Hi all, I have had my FFRR for about 6mths now and the ride is awful!! I can feel the slightest of bumps ( even road markings)

I have searched and found a few threads about this issue but no conclusive fixes, I've tried switching off the DSC and this doesn't seem to make any difference.

I have a 2012 4.4TDV8 AB with 122000mls, I have replaced control arms on the front as they were knocking, I think that the rear prop shaft bearing is failing and that is causing a slight shudder when on the motorway, sometimes is quite noticeable and others not.

Driving round town the suspension is nearly always firm but on the odd rare occasion it feels soft like it should be.

I wonder if this prop shaft shudder is being picked up by the sensors and causing the system to stay firm and not switch back to soft?

My other thoughts are the rear knuckle bushes, could they be worn and causing a harsh ride or are the struts worn on the rear?

My plan at the moment is to get underneath and see if the prop centre bush is worn, if so then get a new prop shaft and try that, if its still harsh then replace the knuckle bushes and finally if that doesn't cure it then the rear shock struts.

Any thoughts would be a great help.

When I serviced mine a few weeks back I accidentally did a 'Vehicle Reset' (instead of service reset) via my GAP IID tool and I could swear the ride quality has improved since then as I was also not that happy with the rather harsh ride. 2012 TDV8 Vogue (L322)

Perhaps a shock is seized. Or if you have active dynamic suspension it’s probably just the loom. It was reall noticeable on my when the loom went. The ride was shocking 🤣

My daughter had a double whammy in her evoque with both the loom for her dynamic suspension and also a rear right shock absober that seized.

obvious guess- are the tyre pressures correct? ... - .- -.




Y. O. L. O.
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I have tried different tyre pressures, I have 275/45 R20 tyres and have tried the PSI at 1 below what the door card states, I've tried them soft and hard but it doesn't really make much difference.

The air suspension all works as it should, I would have though a seized shock would have caused issues with it, I am leaning towards worn shocks but don't want to have them changed if its not them and something like the prop shaft bush.

I haven't tried Vehicle reset because I wasn't sure what it would reset and didn't want to mess anything up. I have tried to calibrate adaptive suspension but again that doesn't seem to make a difference. What does the Vehicle reset actually reset??

Any help is very much appreciated as I went to London at the weekend in it and I couldn't wait to stop at services to get out and walk around!!

Bl4ckD0g wrote:

Perhaps a shock is seized. Or if you have active dynamic suspension it’s probably just the loom. It was reall noticeable on my when the loom went. The ride was shocking 🤣

My daughter had a double whammy in her evoque with both the loom for her dynamic suspension and also a rear right shock absober that seized.

you should but i would check the wiring on top of the front struts and see if theres any chaffing ..

also those tyre sizes arnt standard .. ... - .- -.




Y. O. L. O.
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The my GAP IID tool didn't show a wiring fault that was picked up by a LR specialist with their workshop diagnostics. The wiring to the struts is pathetic and seems to be a common fail point. 2012 TDV8 Vogue (L322)

Same here as JayGee. Mine did not have a fault registered, none displayed on the car either. Air suspension will still go up and down no problem. The air suspension isn't directly related to the shocks so it will still work. The way the know it is that the ride is harsh...

I could feel every little ridge in the road on my 22s yes really whilst normally it was very smooth. If I didn't know how it was in my ownership before I would have blamed the big wheels, but it really isn't that.

stan wrote:

you should but i would check the wiring on top of the front struts and see if theres any chaffing ..

also those tyre sizes arnt standard ..

The active suspension system must factor in a predicted compliance of the unsprung mass which is a combination of the air shocks and the tyres. If you fit a non standard tyre wall with less compliance I would have thought the system may struggle to compensate. Even different tyre types may not help hence possibly why certain tyres are recommended ? 2012 TDV8 Vogue (L322)

So I have checked the wiring on the top of the struts up front, took off the dampers and unplugged them, all appears ok no chaffing etc. Not had chance to check the rear wires yet.
The tyres were already on when I got the car and I have seen a few FFRR with them fitted, when I checked the ECU with the GAP IID Tool it had the original size still in it so I initially thought this was partly to blame but I have changed it to the correct sizes now.
I have also just been under the car and had a look at the prop shaft bearing, on appearance there looks to be no damage but when I grab hold of the shaft I can move it up and down and there's a slight clunk when I do it.
I've heard that if the CVD detects a wheel hop it will stiffen up the suspension so wonder if my prop bearing has failed and the shaft is bouncing/shuddering could this fool the CVD into thinking a wheel is bouncing and then keep the suspension stiff?

An unbalanced or out of round tyre will also I suspect not play well with the system. 2012 TDV8 Vogue (L322)

I thought that as well but in an effort to rule that out I had the wheels re Diamond cut and balanced less than a month ago.

i had an issue with mine you would go round a corner with a bump in it and the back end would skip (That is what it felt like) like the suspension was too hard. any how took both rear shocks off one was new (Bilstein) the other original and leaking. replaced that and all good ever since. looked through the history the new one at the time was 9 months old to get it through a failed MOT, which was when i purchased it. 2012 Vogue 4.4 TDV8 - Current
2014 Navara V6 - Gone
2004 Vogue TD6 - Gone
Grand Cherokee - Gone
Discovery V8 (LPG) - Gone
Discovery TD5 - Gone