Smarticus
Member Since: 01 Jan 2005
Location: Northumberland
Posts: 655
 
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| Is it getting softer as it gets older ? |
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No its not my body's "componets" or age I am talking about here, but the D3's suspension.
It feels to me that now we are well over 40,000 miles the car is definitely getting a whole lot less sharp on road holding and wallows a bit more on corners. When the D3 was younger and I got a RRS as well, I felt the 2 vehicles had similar road holding characteristics. Sure the RRS was a bit sharper and a bit less lean, but only a bit. Now though I have to be very careful when I jump in the D3 after driving the RRS, as the D3 needs a significantly greater level of thought in setting up for a corner and ensuring the speed isn't too high.
This could be my imagination, or it could be the enhancement program changing suspension settings, or it could be wear and tear on the tyres and suspension / chassis components. For my money I think its largely the latter.
The tyres are pretty newish so that should not be the cause (although with very nearly new Scorpions on the front courtesy of Landrover, and half worn Wranglers on the back, maybe there is a case to answer there). My previous D2's and D1's all suffered from a significant deterioration in road holding over their lives as suspension components (springs, dampers and bushes) wore out. I once replaced these components on my D1 and the transformation was stunning. You don't realise how a vehicle is wearing out its components as this happens slowley.
I guess a car this heavy is putting such enormous strain on these components that we shouldn't be surprised. But then again, perhaps air suspension should stay as firm at the end of its life as at the begining.
Anyone else recognise these symptoms or able to offer and explanation or fix  Disco 4 TDV6HSE
Defender 200TDi CSW
RR Evoque
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 9th Sep 2006 1:15 pm |
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d3matt
Member Since: 03 Aug 2005
Location: South Oxfordshire
Posts: 1485
  
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Latest enhancements for the D3 make the suspension a whole lot firmer - a little too firm for my liking, but it doesn't better. Matt
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| 9th Sep 2006 1:34 pm |
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Slimer
Site Moderator
Member Since: 06 Jan 2005
Location: Last Exit to Nowhere
Posts: 16295
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VEP made no difference to my suspension set-up at all as far as I can tell The End
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| 9th Sep 2006 1:37 pm |
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DG
Site Moderator
Member Since: 12 Dec 2005
Location: The Gaff
Posts: 50934
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I drove AndrewS's 60 'odd' k miles and it felt just as sharp as my 10k miles  21 year LR veteran > D2 GS 2003 > D3 S 2006 > D3 HSE 2009 > D4 HSE 2013 > D4 HSE 2015 > D5 HSE 2018 > DS HSE R-Dynamic P300e 2021
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| 9th Sep 2006 3:17 pm |
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lee01277
Member Since: 06 May 2005
Location: Shed
Posts: 821
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Just back in mine ( it had a 25 day holiday at the dealers .. stack of warrenty work). The loan car was a brand new D3 with 300 miles on the clock (Somewhat more than that when it went back)
The loan car was a like putting on a new pair of expensive shoes, and getting back into mine was the old slippers again. Loads of squeeks, rattles, and alot more engine noise that I remember, and more than the loan car by far..
Mine has only done 32k miles in 16 months, and I have to say comparing new for old, I'm not sure I'll be wanting to keep it much past the 3 years 
Both were S's.. Is the new build that much better than the 05 build ? ..............Somewhere in-between my old D3 and what's to come next .........
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| 9th Sep 2006 7:12 pm |
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