Land Rovers are purchased for their style, comfort, and ability to handle rough terrain. The part of the vehicle that delivers the comfortable ride and good handling expected from a Land Rover is the suspension, struts, and/or the air suspension system. If your vehicle was made before 1993, it will have a standard suspension system. Most Land Rover’s built after 1993 have an air suspension system. Let’s take a look at the differences in each suspension type.

The Air Suspension System

An air suspension system uses a compressor to push air through the struts attached to the chassis of the vehicle. There are 4 compressors, one near each wheel of the car. The air suspension system allows the driver control over the height of the vehicle. With the control pad conveniently located on the console, the driver can adjust the height of the vehicle while driving.

Standard Suspension System

A standard suspension system includes struts that fit into the chassis of the car to support the vehicle weight and absorb impacts from the pavement or rough terrain. The driver does not have control over the height of the vehicle with the standard suspension, rather, springs on the struts absorb the impact of the terrain.

Whether you have an air suspension system or standard system, worn or damaged struts create a loss of support and tension in the frame of the vehicle. This can cause your vehicle to feel unstable while driving and cause frequent sliding in inclement weather.

Next, let’s take a look at how to tell if something could be wrong with the vehicle’s suspension system.

Worn or Damaged Air Suspension Struts

If you notice your Land Rover is sitting lower than it used to, this could be an indicator something is wrong with the air suspension struts. The most common reason is a leak in the hose within the strut. Think of it like slowly letting the air out of your tire. The vehicle is going to lower and lower as more air escapes. Other possible indicators the air suspension system is damaged or worn:

• whining or grinding sound coming from the underneath or side of the vehicle
• the compressor in the air suspension system will not activate to regulate the height of the vehicle

Worn or Damaged Standard Suspension Struts

With the standard suspension system, there are a few more noticeable indicators that something may be wrong with the struts.

• Poor Handling: The most obvious signs of poor handling in your vehicle is a less smooth ride and instability of the vehicle on the road. The vehicle might feel wobbly or unstable while driving. When the strut damage is severe, the front-end may dip down when applying the brakes or the rear-end may dip down when accelerating.
• Tire Wear: Because the vehicle is not as stable with damaged or worn struts, the tires can wear unevenly. Uneven tire wear can lead to tread separation of the tire or a blowout.
• Noises: If you hear a knocking sound when hitting bumps or popping when turning corners, this could be an indicator of damaged or worn struts. These noises can also be an indicator of another issue or something more serious with your vehicle.

If you suspect there is a problem with the suspension system, it’s important to have your vehicle serviced as soon as possible. Driving for too long on damaged struts can lead to more issues within other areas of the engine.

Glenwood Foreign Car Experts in Land Rovers

At Glenwood Foreign Car, we specialize in imports and understand what it means to drive a Land Rover. That’s why we’ve been providing high-quality customer service and total car care for Land Rovers since 1977. We are a Bosch Certified Service Center, so you can be confident we hold ourselves to a high standard of service, and we offer affordability you can’t get at a dealership.

We understand how important your time is to you, which is why our expert technicians will quickly diagnose and resolve issues to get you back on the road. We are conveniently located to help customers in and around Upper Makefield Township, Yardley, Newtown, and Morrisville. Our team invites you to call 215-736-8888 for answers to your questions or to make an appointment.

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