to replace the item, but at a cost exceeding £300 it is expensive, but a good secondhand unit will easily be found for around £50 from a specialist breaker, tested, and in good order.

To diagnose the problem: access the wiring to the pump and using a multimeter test for voltage reaching the pump, if it has voltage then its moct likely the compressor pump which is faulty, if there is no voltage it is an electrical fault. With no voltage at the pump you can run two temporary wires to power it, start the engine and power the pump and see if the suspension rises.

NEVER DRIVE THE VEHICLE WITH THE AIR SUSPENSION DEFLATED AS THIS WILL CAUSE SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO THE SYSTEM.

Thanks. Ill pass along the message and we will go from there.

TJ

Thank you for share. It is a information useful and interesting.

Vietnam tour

Rip it out and put proper springs in place!

Your friend's Rangie is something like a 1995 last of the line Range Rover Classic know as a 'soft dash' version, as it had a passenger-friendy soft dash (surprise surprise). Like the man said, the compressor was rubbish hence the constant problems.

The solution - yes you could buy a secondhand compressor if you wanted to keep the motor original, but knowing it would go wrong again at some point, I reckon maadmaan's subtle suggestion is a whole lot better. Go for a basic spring conversion kit at £89.36 (excl. VAT at 20%) + p&p

Bear in mind these kits vary wildly in price from £90 - £250. Had a quick look, best price I found is listed below ...

www.mailorder4x4.com/acatalog/Range_Rover_Air_Springs.html

Not too sure as I've never actually converted one myself, but you may also need shock absorbers. I would certainly ask before buying a kit as it may not be too much more buying a kit with shocks - if they are requied at all of course.

I'd wait before ripping it all out. I actually put air back on my d2 after the previous owner put cheapo springs on it and ruined the ride. Not sure on the rr classic system but the one on the d2 is simple. Compressor and valve unit, air bags and a couple of height sensors. Not rocket science. Air bags have been used on hgv;s for 20+ years and with good reason. Far superior ride quality and less noise. I spacered mine for a standard +2 inch lift, then i also have the option of another 2" if i press the offroad mode and theres a futher extended mode if the car senses its stuck. I was able to reprogramme the height with nanocom and its a dream to tow a 3.5 ton loaded up trailer and be self levelling. Granted in the middle of nowhere it is more complicated than springs but springs also sag over time. Airbags can be swapped in a matter of mins and are held in by 2 clips, plus you can buy a valve to put on the inlet pipe so you can manually inflate the bag in an emergency.a deflated bag carried as a spare would be no weight and hardly any room if you were worried. They are servicable items though and 2-3 years is generally regarded as their life before they get porous. Problem is people live with the suspension dropping over night and the little compressor works overtime to keep the bags inflated and eventually dies. If you notice a leak get it sorted asap otherwise you will kill the compressor in very short time. A classic rangey on air suspension is a class ride, dont ruin it by rushing to coils.

Good input, nice to hear an alternative view.

Cheers Tom, i can understand some peoples reluctance but its not that scary. I am afraid the days of carbs and no synchro on the gears are long gone and we wont be returning there. Modern mechanics (fitters) are more at home with a laptop that a torque wrench and i dont see us returning to the good ole days any time soon. Not saying its better though and its part of the reason all my cars are over 10 yrs old. They have just enough electrics to make them modern and few enough to mean i can work on them easily. Must admit i miss the simplicity of my old td 90, touch the starter to the battery and apart from the fuel solenoid it would run quite happily without electrics at all. I'm not sure the modern disposable car is progress in the greater scheme of things.

I'm affraid that's the way of the world, it truly is a 'throwaway society'. Although components are more reliable when new these days (well, that's the theory anyway) it seems that longevity doesn't come into the equation.

Nor do they want us to work on our motors at home. We all know this, but can do naff all to stop the march of 'progress'.

As I've said many times before, I'm glad I have grown up in my particular era, for at least I've experienced empty roads on a Sunday, no speed cameras, no speed humps, motorways that don't have two lanes of lorries in the middle of the night (for younger members of the forum, these are now known as 'trucks'), V8's!!! etc.

jellybenitez wrote:

I'd wait before ripping it all out. I actually put air back on my d2 after the previous owner put cheapo springs on it and ruined the ride. Not sure on the rr classic system but the one on the d2 is simple. Compressor and valve unit, air bags and a couple of height sensors. Not rocket science. Air bags have been used on hgv;s for 20+ years and with good reason. Far superior ride quality and less noise. I spacered mine for a standard +2 inch lift, then i also have the option of another 2" if i press the offroad mode and theres a futher extended mode if the car senses its stuck. I was able to reprogramme the height with nanocom and its a dream to tow a 3.5 ton loaded up trailer and be self levelling. Granted in the middle of nowhere it is more complicated than springs but springs also sag over time. Airbags can be swapped in a matter of mins and are held in by 2 clips, plus you can buy a valve to put on the inlet pipe so you can manually inflate the bag in an emergency.a deflated bag carried as a spare would be no weight and hardly any room if you were worried. They are servicable items though and 2-3 years is generally regarded as their life before they get porous. Problem is people live with the suspension dropping over night and the little compressor works overtime to keep the bags inflated and eventually dies. If you notice a leak get it sorted asap otherwise you will kill the compressor in very short time. A classic rangey on air suspension is a class ride, dont ruin it by rushing to coils.

Can't argue with any of that - good advice/input.

Difficult one this, a friend of mine has a RR classic and has converted it to coil springs he uses it pretty much exclusively on Salisbury Plain as a toy and a lead vehicle on trips he organises and it works very well for him.

I would imagine on the road the comfort could be compromised though, on longer trips both on and off road the air suspension would more than likely be a better bet.

It's horses for courses I suppose, like most thing in life it's always a compromise.