PATROL RIDE QUALITY

[Jules]

A lot of Land Cruiser guys are going the EFS route so I presume they should be fine, they might be the more pricey of the 4 more common after market suspension setups

Shalom

[Russ Kellermann]

I own a Nissan Patrol 2007 GU Pickup, so its hard for me to understand how any GU Wagon can be too firm or bumpy, ever. Take my pickup for a drive anytime, after-which you'll be hugging those rear springs of yours whilst confessing your undying love to your rear geometry.

However, in respect to EFS, they are very popular in Australia, i suspect that will be the case here as well should after sales service be upholding.

As Grant said thought, upgraded springs may feel even more firm, but won't be as bumpy or boat-like.

[Kagiso II]

Boogyman MUST have firm springs - he really carries loads with his Trollies -- us mer emortals dont need two-tonne set-ups .. takle some blades OUT - and "straighten" that long one - Then you have better articulation and a much smoother ride ... mos, nê???

[ws49]

Has anyone got feedback on ironman suspension on a Patrol?

[Tony]

I fitted Ironman coils and gas shocks right after I bought my 30 TDI Diesel - that was around 50 000 km ago, and I must say they work superbly for me. It's difficult to compare the ride with the OEM setup as I drove her for such a short time before upgrading as the front coils had sagged and she was bottoming out. The most noticeable change was the smoother ride, OEM setup was very choppy if I remember rightly. It's a pity no-one has managed to do a proper comparison with the same vehicle and the main players in the suspension game to see which perform better (ie. are the most expensive necessarily the best???) Cheers.

[Kagiso II]

WS 49 -- I just did EFS on the Prado -- much much harder ride than the standatrd suspension --

OOmpie seriously think you just need to DRIVE that Patrol as it is -- let the suspension settle -[it's like a pair of new shoes -- jy moet hulle eers in loop]
Later, as hirri bande klaar is - kan jy opgradeer na 285 Bridgestone Duellers [ry sag, raas nie en klou dat dit bars - nat en droog en sand en gravel]

[Clem]

Cedrick, don't want to get all technical here, but the main reason SFA vehicles are more bumpy than IFA vehicles, is not because the bump is transferred side to side by the axle (this simply isn't true, if it were the other front wheel would have to lift off the ground), but because it has a much higher unsprung weight. The effect of the unsprung weight is that as a percentage of total weight, the sprung weight is less, and this means the body effectively has less momentum keeping it steady.

However, you are correct with what you are saying about tires. Furthermore, this vehicle may well be on 17" rims, which also doesn't help. WS, when your tires are due for replacement, I would suggest examining the possibility of replacing the rims with 16". You could well find that a set of 16" aftermarket rims and tires may be cheaper or fairly equavalent in price to a set of 17" tires. This will also give you more sidewall height, and better flotation on low-pressure tires, but the downside is a slight reduction in high-speed stability.

Also, tire brand will influence ride quality. BF's for example are bumpier than many others, because of their three-ply sidewalls. It's all a matter of priorities.

You will also find conversely that when the road becomes really bad, the Patrol will feel "softer" than most other vehicles. This is because of the exceptional articulation (vertical wheel travel) afforded by the SFA layout, and therefore less use is made of the bump-stops.

I just learned why my new Patrol's steering is more "bumpy" and less "friendly" on an uneven undulating tar road surface than that of my old Discovery 1 (which also has SFA but far less massively constructed). That and the fact that this car seems to have a steering coupling joint with a bit of play in in it (?), which you can sometimes feel "knocking" back and forth a bit, which I assume is normal? Or maybe it's the steering box setup?

Many thanks Peter.

[Peter Connan]

Clem , there is a rubber doughnut joint in the steering column, but on your brand-new vehicle there really shouldn't be any detectable play there or anywhere else in the steering.

Get somebody to help you by wiggling the steering wheel side to side very slightly while you poke and peer around underneath to see where that movement is?

[Clem]

Peter, thank you. Reading this thread http://www.patrol4x4.co.za/viewtopic.php?f=47&t=736 and other related threads, it sounds a bit like what I experienced yesterday but at a comparatively mild level. For now I'm not too worried yet.

On the steering, through the steering wheel I can feel a kind of mild occasional "knocking" when on an undulating surface at speed. This I assume(d) is a level of in-built play - probably in the rubber coupling. Nothing is detectable at low speed or while stationary.

I suspect what we may have is a new owner getting used to design specific idiosyncrasies. All cars have their "features", especially when it is a 20 year + old truck-like design. :-)

While its not impossible that there is an issue somewhere, it is rather unlikely on a brand new car.

I'm just going to relax and monitor the situation and try to get used to the machine.

[Clem]

Hm. My brand new Patrol that is now only just run gets steering wobble on what seems to be a perfectly smooth freeway. Not constantly but on and off and sufficient that the passengers notice. Even driving dead straight. First question: Is this normal? I assume not. Second question: Do I tell the local dealer to fix it or not? It is after all a warranty issue.