New defender axle and suspension

K14 said:

Ahh the old motocross bike comparison, good point

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It is a good point. And the point is that different vehicles are more useful in different circumstances.
If you want to travel through a forest with closely spaced trees, a motocross bike will get you there, a Defender won't.
If you want to go though a swamp, an Argocat is going to be best.
And as you only want to drive on the road, and a bit of weekend laneing, it doesn't really matter at all, almost any vehicle can do that.

Turboman said:

It is a good point. And the point is that different vehicles are more useful in different circumstances.
If you want to travel through a forest with closely spaced trees, a motocross bike will get you there, a Defender won't.
If you want to go though a swamp, an Argocat is going to be best.
And as you only want to drive on the road, and a bit of weekend laneing, it doesn't really matter at all, almost any vehicle can do that.

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The discussion is about Land Rover defenders

Stanleysteamer said:

Doesn't a new Defender "air-down" at the touch of a button and then reinflate at the touch of another?

I thought it had pooters on it to do everything?

If not, it really is sheee1te!

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good point and don’t know if it makes a lot of difference but in my D3 i have a cross articulation setting in the terrain response system where its supposed to act like a live beam where as one wheel goes up it will push the other wheel down

think the ND will have the terrian response 2 system and I think around 11.5” ground clearance

have heard the new FFRR has an auto terrain response system for off roading where it uses cameras to automatically adjust the settings for the driver

I would hazard a guess the two different cars on the same tyres would show the newer model wins hand down.

lynall said:

I would hazard a guess the two different cars on the same tyres would show the newer model wins hand down.

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have to agree particular with terrain response system

gstuart said:

good point and don’t know if it makes a lot of difference but in my D3 i have a cross articulation setting in the terrain response system where its supposed to act like a live beam where as one wheel goes up it will push the other wheel down

think the ND will have the terrian response 2 system and I think around 11.5” ground clearance

have heard the new FFRR has an auto terrain response system for off roading where it uses cameras to automatically adjust the settings for the driver

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Airing down is not to be underestimated. I have seen a two wheel drive Allard removed from a very muddy field where it had got stuck in Devon by doing just this.

Also the sad tale of a couple in Australia going into the bush who got their 4x4 stuck in some sand. They couldn't sort it, so the wimmins set off on foot to get help taking most of the water while the blokey stayed with the vehicle. Can't remember how but some other peeps found the blokey. The wimmins meanwhile died of the heat/sunstroke/ dehydration. When the mech came out to recover the vehicle he simply aired the tyres down a bit then drove it right out.

lynall said:

I would hazard a guess the two different cars on the same tyres would show the newer model wins hand down.

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hi mate

did u ever see this mate as found it very interesting

gstuart said:

hi mate

did u ever see this mate as found it very interesting

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Sorry but can you really call either of those Landies "old" ?!

Def 90/110 or Series, now THAT is old!!

Stanleysteamer said:

Airing down is not to be underestimated. I have seen a two wheel drive Allard removed from a very muddy field where it had got stuck in Devon by doing just this.

Also the sad tale of a couple in Australia going into the bush who got their 4x4 stuck in some sand. They couldn't sort it, so the wimmins set off on foot to get help taking most of the water while the blokey stayed with the vehicle. Can't remember how but some other peeps found the blokey. The wimmins meanwhile died of the heat/sunstroke/ dehydration. When the mech came out to recover the vehicle he simply aired the tyres down a bit then drove it right out.

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plus 1 and must confess didn’t learn that when I first started driving off road until another more experienced driver taught me on airing down

how very sad and think if read about that a while back

was also taught using a strop around a tyre like a winch can be useful

Stanleysteamer said:

Sorry but can you really call either of those Landies "old" ?!

Def 90/110 or Series, now THAT is old!!

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sorry mate I went of track as usual, lol , just a video that I saw and on the off chance if it was of interest as @lynall and I both have D3‘s

talking of older landies useto adore my old series 3 safari , done everything I asked of it and more , was superb on holidays with tons of room and never let me down

@Stanleysteamer , saw this a while back with a more detailed review about the new defender, had an older 1994 defender

but know what u mean with regards to some videos saying old when there’s the 2A / S3 etc

gstuart said:

sorry mate I went of track as usual, lol , just a video that I saw and on the off chance if it was of interest as @lynall and I both have D3‘s

talking of older landies useto adore my old series 3 safari , done everything I asked of it and more , was superb on holidays with tons of room and never let me down

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I learned off road driving in deep mud and on a steep hill in an ex-gasboard V8 110. It could go up a hill that you couldn't even stand up on. Amazing!

Stanleysteamer said:

I learned off road driving in deep mud and on a steep hill in an ex-gasboard V8 110. It could go up a hill that you couldn't even stand up on. Amazing!

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funny u saying that I bought an old water board 110 that still had the shutters on the back, couldn't believe the weight of the shutters when I fitted an ordinary hardtop with windows

chassis was in immaculate condition with not a trace of rust , they had coated the chassis with what smelt like old diesel

bet that was fun to drive particularly being a V8 and glad u wasn’t paying to fill it up, lol

did u ever have a landy with the old tyres that useto be very noisy plse , for the life of me I can’t remember the name , found out how bad they were as I slide through a hedge and into a field with snow on the road , think they were 7.50 x 15 ?

These looked very similar to the tyres that were fitted on many of my older landies , were so noisy and terrible in the rain and snow, soon got them changed , thinking about it I wonder if they were Avon’s

@Stanleysteamer , how about this my friend seeing it’s got a 6.7 litre engine fitted , u might faint with the price tag, lol

Anaconda said:

Surely a stock New Defender with air suspension is better off road than an original Defender.

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Probably not. But it depends on what exactly you are using it for.

K14 said:

several times I’ve driven down a rutted lane that a new defender would not have the ground clearance to negotiate.

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I don't believe you. Do you have any pictures of said lanes?

johnlad said:

Your 4 wheel drive in stock form only drives one wheel on each axle with the diff lock on, without diff lock you drive one wheel on one axle, and with open diffs it’s the wheels with least grip.

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Yet the old Defender has been offered with traction control since 1998.... so hardly a new thing ffs

Not too mention upgrading the diff centre on a traditional Defender is easy and fairly cheap.