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dexion7



Member Since: 06 Jun 2013
Location: Tynemouth
Posts: 291

2010 Range Rover Vogue SE TDV8 Alaska White
cheap ebay struts

lots of them on ebay now around £120-£130 but they are only for cars up to 2009. mine is 2010 with continuously variable damping so technically not compatible (£400+ for genuine ones!). but - what would be the implications of fitting them anyway?

if i understand the way that the cv system works, the ecu provides a PWM signal to operate a secondary adjustable orifice within the damper.

the system must be failsafe and in the 'fail' mode of the system the damper would revert to non-variable mode (= those on ebay)

possibly, the cv damper has a smaller primary (non-adjustable) hole than the non-cv damper (thus making it heavy damping in the "fail" mode) and a partial opening of the secondary hole by the PWM signal makes the cv damper rate comparable with the non-cv damper?

any info apprecaietd.

Post #497565 4th Dec 2018 1:37pm
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dexion7



Member Since: 06 Jun 2013
Location: Tynemouth
Posts: 291

2010 Range Rover Vogue SE TDV8 Alaska White

ok - just got an answer to my question directly from a very helpful chap at bilstien no less!

the control module receives input signals (i assume from the height sensors) and modulates the damping accordingly by varying the pulse width of the PWM signal to the dampers.

apparently, the firm setting for the variable damper (or no signal / fault condition) is close to the (only) setting for the non-adjustable ones.

just need to connect a resistor to the wires which supply the damper coil to prevent the system sensing a fault and throwing a code.

Post #497576 4th Dec 2018 4:48pm
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stu1



Member Since: 06 Dec 2013
Location: UK
Posts: 276

United Kingdom 2007 Range Rover Supercharged 4.2 SC V8 Java Black

I really wouldn't do this - you are trying to fit safety critical components that aren't designed for your car.

Post #497583 4th Dec 2018 5:51pm
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gj88



Member Since: 10 Sep 2018
Location: West Midlands
Posts: 213

United Kingdom 2004 Range Rover Vogue Td6 Zambezi Silver

I don't think many here would recommend fitting the poor quality struts you're looking at on here even if they were for your car, so fitting to vehicles they're not designed for seems to be madness to me. I understand we all like a bargain and doing everything possible ourselves, but I think there's a thin line between that, and trying to maintain what was a £60-70k car on a shoestring

Post #497584 4th Dec 2018 5:57pm
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Paul thornton



Member Since: 23 Sep 2017
Location: Lancashire
Posts: 545

United Kingdom 

I've actually no idea why you would want to do this if I'm honest.

Have you got a burst airbag? If so, can you not just replace the airbag and use the original strut ?

Failing that, it might be worth tracking down some 2nd hand units. It's been mentioned on here several times before that the cheap ebay struts just aren't worth buying.

I'd do a quick search if I were you.

Post #497585 4th Dec 2018 5:57pm
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Rosco



Member Since: 20 Jan 2012
Location: Beyond the wall.
Posts: 2539

United Kingdom 2013 Range Rover Autobiography SDV8 Baltic Blue

Guys. before we jump on the 'who did what to whom' bandwagon. Look at all the old classics on coils. P38s etc, May be worth a thought??

Post #497586 4th Dec 2018 6:07pm
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Joe90



Member Since: 29 Apr 2010
Location: Hampshire
Posts: 6397

England 

Worth exploring the concept of fitting standard OEM struts and bags (Delphi) to a car with adaptive damping, if it can be done safely (e.g. fooling the ECUs that all is OK). Earlier L322's coped without it ? Still a saving of +£200 per side.

Everyone seems happy to blank their EGRs, break the law, kill the planet..... Twisted Evil .
Experience is the only genuine knowledge, but as time passes, I have forgotten more than I can remember Wink
Volvo V70 P2 2006 2.4 Petrol 170bhp Estate SE
MG Midget Mk1 1962

Previous: L322 Range Rover TDV8 3.6 2008; L322 Range Rover TD6 3.0 2002; P38A Range Rover V8 1999

Post #497598 4th Dec 2018 7:30pm
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GraemeS



Member Since: 06 Mar 2015
Location: Wagga area
Posts: 2276

Australia 2012 Range Rover Autobiography TDV8 Bournville

If you think that a non-energised CVD exhibits similar damping characteristics to a good non-CVD genuine damper then disconnect 1 front electrical connector as a test. I did this and considered that the ride was excessively firm, not at all like non-CVD dampers.

Fitting a pair of non-CVDs to the front and fooling the ecu while CVDs are still fitted to the rear will affect steering when pushed through corners as the front will be tending to lean while the rear trying to stay flat.

IMO, if you don't like the cost of CVDs then replace them all with standard dampers but you will loose the vastly improved ride and handling of the CVDs. Also disable CVDs in the CCF to prevent the instrument cluster fault display.

Post #497600 4th Dec 2018 7:51pm
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dexion7



Member Since: 06 Jun 2013
Location: Tynemouth
Posts: 291

2010 Range Rover Vogue SE TDV8 Alaska White

Paul thornton wrote:
I've actually no idea why you would want to do this if I'm honest.

Have you got a burst airbag? If so, can you not just replace the airbag and use the original strut ?

Failing that, it might be worth tracking down some 2nd hand units. It's been mentioned on here several times before that the cheap ebay struts just aren't worth buying.

I'd do a quick search if I were you.


No burst air bag or any obvious fault with the strut. I can't find any threads which include comments from purchasers of ebay struts though there are several where Dunlop struts appear to have been unsatisfactory.

The reason that I'm interested is that it would be a cheap and quick way to eliminate my LF strut as the cause of a LF clonk.

On both sides at the front I've just had both arms, ball joint, drop links and inner / outer steering parts replaced, as well as upper & lower bushes + toe links and AR bar links at rear. All done at local indy with quality parts I provided to them. There were no clonks when it went in but just a general 'tiredness' of the suspension with undamped oscillations typical of a 100k mile car. The indy can't identify the cause

The clonk is apprent when the suspension is temporarily unloaded (pothole) and, had the parts not just been fitted, would most likely be caused by a worn ball joint or drop link.

When I got the car back clonking I had a look to see if anything was loose and noticed that they had fitted a new CV nut I'd supplied but not the new strut/hub nuts and bolts. This suggests that in order to gain better access to hammer out the ball joint, they had swung the strut outwards away from the car and I wonder if this could have caused damage to the top bearing in the strut?

I realise that the bearing I'm talking about is actually part of the air spring (which may need replacing soon anyway given the car's 100k) but if i fitted one of those china struts temporarily this could identify or eliminate the strut as the cause?

maybe best just to fit a new spring to the strut anyway?

any comments on that?

Post #497656 5th Dec 2018 2:30pm
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bishbosh10



Member Since: 25 Apr 2013
Location: North Somerset
Posts: 344

United Kingdom 

Didn't clunk before Indy worked on it and now it does? Take it back to the Indy! Bish.

2005 110 TD5 CSW
2011 TDV8 Vogue SE (gone)

Post #497665 5th Dec 2018 3:24pm
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dexion7



Member Since: 06 Jun 2013
Location: Tynemouth
Posts: 291

2010 Range Rover Vogue SE TDV8 Alaska White

"Didn't clunk before Indy worked on it and now it does? Take it back to the Indy!"

its been back once and, whilst he witnessed the noise, couldn't identify the source. It's going back again tomorrow for a more indepth investigation. My post was to try and elicit any information about what damage could have been incurred when the parts were fitted in case they try to deny all responsibility.

anyway, its a clonk not a clunk!

Post #497669 5th Dec 2018 4:00pm
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Zeb



Member Since: 04 Oct 2016
Location: Lincolnshire
Posts: 134

United Kingdom 2007 Range Rover Vogue SE TDV8 Tonga Green

Just to say...my air springs are original, ten years old and on 145k miles and appear ro be fine...original compressor too.. so yours may have plenty of life left in it yet!

Post #497807 6th Dec 2018 9:13pm
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