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Hard Bottom Out Rear 2002 QX4


MLML
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My QX4 had a hard bottom out sound when going over speed bumps, potholes etc, so I put new springs and shocks with 2" spacer in the rear.  It's better, but still getting a hard bottom out when going over a speed bumps at any speed faster than 10mph.  Is there a bump stop solution?  Ideas?  

Edited by MLML
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Stock suspension is exceptionally soft, even with a smoother bumpstop you'll still have the issue of bottoming out all the time.  If you're open to the idea, I'd highly suggest lifting it with some aftermarket/firmer springs.

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9 minutes ago, mjotrainbrain said:

Stock suspension is exceptionally soft, even with a smoother bumpstop you'll still have the issue of bottoming out all the time.  If you're open to the idea, I'd highly suggest lifting it with some aftermarket/firmer springs.

What springs do you recommend?

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8 minutes ago, PathyDude17 said:

To maintain a 2” lift and get load handling, your cheapest option is LR (Land Rover) springs, part number NRC9446. Get them off of LRdirect.

This is for the rear? 

 

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Stock springs are soft, but they still shouldn’t be bottoming out over speed bumps unless you’ve got several hundred pounds of weight in the back. Before messing with the springs I’d investigate everything else in the rear suspension. Get under there and start pulling/shaking everything you can get your hands on to see if anything is loose. Check both upper and lower trailing arms, the sway bar end links, and even the spare tire to make sure it’s nice and snug. I suspect the sound you’re hearing is something else that is loose or worn out and not the actual springs bottoming out. 

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I just put Moog 81115 springs in the rear a few weeks ago. With SF Creations 2" spacers.  Are these too soft? 

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22 minutes ago, PathyDude17 said:

To maintain a 2” lift and get load handling, your cheapest option is LR (Land Rover) springs, part number NRC9446. Get them off of LRdirect.

LR Direct is in England?  Ships free and fast to US? 

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Just now, MLML said:

LR Direct is in England?  Ships free and fast to US? 

Not free...but fast. These springs are like 70 bucks shipped and have a much higher spring rate than stock 

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24 minutes ago, PathyDude17 said:

To maintain a 2” lift and get load handling, your cheapest option is LR (Land Rover) springs, part number NRC9446. Get them off of LRdirect.

I might be wrong here, but i thought the 9446 gave more lift than the 9447? More like 3ish inches? 

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1 minute ago, MLML said:

LR Direct is in England?  Ships free and fast to US? 

Yes.

6 minutes ago, Bax03SE said:

Stock springs are soft, but they still shouldn’t be bottoming out over speed bumps unless you’ve got several hundred pounds of weight in the back. Before messing with the springs I’d investigate everything else in the rear suspension. Get under there and start pulling/shaking everything you can get your hands on to see if anything is loose. Check both upper and lower trailing arms, the sway bar end links, and even the spare tire to make sure it’s nice and snug. I suspect the sound you’re hearing is something else that is loose or worn out and not the actual springs bottoming out. 

This also makes sense. Im on original springs (150k miles), and running 3' spacers. I drive every day, everywhere with a twin subwoofers and a golf bag in the trunk, and I can't say ive ever bottomed out real harshly. I also don't have much for potholes though

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1 minute ago, PathyDude17 said:

Yes.

This also makes sense. Im on original springs (150k miles), and running 3' spacers. I drive every day, everywhere with a twin subwoofers and a golf bag in the trunk, and I can't say ive ever bottomed out real harshly. I also don't have much for potholes though

 

I have about 100lbs of stuff in the trunk.  

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2 minutes ago, Sjackson2 said:

I might be wrong here, but i thought the 9446 gave more lift than the 9447? More like 3ish inches? 

Ya, nrc9447 is probably a half inch shorter in lift height. Thanks for the correction.

 

 

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8 minutes ago, MLML said:

I just put Moog 81115 springs in the rear a few weeks ago. With SF Creations 2" spacers.  Are these too soft? 

No, those are stock replacements so you have the right springs. Like I said, check everything else to see what else might be going on. 

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Just now, Bax03SE said:

No, those are stock replacements so you have the right springs. Like I said, check everything else to see what else might be going on. 

 

Thanks man!  Will do.  

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Well, I have a 60lb bike rack on the rear (with the extended leverage upon oscillation it's probably like having 150lbs in the trunk), and about 100lbs of stuff in the trunk.  When I took the stuff out of the trunk I could no longer bottom out the suspension by bouncing up and down on the hitch ( I weigh 200lbs).  I would imagine with the leverage of the bike rack gone, the bottoming out will be gone as well.  

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3 hours ago, Bax03SE said:

Stock springs are soft, but they still shouldn’t be bottoming out over speed bumps unless you’ve got several hundred pounds of weight in the back. Before messing with the springs I’d investigate everything else in the rear suspension. Get under there and start pulling/shaking everything you can get your hands on to see if anything is loose. Check both upper and lower trailing arms, the sway bar end links, and even the spare tire to make sure it’s nice and snug. I suspect the sound you’re hearing is something else that is loose or worn out and not the actual springs bottoming out. 

 

Nah, the springs in my R50 with 220,000km were bottoming out going over speed bumps. Have since replaced with Ironman springs. World of difference.

 

I'm interested to see someone use a different spring to the 9446. Am considering going to a 50+ mm lift myself, and am thinking about getting a set of NRC2119 springs. I prefer a longer softer rate spring for maximising travel. 

 

http://www.red90.ca/rovers/springinfo.html

 

Link to the table of rover springs. You have to use "front" springs as rear are wrong diameter.

 

If you're carrying that much weight the 9446 is a good match I'd say. Although using a longer spring also allows you to use longer rear shocks without retention issues.

Edited by KiwiTerrano
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3 hours ago, KiwiTerrano said:

 

Nah, the springs in my R50 with 220,000km were bottoming out going over speed bumps. Have since replaced with Ironman springs. World of difference.

 

I'm interested to see someone use a different spring to the 9446. Am considering going to a 50+ mm lift myself, and am thinking about getting a set of NRC2119 springs. I prefer a longer softer rate spring for maximising travel. 

 

http://www.red90.ca/rovers/springinfo.html

 

Link to the table of rover springs. You have to use "front" springs as rear are wrong diameter.

 

If you're carrying that much weight the 9446 is a good match I'd say. Although using a longer spring also allows you to use longer rear shocks without retention issues.

I was referring more to how new stock springs would hold up, since he mentioned he already replaced them with a new set so he’s not dealing with high mileage sagging springs. So if he’s still getting the sound over slow speed bumps with only 100 pounds in the back it seems unlikely to be the springs actually bottoming out. I still agree with the benefits of better springs, I just dont want to advise throwing another set of springs at it without being confident the rest of the rear suspension is all in good shape first. I’d hate to see him spend time and money on springs only to find the sound is still there coming from another component. 

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With a 2inch spacer on the front would you guys go with a 9446 with or without 2inch rear spacer? Or 9447 with or without 2inch spacer?

 

Also these springs are side specific? I need a left and right side? And some appear for right hand drive cars and some for left hand drive?

 

What do the stripe colors mean?

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

 

 

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58 minutes ago, MLML said:

With a 2inch spacer on the front would you guys go with a 9446 with or without 2inch rear spacer? Or 9447 with or without 2inch spacer?

 

Also these springs are side specific? I need a left and right side? And some appear for right hand drive cars and some for left hand drive?

 

What do the stripe colors mean?

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

 

 

They are only side specific when mounted in the original Land Rover. The drivetrain in the Defender 90 is a little offset, so Land Rover compensated by putting .5 inch different spring heights on each side. For the R50 order two of the same spring. Either the 9446 or 9447 would be good. I know Micah is running the 9447’s with a small lift in the front and has been happy with the combination. Install the springs by themselves without a spacer.

 

Also the color stripes is just how they label the springs to easily identify which model number they are. 

Edited by Bax03SE
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They are only side specific when mounted in the original Land Rover. The drivetrain in the Defender 90 is a little offset, so Land Rover compensated by putting .5 inch different spring heights on each side. For the R50 order two of the same spring. Either the 9446 or 9447 would be good. I know Micah is running the 9447’s with a small lift in the front and has been happy with the combination. Install the springs by themselves without a spacer.

 

Also the color stripes is just how they label the springs to easily identify which model number they are. 

 

No drive line or shock length issues to address with the 9447s? Any places other than LRDirect that you guys would recommend? Any in California?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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No drive line issues at all. You may want to consider longer shocks but that’s true with stock springs and spacers as well. You likely won’t notice it on street driving, but if you take it off road you the shock will top out and limit your downward travel.

 

Now that I think of it, you said the sound got better but is still there after installing new springs and spacers? Is it possible you’re hearing the shock bottom out over bumps? When I had spacers with stock shocks, sometimes when going over small bumps or small curbs I could hear/feel the shock bottoming out with a small clunk. I’m running f250 shocks now.

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