Freelander 1 About to tackle brakes and shocks

Hello,

I'm about to replace brakes and shocks on my 2002 Freelander. I've done the brakes before but the shocks might be a bit of a stretch for me; not especially apprehensive even so but any advice would be welcome.

What else might I service or replace as well while I'm in there?

The right front assembly squeaks ever since the body shop replaced it following a minor accident a few years ago and I figure this'll be the time to get rid of the squeak. Where is this noise most likely to be coming from? I've got a nice exploded view of the front suspension to post if I just knew how to do it.

Thanks in advance.

the squeaking front after an accident is a worry and it should have gone straight back to the work shop,if its only a few years old question is ..why does it need replacing . also i presume they replaced both sides same time as its not good idea to replace one side with brand new suspension leaving opp side worn..dep on mileage
Think maybe take it into a garage where it can all be set up professionally and maybe be jig checked and re tracked,

Thanks jjtech56, quite right about it needing to be taken back right away, I regret not doing it.

Didn't mean to suggest it needs replacing now if that's what you're saying, it's just that it squeaks and I thought I'd be able to service the bushings or other moving parts while I've got the thing opened up. It needed replacing after the accident because the lip of the road pulled the right front wheel into a ditch and the forward momentum (at low speed) pushed the front wheel into the wheel well. I was convinced at the time that everything that needed replacing did get replaced, as there were parts on the other side that were replaced, but it's been a while and I can't say what they were. Tire for sure and I'm thinking the shock was too, but probably no more.

I've had the alignment done at least twice since then when mounting new tires and it's checked out each time. Sorry, what do you mean by "jig checked", unfamiliar with the term. Might be something to look into.

After an accident and from what you say a reasonable force one, any work where suspension is involved should mean the car is put on a machine that digitally measures all the parameters of where the chassis , suspension and makes sure they all fall in manufactures spec, its loosely called jigging and is essential to maintain correctness, a good sign is Tyre wear ..if front tyres wear even its good sign all is okay

The shocks are pretty sturdy items. However they can be bent at the bottom, just above the mounting in the hub carrier. A few years back, my wife managed to mount an 18" high loose lay stone wall. This bent the track rod to a banana shape, bent the alloy and bent the bottom of the strut. The lower arm looked ok but was replaced as a precaution. The body suffered no distortion at all, remaining within factory tolerance. I was stunned at just how robust the Freelander's body is, considering how hard the impact with the wall was. The vehicle ploughed the stones into a sort of ramp shape, driving 20 ft along the top of the wall, before dropping off the other end.

When changing shocks, you need to use a spring compressor to clamp the springs. This is important if you want to prevent the whole assembly becoming an unguided a missile.

To the best of my recollection, after repairs the car fully checked out and it's driven well ever since apart from the squeak. Once I do get the shocks replaced I had planned having the alignment redone and tires rotated if judged necessary; won't hurt to have them take a good close look bearing in mind the history. Thanks for bringing that up.

Noted for the spring compressor, it's on my list.

When rotating wheels, make sure you put the largest diameter on the back

Didn't know that. In fact I would have thought the opposite to be true -- since the wear is faster on the front, I'd have thought more rubber up front.

you really need all 4 tyres identical, never replace just one least do them in pairs put the newest on the back i think is correct, def dont use diff diameters any where

True that. I did replace all four at once a little while back but I neglected to rotate the tires in a timely manner and ended up putting new front tires on and leaving the rear ones. By now it's probably time to rotate so I'm going to have the garage look at that when I go in for the alignment.

The Freelander is a strange beast when it comes to tyres. All 4 must be the same make and model and size. The fronts wear out faster but the least worn must go on to front. So when new tyres are fitted, these must go on the back and the partially worn rears must be moved to the front. Like I said above, the new tyres must be exactly the same tyres those you will be removing from the rear and fitting on the front. It's important to deal with tyres this way or the transmission system will be damaged, costing big money to replace.

Point taken. Let's hope I haven't waited too long a second time to rotate. Don't think I have, but that's what I thought last time too...