One very confused speedo... and the owner.

**benji** · 30th January 2012, 08:12 PM

We went for our first run in the HSE the other day. A 450km round trip to Geelong and back. Very impressed; especially with the power

.

Although the speedo is very confuse. At 100kph on the GPS, it shows 87, and at 60kph on the GPS it shows 63. As it's run off the sqaure wave from the abs sensors, i've no idea where to go from here, except for a replacement instrument cluster.

It also seems that the ride is harsh. On the smooth humps it seems to float over nicely, but on anything where the suspension needs to move quickly it's harsh and seems to crash through the rough patch rather than ride through it. Maybe shockers (they're genuine) are too stiff?

And also..... sorry; there's more vibration in the steering wheel than there is on the classic. When I hit a bump the steering wheel does a quick wobble two or three times and then settles down.

It's just I don't know what a p38 is supposed to feel like, and am simply comparing it to the classics.

**Hoges** · 30th January 2012, 08:47 PM

Compared to the Classic, the P38 ride is harsh, (especially with cooper tyres

)...there are a couple of reasons for this...the Classic has long travel springs and perhaps the springs have a variable spring rate in that they are soft for the first part of the travel then progressively harden as the load increases.

The airbag suspension on the P38 has its advantages...but it IS jarring on broken bitumen. With Cooper tyres (mine are H/T) on standard height over corrugations it will loosen the fillings in your teeth...

The Arnott GenIII springs are reputedly softer at height but harder than OEM at standard height.

The original fitment shocks are Boge (AFAIK) and are an excellent match for the standard airbag... you'll see plenty of comment on this forum re. Bilstein, Armstrong etc If you want improved handling on newly surfaced freeway then they're OK..otherwise they're a bit rough... but I suspect the LR engineers got it right the first time in the Classic.

I am sure some clever enterprising individual could reshape the standard airbag pistons to soften the ride (= reduced spring rate?) at both standard and extended height.

sorry about the long response..
one more thing: the shocks transmitted from broken bitumen etc can be reduced with new rubber bushes in the radius arms (don't go poly) and improved rubber bushes in the shock absorber mounts...

Wheel wobble after bumps: probably beginnings of the "Death Rattle"... do a search ... new suspension bushes needed...perhps even new ball joints

Re speedo: not sure where it takes its pulse from...could be faulty contacts. Don't forget, the BECM compares its accumulated odo reading with that stored in the instrument cluster memory. If your vehicle for arguments sake has recorded 150,000km on the Odo and in the BECM and you replace the cluster with a speedo reading 195000 km, the BECM will synchronise and both will record 195000km. If you get one which has only 120000km on it for example, then it will sync with the BECM and read 150000km. It's whichever is the larger number...

Hope this helps

cheers

**benji** · 31st January 2012, 06:33 AM

Thanks heaps Hoges.
Just what I needed; from someone with quite a few more hours behind the wheel than I.

Seems like i've a few things to do; I'll put in new (later design?) shock bushes in straight away.

I've read on a few occassions that the OEM shock valving for the p38s is quite firm. Down the track i'm going to try a set of adjustable Tough Dogs as almost everyone i've spoken to with them is pleased with them. I was going to go Koni but have heard they're firmer than OEM.

Have read lots regarding the BECMs mental issues regarding the km reading. I may have hold of a lesser km instrument pack, though it's from a bosch engine and mine is not (I don't think they changed?)

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One very confused speedo... and the owner.

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