Thread: Discovery suspension "down grade"?

Last month I was called in to "finish off" a coil spring conversion on a D3, the owner had a gut full of air suspension faults, and finally when an airbag popped he got a suspension shop to fit coils, my job was "turn off the air suspension faults in the dash".

As there were coil sprung D3's from the factory it was just a matter of a CCF change, however... the factory coil sprung D3's didn't have the Terrain Response system, so those also had to be turned off.

Here you can see an original gear shift surround from a coil sprung model.



Looks like that Rimmer Bros kit uses some sort of emulator to fool the car into thinking the airbags are still there, I wonder if the Terrain Response is still functional with this kit.

The box may include a CANBUS module that sends and responds appropriately instead of the suspension module which would be keep isolated or at least trap messages indicating a suspension system fault.

I think the point that D3/D4s are getting up in age is important to considering issues such as reliability and future use. My old D2 was a family tow/taxi for years until I decided it was of age to go off road more seriously. So I pumped cash into mods..it was not worth much retail anyway.

One day I might do the same for the D4..and like other 4x4s suspension mods will be a consideration.

So there's nothing surprising or shocking about parts wearing out or requiring mods to improve reliability/durability to suit intended use!

Originally Posted by scarry

As my Indie tech said,they are now getting numerous early D4's starting to come in with EAS issues,and most D3/4 over 9 to 10yrs old have age cracks in the airbags,although they sometimes don't leak,but its a sure indication they are not going to last much longer.

If you are running around on 9-10 year old air springs I think you are pushing your luck.

Okay..anyone know how long truck air bags last..as a matter of comparison?

I would be happy with 10 years...

Im on 9 year old air bags and shock absorbers, i fully expect to replave them at some point, as shock absorbers are a wear item. But i wont be replacing them with coil overs, i will be using the delphi oem units or similar. Fully agree the EAS is one of the best features on these cars, and yes, like anything, need maintenance to keep it working. Considering 200,000km from a set of shock absorbers is pretty good in my book.

So far I've pre-emptively serviced the compressor and have had no issues with the system at all in 6 years of ownership. I always lower the car to access mode when driving into the garage or a parking bay, always when moving slowly, regularly inspect and check the airbags and air lines.

I see the new defender also has eas. Im a firm believer in the system, as long as you look after it.

Originally Posted by SeanC

If you are running around on 9-10 year old air springs I think you are pushing your luck.

Mine are 13 years old and are still OK and look fine. The reality is the serviceability of D3/4/RRS airbags is exceptional - reports of failure are very rare even in high mileage vehicles - this contrasts with OEM bags in the P38 which I think is where stories of poor reliably came from.

The EAS in the D3/4 is not a complex system, if you take the time to learn about it and how it works it is relatively simple.

Garry

Originally Posted by 101RRS

Mine are 13 years old and are still OK and look fine. The reality is the serviceability of D3/4/RRS airbags is exceptional - reports of failure are very rare even in high mileage vehicles - this contrasts with OEM bags in the P38 which I think is where stories of poor reliably came from.

The EAS in the D3/4 is not a complex system, if you take the time to learn about it and how it works it is relatively simple.

Garry

Same