Self Leveling Suspension Confirmation

[Sonic ZS]

I'm reasonably certain that X702UOK has this (having read the various posts on here about it) but can someone confirm for certain for me ?

The springs have blue & brown markings, whilst the lower body of each rear damper is pretty close to being 60mm diameter.

The dampers also have labels which seem to be in German, but a large part of each has worn away due to movement from the upper dust shield, so not much use now. Equally, the sticker under my back seat seems to have faded (???) and is now blank.

All advice / knowledge welcome :}

[suzublu]

Self levelling....... http://www.the75andztclub.co.uk/forum/showpost.php?p=865756&postcount=16

[Sonic ZS]

Sorry Suzublu, I'm asking about the self leveling suspension (not the headlights - although funnily enough I've just come in from fitting the new mounting bracket to the rear for the lights !! :})

Thanks anyway ;)

[suzublu]

Sorry :duh::D but don't think self levelling suspension was fitted to our cars:shrug: I could be wrong of course, usually am :o:D

[suffolk boy]

option on the tourer only made by nivomat

[Lovel]

The OE Boge Self Levellers are 48mm OD versus 42mm for the standard dampers.

RKB000370 Spring (softer rated compared to conventional damper) EPC should be colour coded blue/brown. The items that Xpart supplied me in the past actually came with a green colour coding instead.

RPD000240 Self leveller unit

[Sonic ZS]

Thanks, I'll have another look at mine and post some pics.

I only did a quick measure using a tape measure & eye, but pretty certain mine are much larger diameter than this ?

Now I'm intrigued... :D

[simon.jane]

It's something rover did all the big rovers had self leveling from sd1,800 and 75.

[Sonic ZS]

Had another look today and took some pics (sorry about the Heath-Robinson method of measurement, verniers were in the shed :duh:)

Dampers are definately 60mm diameter (give or take 1mm):

47829

And they look original - the rust and wear on them seems to match the rest of the suspension & underside components.

Sticker seems to be in German:

47830

So are these original self levelers and maybe a brand the factory were trying out, before eventually deciding on the Boge ones ???

[Greeners]

Looks like a prototype one

Here's the later one http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Rover-75-rear-shock-absorber-high-pressure-RPD000240-/321712016395

[alanjay]

Sorry :duh::D but don't think self levelling suspension was fitted to our cars:shrug: I could be wrong of course, usually am :o:D

You might just be wrong on this occasion, as my press car Tourer is factory fitted with self levelling suspension!

[suzublu]

Well, you learn something new every day with these cars:bowdown: Duly noted & added to my memory bank:D

[rich17865]

The label says

'version for cold tests'

[Sonic ZS]

Thanks for all the info guys, very interesting :}

Alanjay - I'd be keen to hear whether your Tourer is fitted with the same type of dampers as mine (60mm diameter) or what appears to be the later, normal factory type (48mm) ?

And Rich17865, thanks for that, you've explained a mystery ! I'd googled 'kaltetests' earlier for a translation and came up with a German website selling fridge-freezers... :D:D

[kaiser]

It's something rover did all the big rovers had self leveling from sd1,800 and 75.

You forgot where it started, the Range Rover. It has a self leveler in the middle, which makes the car under sprung and pivoting around a centre point at the back. While it makes the car very comfortable and also very capable in off road conditions, it allows for a lot of wallowing around and some weird antics in pressed situations.
The SD1 had self leveling too, as you mentioned, but here in south Africa, they had the good sense to disperse with that and install stiffer springs from the start.
No doubt, self leveling is a great thing when it works. Less so when it stops working, where is becomes a pain and expensive if not unobtainable.

[vindaloo]

You might just be wrong on this occasion, as my press car Tourer is factory fitted with self levelling suspension!


Mine too, Boge versions.

[KWIL]

My Tourer has Boge ones as delivered from factory, My SD1 had them as well.

[Kennyeth]

I can`t get down to look at mine, but, could this be the reason why my Tourer looks higher at the front than my Saloon which seems to slope downwards along the length and apear to dip at the front? whereas the Tourer looks fairly level along it`s length :shrug:
Ken.

[Sonic ZS]

[QUOTE=kaiser;1983093] it allows for a lot of wallowing around and some weird antics in pressed situations.
QUOTE]

Sooo true !! I do a lot of car transportation and used to use a late Range Rover Classic TDi. On the motorway, the ruts left by lorries in the nearside lane made it wander all over the place :eek::eek: to the point of being scary sometimes !!

Now got a Discovery 2, which has a similar chassis but a 'Watts linkage' arrangement at the back (and no Boge leveller) - far superior on the motorway when you're towing 2 or 3 tonnes :} and coil sprung (not air) as I just love the simplicity... ;)

[Ps3000]

Badly off-topic (sorry) but I've just bought a Disco 3 (the very common air-sprung one, not the rare coil sprung one)

[beinet1]

I have self levelers on mine, found it out the hard way...: http://forums.mg-rover.org/showthread.php?t=438357&page=2

[Sonic ZS]

Badly off-topic (sorry) but I've just bought a Disco 3 (the very common air-sprung one, not the rare coil sprung one)

I had real trouble finding a decent, low mileage Discovery 2 with coils ! I also wanted poverty-spec (so no air con, sunroofs, alloys, 7 seats, etc.) to ensure I stayed under the weight limit of 2040kg for an operators licence. Ended up doing a 700 mile round trip to get mine, think the dealer thought I was mad... :D

[Sonic ZS]

I have self levelers on mine, found it out the hard way...: http://forums.mg-rover.org/showthread.php?t=438357&page=2

beinet1 - this is very interesting, I see that you are in Norway (cold country) and that you mention in the link that your rear damper diameter is 60.5mm, which is the same as mine. Now, Rich17865 mentioned earlier that the German printed label on mine mentions 'version for cold tests'.

However, most posts & info seem to state that the self-levellers are 48mm diameter.

So is it possible that there is a different type of self levelling damper if the car is going to be used in a cold climate I wonder ??? :shrug:

[alanjay]

Thanks for all the info guys, very interesting :}

Alanjay - I'd be keen to hear whether your Tourer is fitted with the same type of dampers as mine (60mm diameter) or what appears to be the later, normal factory type (48mm) ?

And Rich17865, thanks for that, you've explained a mystery ! I'd googled 'kaltetests' earlier for a translation and came up with a German website selling fridge-freezers... :D:D

Unfortunately I haven't had opportunity to get under car and check under car the damper diameter before going to this weekends Cheddar meet.

However, when I bought the car the seller thought they were self levelling so I researched and found they were, from memory of last time I was under the car, they were wider than 48 mm.

So if it helps in the meantime, item 12 on the sellers post shows the damper.

So here's a link:

http://www.the75andztclub.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=167276&page=2

[pm77]

Might seem a daft question, but can you have both self levelling headlights and suspension?

[Sonic ZS]

Might seem a daft question, but can you have both self levelling headlights and suspension?

Not daft at all !! Yes, they are independent of each other. I believe the headlight levelling is only fitted to Xenons (anyone know different ?), whilst the suspension was a completely stand-alone option on the estates.

[pm77]

Not daft at all !! Yes, they are independent of each other. I believe the headlight levelling is only fitted to Xenons (anyone know different ?), whilst the suspension was a completely stand-alone option on the estates.

Just wondered as I was reading somewhere that sometimes it takes a while for the suspension to level out, whereas the headlights only adjust once (as far as I'm aware).:shrug:

If this was the case, then the headlights could be out as the car hasn't "settled" yet. Or am I missing something?

[Sonic ZS]

The suspension system works on the principle that when loaded, the rear of the car drops. A clever, mechanical valve system inside each self-levelling damper responds to this lower ride height by 'pumping itself up' with the movement of the car as it drives down the road - hence the need for pressurised gas in each one to give the lift, plus the requirement for the vehicle's motion (and a short amount of time) to provide the pumping effect.

When the load is removed, the internal valve system again recognises this and changes the valving to lower the car, back to the pre-determined level.

The headlights, however, have electrical switches connected to the suspension arms (front & rear) which register the ride height and adjust the beam angle accordingly. As far as I know, this is instant when the lights are switched on.