Edited because I learned to read earlier posts
What is the windfall upgrade alluded to earlier that was taking time from the "bump stop"?
What level of "suspension failure" causes an issue? I assume these issues would not occur at the stock wheel size?
Is there a trade off between 265/65 R18 and 265/70 R18?
I currently have 265/60 R18 and I am looking at a second set of wheels/tires for trails only. I was just curious on your take on an LR3 setup because you have a very knowledgeable and well thought out approach. Is it really as simple as the gain is 1/2" clearance for each step up and the pain is trimming to fit and suspension failure will result in an increased level of interference for each step up as well?
Also, how is the driveability affected at the new height etc.? Are you happy with the performance of the rig with the larger tires? Have you had any issues with the reduction in articulation?
Sorry for the questions.
To answer the question of suspension failure I will give you my recent experience. I run Goodyear 275/65 R18 M/T tires.These are 32.3 inch tire. I do not have the third row seats so I do not have the A/C lines running in the rear. I have bent the body flange in the rear to have more clearance for trail debris. This was not required for the 32.3 tire. My LR3 is a 2006 so the front body horns are bolt on and do not protrude into the wheel well. I have relocated the driver's side from ABS wire harness higher on the frame. Now to my suspension failure. I had a left rear height sensor go bad resulting in extremely out of bounds values being passed to the computer. I was driving at 55-60 mph on the freeway. I received the proverbial ding from the dash and a suspension fault indication. This fault indicated max speed 30 MPH. Now the vehicle drops to the bump stops. There is a lot of talk about bump stops on the LR3. Here is what they actually are.
Item number 4. This image is from roverpartswest.com
When the air bag deflates the entire shock/spring assembly collapses and compresses this little "buffer" as its called. This thing is rubber and provides a bit of springiness. When you drop onto these you'll feel like a low riding Civic. The truck just bobs up and down with the road. As far as I can tell there is no hard bump stop either way on the truck and the shock spring assembly does it all. While at the bump stops I had minor rubbing on the plastic fender liners only. This only happened when the trucked bounced down compressing the "buffer." I had about a half mile to get off the freeway and another mile into a parking lot so that I could hook up my fault mate. I did not go lock to lock on the steering but I did go close pulling into the driveway. If this happened on the trail I'd be in for a bit of work as the ground clearance would be minimal, say 4 inches or so to lowest point. I was not stuck. The wheels did not grind their way into the chassis. I could move. My point is that there has been so much attention given to the drop to bump stop issue that a more important point is often missed. ALL trucks have weaknesses. My last run in Death Valley had a truck loose a brake line. That can put a more critical end to your day than a suspension fault. With the stock tire size you'll still be sitting about 4 inches off the ground maybe less. With the LR3 your tool bag should include a fault reader, knowledge of which fuses to pull to shut of the air suspension when you get it back in the air. Some inline fittings to patch damaged hoses back together if a rock kicks up and cuts one. Tubing is 6mm. Lastly, you are in the right place. This group on this board is amazing. Each run a slightly different setup and have pushed the limits a bit on what the truck can and can't do.
When you lift the LR3 with adjustable rods or software, more air is pumped into the air spring. This increases the spring rate and makes the ride harsher. The LR3 does not crave corners so a 1/2 lift is not going to feel much different. I run about 2 inches higher and as a result I end up driving slower to compensate.
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