Thread: Softer luxury ride,- coils or air-springs ?

One important point commonly overlooked for EAS is shocks. The shock for an Air Spring is vastly different to that suited for Coil. The valving in the (air spring) shock is set up to provide little resistance during compression and very high resistance during expansion. If you are using a coil rated shock with EAS it will be horrible.

Never thought of that... just went to my local Rovacraft and bought "normal" oil-filled dampers to suit my Vogue SE / EAS

Michelin, if the Vogue was a test-bed for the P38, then I don't think they learned much! - Had a Rover dealer tell me bluntly that the P38 was a heap of unreliable $%*# - made worse by the fact that they drive sooo nicely...

Apart from the hard ride, I'm quickly getting over the morning-massage from the air pump vibrating through the car, - and the rubber mounts are not that hard.

Pump seems to spend a lot of time intermittantly running on start-up and for the next 5 or so minutes, then settles down. Without measuring it exactly, times feel as though its getting close to its 20% rating.

No doubt some subtle air-leaks that my ultrasonic detector is not picking up...

James in Perth

what about the other way around, I did the coil conversion but left the bilstein shocks on, it's unregistered so I haven't tested out yet. I have my eye on those adjustable Rancho shocks

Originally Posted by superquag

Never thought of that... just went to my local Rovacraft and bought "normal" oil-filled dampers to suit my Vogue SE / EAS

Michelin, if the Vogue was a test-bed for the P38, then I don't think they learned much! - Had a Rover dealer tell me bluntly that the P38 was a heap of unreliable $%*# - made worse by the fact that they drive sooo nicely...

Apart from the hard ride, I'm quickly getting over the morning-massage from the air pump vibrating through the car, - and the rubber mounts are not that hard.

Pump seems to spend a lot of time intermittantly running on start-up and for the next 5 or so minutes, then settles down. Without measuring it exactly, times feel as though its getting close to its 20% rating.

No doubt some subtle air-leaks that my ultrasonic detector is not picking up...

James in Perth

Yep, this is a common issue and a quirk in the design...it does not mean you necessarily have a leak...

I'm starting to think I went about things back to front.

Maybe should have stopped at fixing the compressor, then done the coil spring conversion... Normal length & soft riding etc.

THEN, if I really wanted the benefits of the EAS, - to then add those little blue airbags inside the springs, with the added benefit of running on much less pressure for the same lifting results... Naturally, I'd sacrifice the lower LOAD height setting, and would need to re-set the rest of the EAS height levels.

Just a thought for future reference.

I've decided that this is the way for me if/when the EAS packs up catastrophically... I've overspent on the suspension anyway. And using those bags inside the springs opens up new possibilities such as cross-linking front and rear pairs or same-side front to rear...

In the mean time, am slowly getting used to the Quirks...

- Now the driver's seat back has 'failed to move more upright'.

It never ends...

James in Perth

Gday James iam in perth with a newly aquired 94 softdash got to catch up 0409299429

You poor Soul... :-)

The Affliction is terminal, at least for your wallet...

For example... see pic,

one weighs 16 tonnes and drinks diesel at 2.5 km/litre and carries 49 pax,

the other guzzles petrol at around 5km/litre for only FIVE passengers...

Both have windows that don't work so well.... and both take several minutes for the air to sort itself out !

I drive both, and prefer the ride in the Volvo,

Cheers,
James in Perth