MarianaWestminster wrote:

I am now of the feeling we might all have a bad front shock throwing out the system. .

MartinD wrote:

Are the fronts more expensive than the rears?

About £300 rears and £600 fronts I believe.  Currently driving: 2012 L322 SE Overfinch 4.4 tdv8

Past rides:
2014 Audi Q7 3.0d (good riddance)
2010 L322 Autobiography 5.0 Supercharged
2011 L320 HSE 3.0 sdv6
2014 Jaguar XF-RS 5.0 supercharged
2007 BMW 535D
2005 Mini Cooper S

https://www.fullfatrr.com/forum/topic59478.html

About £350 plus VAT as opposed to £200 plus VAT…..

https://www.island-4x4.co.uk/spring-strut-...27714.html

https://www.island-4x4.co.uk/rear-shock-ab...23661.html

I got Bilstein rears, but the fronts seem to be rare if you want the same brand.

 2011 Range Rover Vogue SE 4.4 TDV8

Previous cars :
2003 Range Rover Vogue TD6
1999 Discovery Td5 ES
1995 BMW M5 3.8 6 speed
1992 Range Rover 3.9 Efi Vogue
1992 BMW M5 3.8
1988 BMW 735i SE
1989 Ford Sierra XR4x4 2.9i
1981 Ford Fiesta Supersport

They are better prices than from Duckworths!
Same parts too  Currently driving: 2012 L322 SE Overfinch 4.4 tdv8

Past rides:
2014 Audi Q7 3.0d (good riddance)
2010 L322 Autobiography 5.0 Supercharged
2011 L320 HSE 3.0 sdv6
2014 Jaguar XF-RS 5.0 supercharged
2007 BMW 535D
2005 Mini Cooper S

https://www.fullfatrr.com/forum/topic59478.html

I did a bit of shopping around when I needed my rears changing.

Looks like they are also pretty competitive for the fronts too.

 2011 Range Rover Vogue SE 4.4 TDV8

Previous cars :
2003 Range Rover Vogue TD6
1999 Discovery Td5 ES
1995 BMW M5 3.8 6 speed
1992 Range Rover 3.9 Efi Vogue
1992 BMW M5 3.8
1988 BMW 735i SE
1989 Ford Sierra XR4x4 2.9i
1981 Ford Fiesta Supersport

I’m guessing the other accelerometers are either behind the wheel arch liners or inside, behind the kick panel where your feet are. Was gonna ask if anyone knew for sure…..

 2011 Range Rover Vogue SE 4.4 TDV8

Previous cars :
2003 Range Rover Vogue TD6
1999 Discovery Td5 ES
1995 BMW M5 3.8 6 speed
1992 Range Rover 3.9 Efi Vogue
1992 BMW M5 3.8
1988 BMW 735i SE
1989 Ford Sierra XR4x4 2.9i
1981 Ford Fiesta Supersport

Okay my friends I have an update for you!

First of all testing the front shock theory.

After a harsh ride down to Mynydd Mostyn dairy in Wales I decided to bounce test the shocks.

This was done with the car switched off although I did also test with it running and noted not much difference if any so I concluded the shocks must not be energised until driving.

I went round the car and bounced each corner and found the drivers side to be stiffer compared with the passenger side.

Enlisting the help of a friend the two of us went to town bouncing the drivers side by pressing down on the slam panel with the bonnet open.

Driving back home we found that the ride although not 'perfect' had infact improved!

I decided to bite the bullet and headed down to Maltings off road for a new shock manufactured by BWI the original suppliers to Land Rover.

When fitting said shock I found the drivers side to be an original unit from 2011. The passenger side is a Bilstein with a date code of 2018.

Shock fitted, low and behold we have suspension again!

Whilst definitely not as soft as a pre CVD L322 it certainly is a whole lot improved and I would describe the ride quality as 'firm but fair'

I have done around 200 miles with no loss of ride quality but will continue to monitor and update if anything should change.

Hope this helps anybody who is struggling with this issue.

Oooo that’s excellent news, and ties in with what a few others have found.

I think the shocks go softer the more they are energised, so should be pretty firm with the engine off.

I’ve not seen any Bilstein fronts for sale, so looks like BWI is the way to go front wise.

I think you can get away with doing one if their age isn’t too fat apart, but they include the air bag too I think, so hopefully you won’t notice any change side to side.

See how you go then.

Never gonna be too magic carpet ride as on 20 inch wheels with 50 profile tyres.

What did you pay for the strut?

 2011 Range Rover Vogue SE 4.4 TDV8

Previous cars :
2003 Range Rover Vogue TD6
1999 Discovery Td5 ES
1995 BMW M5 3.8 6 speed
1992 Range Rover 3.9 Efi Vogue
1992 BMW M5 3.8
1988 BMW 735i SE
1989 Ford Sierra XR4x4 2.9i
1981 Ford Fiesta Supersport

Last edited by mjdronfield on 16th May 2022 8:26am. Edited 1 time in total

I wonder if just putting a front wheel up a bank might have the same effect? Like making the shock compress…..

 2011 Range Rover Vogue SE 4.4 TDV8

Previous cars :
2003 Range Rover Vogue TD6
1999 Discovery Td5 ES
1995 BMW M5 3.8 6 speed
1992 Range Rover 3.9 Efi Vogue
1992 BMW M5 3.8
1988 BMW 735i SE
1989 Ford Sierra XR4x4 2.9i
1981 Ford Fiesta Supersport

That is good news MarianaWestminster!
I still don’t see a link as to why the fronts affect the rears like they do, but have added new fronts to my shopping list. Frustratingly my Delphi front control areas which are less than a year old need replacing (lots of play even from my hand moving them) so need to pay another £700 for those. Yet more delays for me.

I see Sam has a new video online about this too. He mentions he is also soon going to replace his front struts. Let’s see how that works out for him! Currently driving: 2012 L322 SE Overfinch 4.4 tdv8

Past rides:
2014 Audi Q7 3.0d (good riddance)
2010 L322 Autobiography 5.0 Supercharged
2011 L320 HSE 3.0 sdv6
2014 Jaguar XF-RS 5.0 supercharged
2007 BMW 535D
2005 Mini Cooper S

https://www.fullfatrr.com/forum/topic59478.html

mjdronfield wrote:

I wonder if just putting a front wheel up a bank might have the same effect? Like making the shock compress…..

Yeah, I thought that…. as the shock would have to compress to let the car down, along with the air bag. That would be all 4 corners though, and, well, you don’t want to cause an issue you didn’t have before

Seriously though, might help. Worth a try to prove something.

I can’t see why it would affect the rears either….. but my rears were changed for new ones, and still the same….

I did wonder if you can measure voltage on the wires to the front struts, if that’s even possible, and see if the control unit is even trying to soften them. Most will have had the wire fix by now and will have a join in the wire to get a read point from. Just thinking aloud….

 2011 Range Rover Vogue SE 4.4 TDV8

Previous cars :
2003 Range Rover Vogue TD6
1999 Discovery Td5 ES
1995 BMW M5 3.8 6 speed
1992 Range Rover 3.9 Efi Vogue
1992 BMW M5 3.8
1988 BMW 735i SE
1989 Ford Sierra XR4x4 2.9i
1981 Ford Fiesta Supersport

Maybe bouncing the car made the AD ECU think it was traversing rough ground and it softened off the damping. No one really knows how this system actually works. 2012 TDV8 Vogue (L322)

Good ideas regards lowing the suspension to compress the shocks 👍

JayGee I did also think that might be a possibility.

I should have also performed the test with the ADCM unplugged however we were in a rush to leave at that point to reach our next stop on the journey.

I forgot to add that once the old shock was off the car I found it very difficult to compress and it came back up very slowly!

What tyres and size are you running BTW. I commented on Sam's latest Youtube video that his oversized all terrain tyres will be stiffer than normal road tyres which will make for a harsher ride just as low profile road tyres will. 2012 TDV8 Vogue (L322)