Bump Steer for better or worse

Hi All,
I have found 'answers' to the following on Australian forums, but not here: I have an '04 V8 D2 that steers like nearly all 'live-axle' Land Rovers and has elements of 'bump-steer'. That is the sensation many of us know when on an undulating surface and the front picks up the undulations and some slight steering correction is needed to avoid the weeds. It has been a feature of most of the Land Rovers I have owned - my last P38 was worse when I replaced the 18" wheels with 20's, though my first P38 was on 16's and didn't do it at all. Similarly, I had a 300Tdi D1 which tracked straight and true at all times, despite a 2" lift. Tyre pressures make a difference too. Obviously the D3 I had didn't do it at all (independent suspension) and the worst ever was a fantastic V8 D1 with 4" lift and mud tyres etc... So back to the present: my current D2 was completely standard underneath when I bought it 6 months ago and I have since fitted +50mm HD springs on the rear though the matching set for the front were too high, so I am running standard TD5 springs which have lifted the V8 about 35mm. The lift caused more bump-steer so I've added a terrafirma steering damper which has brought the feel back to standard, but that isn't perfect by any means. The bushes etc look okay under there, as do all the joints and knuckles. Any ideas? :whoosh:
Cheers, HTB

front bump steer is down to panard/steering rods

That's a completely new idea to me, and one I will explore it as no-one else seems to have a definitive answer... The aussies are keen on castor correction, others cite the angle of some steering knuckle components... The only other thing I have picked up is that they changed the panhard rod length in '02 to make the steering sharper. Perhaps I need to fit an older one to make it less lively... Ta for your input, and a new perspective.

Sir, you are a Genius. And so is Ed A Stevens. Many thanks, and now, what to do about it... :bump2: lol.

Hi if you are referring to the problem of it wanting to go its own way or wandering I have had similar problems with my disco td5 with 18 inch rims l have had the landy for 7 years in all that time I was never completely happy on the motorway it always tended to follow the tram lines a little bit but last year it got so bad that when I was towing my caravan it was throwing me from the inside lane to the middle lane. that was the last straw decided I had to do something about it although I love my disco if it could not be sorted out it would have to go. I had all the bushes checked and replaced even if they were even slightly suspect had the steering box checked and adjusted and new steering damper all this made it a little better but not much. as a last resort I had new tyres fitted I could not believe the difference it is better than it has ever been it now drives like any normal car I have fallen in love all over again. In the past I have always had Pirelli scorpion fitted as they were the tyres fitted as standard this time I had general grabbers at fitted a little bit nosier but it handles completely different tom

d2tom said:

In the past I have always had Pirelli scorpion fitted as they were the tyres fitted as standard this time I had general grabbers at fitted a little bit nosier but it handles completely different tom

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+1 on the grabbers - had the same tramlining problems, and the grabbers fixed it