Range rover rear suspension

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Series 2A

Series 2A

Active Member
Posts
132
Location
clevedon,Brizzel, North zumerzet
Hi all i have just been and bought a 1990 range rover vogue se 3.9. The rear suspension seems to be very boaty and unstable when driving. It has coil springs fiited which are after market ones. Does anyone know what it could possibly be. Any help would be great cheers.
 
It's possible that your shocks are weak and not making the best of your new coils. Also it is possible that the wrong coils were fitted on the car. I believe that they are position specific, front right and front left and rear right and rear left. The wrong spring has been put in the wrong place before. Do you know who did the work?
 
Belive it was done before the previous owner bought the rangie. It is bad to the point where your almost losing control. I belive the coils are the same brand as the shocks. I was also told that the axle or something on the axle was changed. While take pic.
 
I agree dampers (shocks) would be a good place to start but would also say check A frame bushes and ball joint and trailing arm bushes too. Has the anti roll bar been removed? I'm pretty sure on a 1990 Vogue SE it should have the anti roll bar - if so check bushes and ball joint links.
 
Series 2A said:
So why would there be no pick up points i thought they where actually part of the axle. How much would this cost to have put right rougly.
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Don't have clue unless someone has removed them. Suppose you could get some and weld them on. Then you need an anti roll bar, 2 rubbers, 2 clamps/bolts and 2 knuckles. Thats if there is anything to bolt it to on the chassis. Classics on coils even with an anti roll bar were not good around corners at the best of times.
 
wammers said:
Classics on coils even with an anti roll bar were not good around corners at the best of times.
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Would have to disagree with that, I've found my Classic (with ARB) handles very well even when pushing on. It feels much more secure than either a P38 or L322 on air both of which I found to wallow in the corners more than a coil sprung Classic. I would say though it will be interesting to compare my '91 on coils against the '93 LSE on air (when I get it finished).

To the OP, the pictures suggest to me that Rangie has been lifted and off roaded so not a total surprise it wallows and jiggles around a bit. According to the info in the notorious Haynes manual, anti roll bars were introduced in December 1990, so yours may not have had them, but then lifting it would make it roll even more in the corners.
 
classic kev said:
Would have to disagree with that, I've found my Classic (with ARB) handles very well even when pushing on. It feels much more secure than either a P38 or L322 on air both of which I found to wallow in the corners more than a coil sprung Classic. I would say though it will be interesting to compare my '91 on coils against the '93 LSE on air (when I get it finished).

To the OP, the pictures suggest to me that Rangie has been lifted and off roaded so not a total surprise it wallows and jiggles around a bit. According to the info in the notorious Haynes manual, anti roll bars were introduced in December 1990, so yours may not have had them, but then lifting it would make it roll even more in the corners.
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Wonder why the police forces were banned from using the early ones for pursuits then? Thought it was because they had an habit of rolling over on corners. Oh yeah I remember now, they did. No classic will handle as well over 50 mph on the roads as a P38 on air sat a motorway height. The L332s are even better than the P38.

To the OP if it has no anti roll bar and it has been lifted be VERY careful on roundabouts or winding country roads.
 
classic kev said:
Would have to disagree with that, I've found my Classic (with ARB) handles very well even when pushing on. It feels much more secure than either a P38 or L322 on air both of which I found to wallow in the corners more than a coil sprung Classic. I would say though it will be interesting to compare my '91 on coils against the '93 LSE on air (when I get it finished).
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Have to disagree, my classic (89 Vogue SE) was two years old and low mileage when I bought it so it was in tip-top condition, it was positively scary round sharp bends - felt like it was going to tip - I can cruise round corners in the P38 at speeds which would have put my classic on its ear. If I need to press on of course the option of sticking the P38 in "highway" height moves potential corners speeds on from a different league to a different universe. Sorry but there's just no comparison.
 
You boys are of course entitled to your opinion but I would say that I agree early Classics were a bit bouncy and a bit of a handful. Later Classics were fitted with different springs and anti-roll bars which had the effect of lowering the car I believe by an inch and then the anti-roll bars stiffened it up but the anti roll bars didn't appear as standard equipment on the Vogue SE until late 1990.

I also suspect the very early Range Rovers had larger diameter tyres (7.50's?) which with the rather tall centre of gravity and no anti-roll bars did make them prone to falling over.

I have no doubt you both favour the air suspension, I don't dislike it but find the feel of my classic is better. Ultimately a P38 has more grip, after all it has wider tyres but I still prefer the feel of the Classic on coils WITH anti roll bars. Cheers.
 
So if the anti roll bar wasnt an original fitment can one be fitted or would heavy duty springs help. The rangie feels like its gunna topple over even on a straight road no corners needed lol. Seems very unbalanced
 
Last edited:
Series 2A said:
So if the anti roll bar wasnt an original fitment can one be fitted or would heavy duty springs help. The rangie feels like its gunna topple over even on a straight road no corners needed lol. Seems very unbalanced
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I don't see why anti roll bars couldn't be retro fitted like Wammers said before but you'd need the chassis mountings put on and the appropriate brackets for the axles. Don't forget you would ideally want to do the front axle as well.

Heavy duty springs might help, police spec springs are I believe a common change, can't remember the part number for those off hand but are widely available for not a lot of money.
 
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