Thread: LLAMS electronic height controller for D3/D4/RRS

Graeme, some questions:

I have a 2014 D4 - are there warranty issues? Can the setup be made to easily hide or remove LAMs from the service / warranty guys? I'm not sure how ethical that is anyway ...

Is there someone in melbourne or Victoria who handles LAMs?

Where can you put the control mechanism?

What are the issues vis a vis pulling a 2.4 tonne GVM off road van? (I've read earlier that LAMS is not good for normal towing. )

I would love LAMS for off road work without the van, but also, attaching my van can be a pain. Because I have the standard LR tow tonque. Which although the van tows close to level, sometimes its not easy to get the swing down front trailer wheel onto the ground, because the vehicle although raised, is a bit low. LAMS would allow emergency full height and I could get the trailer's front swing wheel down onto the ground easily. Which would make attaching my trailer a total piece of cake. I would help cleaning the underside of my Disco too - in emergency full height mode.

How does LAMS react to using the key to alter the height of the Disco (which works if the Disco has its doors shut, and has its hazard button switched on)?

I also understand that if the Disco knows a van is attached (I've now had a resistor device put into one of the van's indicator circuits), the LR will not attempt to level itself (as doing so can push the rear of the vehicle upwards, which will push the trailer rear down, which can damage the rear of the towed van).

I'd also like to engage it over speed humps in town - the ride is softer when not slowing down over humps if your in extended mode.

Please excuse all the questions...

The kit is a non-LR add-on so LR would be well within their rights to object to it being fitted. However it can be removed if necessary to demonstrate whether it is or is not having any impact. Indeed if having any suspension faults investigated then at least the module should be removed to isolate the fault to either the vehicle or the kit.

Towing does not inhibit normal levelling, only automatic change to other heights such as off-road height.

Having Llams fitted has no impact on towing. However if one decides to tow at, for example, +30mm then tyre wear may be increased due to the geometry not as it should be but that is regardless of whether towing or not. I suggest that the tow hitch be set-up to be acceptable at normal height so that towing with the vehicle at a raised height would only be for special conditions, eg higher crown gravel roads.

I understand there are a few places around Melbourne that have experience with fitting the kit, which BTW is quite straight-forward to fit anyway.

I have my switch fitted in place of the driver's accessory outlet. The left or right side of the steering column is a popular spot.

I have had LLAMS kits fitted to both my D3 and D4 for years and they have never given me any problems.

In my opinion it is the best value for money aftermarket product sold for D3/D4's and RRS. Truly makes a very good off road vehicle into a great off road vehicle by the turn of a knob. Plus for long distance highway cruising being able to set it to -20 mm I have noticed improves fuel economy slightly under normal driving conditions.

Being able to set it lower also makes your Disco handle even better when hooning in the twistes ...

I can imagine that driving low and hard would wear out the tyres pretty quickly eh!!! I think one of the issues with the Disco is that it feels lighter than it really is, and that would wear tyres I reckon. ie when parking I make an effort to not turn the wheel until the car is moving; there must be a lot of pressure on the power steering hoses etc when turning the steering when stationary, because the vehicle is heavy.

I could rise the vehicle for towing though, because the better tow tongue height is likely 30mm higher than it is now. But as said, it would wear the tyres more, although I am not sure by how much if it was only done on dirt roads, where when towing I think I'd lower the tyre pressures anyway.

Is it difficult to remove the centre panel in order to get the control dial into the accessory outlet? Seems a non invasive place ...

Here's a link to a post that describes the process for the 6-speed gearbox which I suspect is very similar to the 8-speed.
http://www.aulro.com/afvb/d3-d4-rrs/...ml#post1288941

Are there any recommendations for installers in SE Qld?

it honestly it very easy and it comes with very good instructions.
it took me under a hour.
any auto elec or mechanic could do it.
Cheers

Thanks Graeme.

Just a few comments.

Originally Posted by Graeme

..
Towing does not inhibit normal levelling, only automatic change to other heights such as off-road height.
...

Yes, but I don't quite understand that.

My understanding is that when the LR D4 knows its towing, its height settings will not go into extreme mode. I think ...

I read about an owner of a Vista RV off road pop top single axle trailer/van, they cost around $60k new all up, who when going through a creek up North, had this Disco go into extreme mode as the back dipped into a deep spot in the creek. The van went to emergence height. Then the van came out of the "hole" in the river. So the height of the rear of the Disco was very high, and that pushed the back of the Vista straight downwards. Unfortunately the back of the van hit severely and he badly damaged rear of his van ... in fact insurance bought him a new van.

Evidently if the Disco had known there was a van there, it would not have gone into extreme mode ... that's my understanding, anyway, from those discussing towing recognition elsewhere at this site.

Originally Posted by Graeme

..
... I suggest that the tow hitch be set-up to be acceptable at normal height so that towing with the vehicle at a raised height would only be for special conditions, eg higher crown gravel roads.
...

That's logical because most towing is done on bitumen. Being level is extremely important with a twin axle trailer of course. But not so critical with a single axle.

I read an advertisement for someone who said he was selling his caravan because he had problems bending down ... attaching the chain coupling was a big issue, and raising the front of the van in order to attach it to the tow bar was a major drama for him.

You're devise allows one to lower and raise the car, from access height to extreme height - a huge variance, which IMO should be a major marketing benefit for Land Rover towers. Instead of cranking the front of the van up and down you can just adjust the height of the vehicle.

With my D4, if you put the hazard warning lights on, you can lower and raise the land rover, from outside the vehicle. How does your system work with that?

Originally Posted by Graeme

...
I understand there are a few places around Melbourne that have experience with fitting the kit, which BTW is quite straight-forward to fit anyway.
...

Could you advise who? Melbourne has 4 million people and quite a few Discos, plus some great areas to tow to and also to off road. Sometimes a neat job done by someone high on the learning curve is money well spent.