 | Home > Modifications & Maintenance (L663) > Rear shock broken after offroading - experiences? |
 
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| o-ren-ishii Member Since: 25 Jul 2023 Location: The Hague Posts: 8  
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Hi all,
We're currently overlanding and doing some pretty rough offroad driving in Kosovo, Albania, etc. We had a bit of a scare albout 100km away from the nearest civilication we got a "suspention failure" error after a horrible cracking sound. The GAP tool gave more info; the read left damper solenoid was stuck open or short to ground. So luckily we could limp back to a tow a few hours away. Long story short; car on the bridge and the whole damper rod is broken. See attached photo (sorry, I dont have one from the actual damper, just the damaged upper support). Now I'm wondering two things; Can using lift rods cause this? Because the (air) suspention is always extended could this cause more strain on the damper? And two: would luck8's SYA kit (extending the damper length) be a good option? https://lucky8llc.com/collections/defender...63-sya-kit Does anyone have experience with either breaking a damper or the SYA kit?  Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Last edited by o-ren-ishii on 1st Aug 2024 2:49pm. Edited 1 time in total |
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27th Jul 2024 3:50pm |
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| o-ren-ishii Member Since: 25 Jul 2023 Location: The Hague Posts: 8
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Hi Texas,
thanks for your reply. Not sure wheter the rangerover suspension has anything to do with the new defender. I would say it's quite different. No offence. As far as I know the only way to raise the suspension is to change the liftrods. I know a lot of people who done it, including the landrover specialist who did the modifictions (on my and many other cars). It's also not speed limited. Thus; I'm more looking for other L663 owers who ran into this problem (breaking a shock absorber). It could quite possibly be this is just an accident. So I'm trying to find that out. Also; experiences applying the SYA kit of Luck8 as stated above I would be very interested in. |
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27th Jul 2024 5:12pm |
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| stevemfr Member Since: 18 Sep 2022 Location: Strasbpurg Posts: 128 
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Yes, raising the air suspension puts additional loads on the components and raises the CG. But for driving off road, I'd but forth that a reasonable lift is often warranted and that a Defender should def be able to handle it.
Aside from all of that, it's actually one of the known issues with the L663. While it's not an extremely common issue, it's definitely not unheard of either. And it often occurs when off-roading - even in unlifted conditions.
RRC 2Dr, RRC 4Dr, P38, and 2 L322s, 2 FL1s and a L663 on the way |
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27th Jul 2024 8:47pm |
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| o-ren-ishii Member Since: 25 Jul 2023 Location: The Hague Posts: 8
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Hi Steve,
Allright, thanks for your insight. Yeah I can imagine they break due to off-roading. But since I treated the defender like its supposed to be used for a while now, I was just (unpleasantly) surprised. So you know of other people breaking them? If all goes well the new shock should be ordered from the Uk and be here (albania) next week sometime.. than we can continue. I was looking at the pictures in the workplace manual but its hard to imagine the change in geometry for the damper when lifting the car. It’s fixed quite statically to the back of the car (the big alu block) thus there’s not a big pivot going on, only an elongation. I did notice after applying the rods the dampening is less due to the damper being more extended. But the bigger wheels also compensate for that. This lucky8 “damper extender” might compensate for that. |
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28th Jul 2024 9:38am |
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| custom90 Member Since: 21 Jan 2010 Location: South West, England. Posts: 20033 
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Usually caused by rubbers being too hard or damper topping out on their full length of travel, it can fatigue and stress the mount bolt until it shears.
These things do happen. Perhaps running 80% ride height rather than full might be a good idea, presumably they can do that? Diesel$ Live$ Matter. ⛽️🛢️👨🔧🧰⚙️ RED, WHITE & BOOST! 🇬🇧 Last edited by custom90 on 28th Jul 2024 1:24pm. Edited 1 time in total |
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28th Jul 2024 9:47am |
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| Crazymind Member Since: 11 Jun 2024 Location: Glasgow Posts: 72
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I feel for you mate! At the same time I admire your bravery of going off grid with such a complex and complicated vehicle.
I can’t help you much but if you need anything I have got business in Tirana and I have some trusted people in case you need support. |
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28th Jul 2024 10:37am |
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| o-ren-ishii Member Since: 25 Jul 2023 Location: The Hague Posts: 8
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Thanks a lot!
I’m glad I do have the GAP iid tool, at least that gives more info about what’s wrong. And so far the car has taken quite some abuse and didn’t let me down yet. We’ve been on the road for almost 4 months now. We’ve currently in Tirana, we went to “land rover service Alabania” on boulevardi blu. A bit a of language gap but very friendly folks. Wonderful country and people overall in Albania and Kosovo, and very nice off-roading to be done 
One question though, I am looking for the Lucky8 SYA kit (basically a bumpstop extension ) and possibly a high lift jack. Do you have any idea if they would be for sale somewhere in/around Tirana? |
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28th Jul 2024 11:02am |
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| Crazymind Member Since: 11 Jun 2024 Location: Glasgow Posts: 72
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Highly doubt that. I’ll ask a freind. If you could find them in Italy shipping to Albania in 48 hours is possible.
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28th Jul 2024 2:03pm |
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| ickle Member Since: 22 Jul 2010 Location: South Vendee Posts: 1757 
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"But since I treated the defender like its supposed to be used for a while now, I was just (unpleasantly) surprised."
4 month off road trip? Thats one hell of a school run! |
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29th Jul 2024 8:28am |
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| Philm Member Since: 19 Jun 2020 Location: Manchester Posts: 160
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"But since I treated the defender like its supposed to be used"
They are not "supposed to be used" with extension rods or Land Rover would sell/fit them. |
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29th Jul 2024 9:56am |
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| TexasRover Member Since: 24 Nov 2022 Location: Paris Posts: 965 
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My comments were related to how Land Rover designs 'the use of' their air suspension systems which is a delicate balance between the various driving conditions. While the newer cars might be much more sophisticated the physics and dynamics have not changed. I don't believe Landrover intends for you to raise the suspension beyond what the vehicle is designed to do stock. Landrover specialists are just companies that try to sell you something for a profit. Just because other people do it does not make it therefor approved. You should just accept the consequences, fix it and expect it might break again. |
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29th Jul 2024 11:01am |
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| custom90 Member Since: 21 Jan 2010 Location: South West, England. Posts: 20033
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This is the thing every time you go green laneing or off road, that excess stress often means a bit more maintenance down the line. Most of us are happy with that scenario. Am I right I saying the other day i thought I saw the dampers for these are approx £560 per corner? Is that right? Diesel$ Live$ Matter. ⛽️🛢️👨🔧🧰⚙️ RED, WHITE & BOOST! 🇬🇧 |
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29th Jul 2024 12:19pm |
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| lightning Member Since: 23 Apr 2009 Location: High Peak, Derbyshire Posts: 2539
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l guess anything can fail when used to extremes. l've not heard of anyone else with broken damper units on the new Defender.
Someone entered a Grenadier in an off-road challenge and by the end it was in a bit of a state, with blown dampers and failed ARB's These type of vehicles are strong, but they're a beefed up version of a road vehicle. They're not a Hummer or a Power Wagon. |
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29th Jul 2024 6:39pm |
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| H1Tad Member Since: 20 Jul 2024 Location: Maine Posts: 63 
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Any vehicle that is treated without mechanical sympathy will fail ... especially in the case of the former (don't ask me how I know). I'm generally in the camp that if you modify your rig to behave in ways the original manufacturer did not design nor therefore test/validate - then by default, you're on the hook for the reason why it failed. Part of the "thrill" of offroading in modified vehicles is the underlying fear of breaking sh*t. A fear that is exacerbated tremendously when you're in the business of threshold testing your own work
Best of luck with your repairs! |
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29th Jul 2024 7:23pm |
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