Ok so vehicle is 2007 TDV8 - Front left suspension bag failed.

So I’ve finally managed to get the front struts off both sides (what a job that was with the strut to knuckle bolts!!) - looks like they are both the original factory units that have been on since 2007.

Before I took them apart I was fairly convinced that replacing them both with complete units (strut and bag together - Rimmer Bros OEM parts that appear to be BWI parts) but now that I’ve separated the bag from the strut I’m having second thoughts and considering whether to just change the bags. It saves nearly £200 compared to replacing the whole unit. But then obviously the original shocks are now 17 years old and maybe given what a barsteward of a job it was to get them off perhaps the logical (although more expensive) option is to replace the whole thing and have done with it.

So pictures attached and I’ve put a poll to see what the collectivise wisdom of the site thinks.

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If you are only saving <£200 do the whole struts. 2012 TDV8 Vogue (L322)

They look remarkably good don’t they!

BUT, they’re 17 years old and the seals will ultimately leak.

Look at it this way:

If you don’t change them and they leak in say 6-12 months, will you wish you’d spent the extra 200 whilst you had it all apart?

Equally, if you don’t change them, aren’t you going to be driving around thinking god I hope those seals don’t start leaking after all that hassle I had changing the bags?

And conversely, if you do change them, you can say the value of the car having new struts as well as bags is worth more than the extra 200 for just having new bags. And you won’t have that nagging voice in your head spoiling the enjoyment of the drive.

Change them! Des

2005 (2006 MY) L322 4.2sc Java Black, 2010 facelift conversion
1965 Lenham Lemans GT 1310 , Gulf Racing blue, FIA spec and road legal
2018 F56 Mini JCW, Thunder Grey/Black, Mulgari St2 tuned, FMIC, short shifter and Eibach springs

Change it all if they are original ones- you’ll only be back in there to change them again at some point so why do the job twice? 2009 (2010 MY) 5.0 Supercharged Autobiography
2007 TDV8 Vogue SE
2005 BMW E63 645ci
2024 Porsche Macan

Ok so far the advice is pretty clear.

Two people have voted to just change the bags, would be interesting to have the logic that goes with that please as so far the argument to change the complete unit is quite convincing!!

Come on don’t wait for July 4th, have your vote now!!! I can promise that YOUR VOTE COUNTS!!

No one can tell you what to do. Depends on your budget, how long you intend to keep the car, how much time you are prepared to spend redoing a strut change and also if you have noticed the obvious signs of shocks becoming worn from how the car handles. Also if you put new shocks on the front you should really consider doing the rears as well…… 2012 TDV8 Vogue (L322)

That’s fair comment JayGee - the money isn’t the primary issue but they haven’t shown any obvious signs of wear, although new ones might reveal some, and given they look so clean it was at least worth seeking your collective view.

I bought the car 2 years ago for £6k and have probably spent at least that again, so I’m not shy when it comes to maintenance - but equally there’s no point scrapping perfectly functional parts.

I intend to keep the car in the best condition I can, whilst the struts have been off I’ve given the front end a little love - the front sub frame is in remarkably good condition for a 17 year old car, only needed some minor touching up and the knuckles have had a good wire brushing and rust protection.

These cars are nowhere near as bad as people often suggest, yes they have weak points here and there but generally speaking they respond well to good maintenance and servicing.

At least when the time comes for the old girl to move on the new owner will know she’s been loved.

Appreciate the advice, looks like new struts will be getting fitted.

J

The damper shafts / seals may look OK, but unless the car is incredibly low mileage the damper internals will have worn & the fluid degraded significantly.
I definitely recommend changing the whole assembly.

My 2006 TDv8 had new BWI struts last year at maybe 140,00 miles and I knew the damping was very inferior to a new car & not nice to drive fast at all.

After the change the car is much tauter & great to drive quickly.
Unfortunately I don't rate the damping characteristics of the BWI struts at all for comfort !
It's definitely well controlled, but the comfort does not reflect what was a £65,000 luxury car when new. Paul,
2001 Discovery 2 TD5, 211,000 miles & climbing
2006 FFRR TDV8 Vogue 145,000 miles & climbing
Member of Midland (Land) Rover Owners Club, www.mroc.co.uk

Thanks Paul, sage advice. The car is 200k + mileage wise so perhaps I had the old rose tinted glasses on for a while after stripping them and seeing how clean they were - I was expecting a rusty shaft 😁

Rimmer Bros won’t actually say who produces their OEM struts, they also supply Dunlop etc, but I’m hoping they are good quality, slightly cheaper than Island 4x4 at £318.00 including VAT whereas Island come out £360 with the VAT (each side of course).

https://rimmerbros.com/Item--i-LR032575P1

https://www.island-4x4.co.uk/spring-strut-...-6698.html

Superficially they look the same part, Island seem to make a song and dance about theirs being “genuine OEM” however given they never answer the phone (arghhh) I couldn’t ask them to explain the reason why I should buy theirs not the apparently cheaper ones from Rimmer Bros.

I’ll find out tomorrow when I go pick some up.

J

I bought my BWI struts from Island.
They're only "OEM" because Delphi sold their strut business to BWI in China - NOT because they are the same specification as the OE (Original Equipment) parts.

I'm not sure whether BWI actually supply struts to the LR production line - ie whether they are a genuine OE supplier.
I can not believe the struts I bought have the same specification as the original struts provided to LR by Delphi - the car would have been unsellable for £65k.
I'm sure the spec has been "simplified" to make more profit for Aftermarket parts ! Paul,
2001 Discovery 2 TD5, 211,000 miles & climbing
2006 FFRR TDV8 Vogue 145,000 miles & climbing
Member of Midland (Land) Rover Owners Club, www.mroc.co.uk

I was one of the ones who voted to only change the bags with a very compelling reason. My arthritic fingers hit the wrong button on my phone

Loving your honesty cass, fat finger syndrome strikes again.

J

If you just do the bags. Getting them to seal 100% can be a bit troublesome.

Do the full strut 👍

17 year old struts will be tired, regardless of how good they look. And at 200k miles I'd be surprised if they have much effective damping capability anymore - you can get them tested on a chassis dyno, but I know of only one place in the UK that has such a thing. 2011 Range Rover Vogue SE 4.4 TDv8

Ok so bit of an update.

Given that the car is in bits and the sun has finally come out I thought I’d go over to Rimmer Bros and collect the parts rather than wait for postage which would probably end up Monday. They are only about an hour and 15 minutes away so not terrible if it’s means I can get the job done.

Well, turns out my fears of the parts between Rimmer and Island 4x4 came true and despite the images used by Rimmer on the website being identical to that of the one on Island 4x4’s site - they are certainly not the same.

I’d convinced myself that if I was going to do this job properly, as all you good people suggested, then I would fit the closest thing I could find to the OEM part possible. The Rimmer site describes quite a few dampers they sell for my model as being “Dunlop” parts but the specific ones for my engine year are simply described as OEM. When I had called earlier in the week to check stock etc (of both the bags and whole unit just in case) the chap on the people wouldn’t tell me what brand their “OEM” part was, only that it was of the same quality of the original part (blah, blah …….).

Having read various threads both here and elsewhere I’d pretty much decided to avoid Dunlop and try to source the BWI part at the best price. So I was a little fed up having driven over an hour to find the Rimmer OEM part is in fact a Dunlop and looks nothing like the picture on the site. Dunlop is possibly a perfectly good product but given I could buy them elsewhere (https://www.lrparts.net/lrc1415-front-kit-of-two-air-spring-air-bag-strut-for-range-rover-l322-vogue-right-and-left-hand-kit-from-2007-7a000001-onwards-tdv8-models.html) for £444 as opposed to the £636 Rimmer Bros wanted I felt a bit cheated.

So after a bit of huffing and puffing to myself in the car on the way home I did what I should have done and simply ordered them from Island 4x4. £720 for the pair but at least I know they are hopefully the next best thing to the OEM part.

I’ll stick some pictures up when it’s done as now I’ve got plenty of time to do some post winter housekeeping on the old girl.

Jon