Thread: I've got a boat on wheels!

Sounds like you want swaybars and new shocks.

Yep new shocks and sway-bars should sought it out
We had a similar problem with the county in reguards to having to constently correct it while driving at around 80-100km/h, turned out to be the nut that holds the drob arm to the bottam of the steering box had come loose

CHEERS TIM.

Like the others have said swaybars would help, I removed the swaybars from my 110, it has a fair bit of body roll now but its stll managable - if i had left them i would never have been able to get the ammount of wheel travel i have now.

You may also want to check out all the bushes in the suspension and the pitman arm is tight as long stroke said. Mine had the same issue with a loose pitman arm when i first picked it up the drive home down the freeway was interesting! it makes it extremely hard to drive on road with any speed. Worn suspension bushes will cause a fair bit of wandering and vague steering depending whats worn, but until you get under it and have a look theres no way to say what its problem is for sure.

It's yours... if you've driven almost any other "real 4WD" the Rangie handles like a dream in comparision. Caveat goes here... air suspension models tend to have a bit more movement/roll than coils (depending on air-springs and shocks used... yet another caveat) but you're never in any real danger of them flipping over... the squealing/lifting wheels will tell you long before the body will actually go.

One or more components in your suspension is shot. You have two "real" choices:

1. identify the faulty components, fix it/them and enjoy the Rangie as one of the best 4wd's ever made (of course I believe it is the best, but I haven't driven every other 4wd ever made so don't presume to know for sure )
2. give up on it, sell it, get a "normal" 4wd and forever whinge about how bad the bl**dy Rangies are... 'Cruiser and Patrol drivers will just nod in blissful ignorance.

Personally, I hope you choose option 1 and enjoy your Rangie for a long time. Once you get it running right, you won't want to drive any other 4WD.

BTW: I work with a guy who once had a Series 3 LR and now drives a Patrol, and reckons that Patrols are so much better than Landies. I've invited him to drive my P38A Rangie but so far he hasn't had the time... funny that... I've driven Patrols and they ain't no Rangie.

Funny Aside: I was chatting with a Disco 3 driver at a meeting one day and this same Patrol driver says "I like my Patrol, it's good for towing".
Disco 3 driver says "yeah, I've towed a few of them"

Cheers, Paul.

Originally Posted by richzx

It was slightly better off road on the gravel but I was going slower and coming down the mountain it felt like the back end wanted to overtake the front. Any help would be appreciated to sort this out, or if this is all normal it will definitely be for sale!

If this is a classic Rangie you might want to check the condition of the ball joint on the A frame on the rear suspension. If that is worn you will get all sorts of steering problems which feel like the back of the car is steering the front.

Willem

Like the others have said, get the suspension bushes, balljoints and dampers in good condition and a Classic Rangie will outhandle many newer 4WDs on the market.

My 10/87 build Classic doesn't have swaybars and is running standard rubber bushes. Appropriate springs and dampers make all the difference. I am using Bilstein dampers at the moment.

We fitted Bilstein shocks to our county a little while ago, they transformed its on and off road handling and comfort
Just before we fitted them we took the rear-swaybar off and were abit worried it was going to be a bit rolly, but once the bilsteins were on it sway's less then it did with a swaybar fitted

CHEER TIM.

The RR is a tall vehicle, and not particularly light, so it is never going to go fast around sharp corners without some body roll.

Sounds like things need attention somewhere, but even an a perfectly set up RR you have to be modest as to what you can expect.

If you want to go fast around corners you need to get yourself something light and low as a weekend sports-car.

But get that RR off road, and that beautiful soft suspension will really shine.