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self leveling unit, repair??


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Well, might be getting somewhere positive with this..... I sent Pleiades this email after ringing them last week:

Hi Phil,

Further to our telephone conversation regarding the Boge Struts fitted to Land Rover 110 county station wagons and Range Rover Classics, I have attached some links below.

This is to a current discussion on the lr4x4 forum:

http://forums.lr4x4.com/index.php?showtopic=77667

(my username is reb78 in those posts)

This is to a much earlier discussion:

http://forums.lr4x4.com/index.php?showtopic=10310

and this was a link from the last one above describing the function of the strut: http://www.roversd1.info/misc/suspension.html

I have also attached a PDF of the pages from my workshop manual to show the self leveller and where it goes on the rear axle.

Any advice on these would be great. Some folks have ditched them and fitted harder springs (as land rover did in later vehicles), but I don’t want to go this route as I like the ride that the self leveller facilitates since it allows me to fit softer springs. I think that if a repair process was available, there might be a number of people that would choose to go that route to keep the softer springs. Finally, if you have any desire to look at these after reading all of the bits above, I have a spare one knocking round my garage floor that I would be happy to drop in for you to look at. I am in Raunds, Northants most weekends, so not too far from you to pop it over.

Thanks for your time!

Richard

and just received this response:

Hi Richard.

Thanks for the info, we did not know that the Land Rover had one of these units on it.

The sphere looks very similar to the spheres fitted to Rolls Royce and Mercedes, these we do recondition.

The whole assembly looks to be a oil filled shock, a bit like a Motocross bike shock but with a sphere attached.

The sphere looks as if it will come off quite easy just a standard threaded sphere as fitted to lots of machines.

If you can send us a sphere we will most likely be able to charge it back up to pressure giving it a new lease of life, the only problem being is what pressure?? If anyone knows the correct pressure it will be handy although there is normally a code stamped on the sphere and the pressure can be worked out from this code.

I would guess that the next stage would be to send one in, either as a complete unit or just the sphere, it does not matter either way.

You can call me on 01487 831239 if you need to.

Regards

Martin.

Please feel free to copy the info onto the forum, a little knowledge shared is allways a good thing and someone else may know even more.

Anyone know what pressure they should be at?? I'll drop my spare unit in to them at some point soon and see if there is anything they can do with it.

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I have a fairly rust free unit, so I can read all the stamped info, I've also mailed this to Pleiades.

On the sphere:

INTEGRAL HYDRAULIK TYP D 0.5-250 INH 0.5L

NR:050-4315-014-611

ZUL.BETR.UBERDR 250 BAR ZUL.BETR.TEMP. +80C

STICKSTOFFULLDR:24 BAR BAUJAMR 1983 FABR.NR

On the ram case

6-4510-00-067-0

BOGE

Made in Germany

NRC 7050

NICHT OFFEN DO NOT OPEN

Can anyone help with German abbreviations?

It would be great if someone is close enough to them to drop a unit in, as I'm finding it a problem sorting out a packing case.

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Just dropped my spare unit off with them. Its a bit of a sacrificial unit to find out if they are serviceable. Hopefully the answers will be of benefit to others on here who are interested in keeping the strut and i will post up when we have an outcome.

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I have a fairly rust free unit, so I can read all the stamped info, I've also mailed this to Pleiades.

On the sphere:

INTEGRAL HYDRAULIK TYP D 0.5-250 INH 0.5L

NR:050-4315-014-611

ZUL.BETR.UBERDR 250 BAR ZUL.BETR.TEMP. +80C

STICKSTOFFULLDR:24 BAR BAUJAMR 1983 FABR.NR

On the ram case

6-4510-00-067-0

BOGE

Made in Germany

NRC 7050

NICHT OFFEN DO NOT OPEN

Can anyone help with German abbreviations?

It would be great if someone is close enough to them to drop a unit in, as I'm finding it a problem sorting out a packing case.

Thanks Mike - just seen this post (i think he could come of Mod approval now???). With any luck Pleiades can decipher the codes! Fingers crossed we might get some working units sorted!

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After about an hour wrestling with google translate I've come up with;

ZUL.BETR.UBERDR 250 BAR = Zulaessig betriebs uber druck 250 bar = permissible operating high pressure 250 bar

ZUL.BETR.TEMP. +80C = Zulaessig betriebs temperatur +80C = permissible operating temperarature 80C

STICKSTOFFULLDR:24 BAR = stickstoff fullen druck = nitrogen fill pressure 24 bar

BAUJAMR 1983 FABR.NR = baujahr 1983 fabrizieren = manufacturing year 1983

There must be someone who read this stuff who knows German and can confirm this?

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Just had confirmation from a German speaking friend on LRO that this is what it says:

ZUL.BETR.UBERDR 250 BAR = Zulaessig betriebs uber druck 250 bar = permissible operating high pressure 250 bar

ZUL.BETR.TEMP. +80C = Zulaessig betriebs temperatur +80C = permissible operating temperarature 80C

STICKSTOFFULLDR:24 BAR = stickstoff fullen druck = nitrogen fill pressure 24 bar

BAUJAMR 1983 FABR.NR = baujahr 1983 fabrizieren = manufacturing year 1983 color number

So pretty much spot on.

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Zul.betr Uber drueck = max permitted working over-pressure (literally translated) or maxium design pressure in English. This is 1.21 x maxium working pressure at 207 bar or 3000 psi in old money.

I read fabr nr as manufacturing number or serial number

In other words the sphere is a nitrogen-filled diphagram accumulator, similar to those in Citroens, which needs to pre-charged (filled) with nitrogen to 24 bar. I think. Assuming the diphagram is intact.

Matt

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No 110's either assembled or sold in South Africa had that Boge unit. (They obviously know what is what)

The only one I have ever seen was on an ex-Uk 110 from some place way up in Africa (Cabora Bassa?) We fitted the TD5 progressive springs and the owner was pleased with that. Having driven just about the length of Africa with its ass dragging on the ground was not funny.

It's a stupid and expensive thing - a replacement waiting to happen.

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3000psi high pressure nitrogen is why LR say it's NON-Serviceable

To be fair that's the MWP of the unit as a whole, not the pressure the gas will be precharged to (24 bar / 350 psi), however the the fact remains that hydraulic accumulators can be dangerous if not handled properly, and in any case your average workshop will not have the facilities to repair/recharge it.

It's a stupid and expensive thing - a replacement waiting to happen.

Agreed. LR deleted them for a reason - albeit probably cost driven - but given later models can cope perfectly well with progressive rate springs, that's the route I and others have taken.

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To be fair that's the MWP of the unit as a whole, not the pressure the gas will be precharged to (24 bar / 350 psi), however the the fact remains that hydraulic accumulators can be dangerous if not handled properly, and in any case your average workshop will not have the facilities to repair/recharge it.

Thats why i;ve given mine to a workshop that deals with these regularly rather than dismantle it myself

Agreed. LR deleted them for a reason - albeit probably cost driven - but given later models can cope perfectly well with progressive rate springs, that's the route I and others have taken.

Depends on what you want though really - I like the ride with mine, but my springs would struggle when laden without the leveller. Mine still works (as unbeleivable as this is) but i was interested in researching the options for repairing it when it does break. I wouldnt want it on an overlanding vehicle mind, but thats not what mine gets used for, so i still think there is a place (and some demand) for them.

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I think they're a good thing, you get a nice cushy ride, decent load carrying and excellent articulation without a compromise (except when the LL fails....)

110's assembled here back in the eighties had them fitted.

I was checking out some links the other day and it appeared as if ZF in Germany (the owners of Boge, SACHS, etc) were going to offer a rebuild/changeover service for load levelers as they were also fitted to older Mercs, etc to service/tap into the classic car market.

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I was curious about what progress was, so I had a chat with Martin at Pleiades, he's successfully got the unit apart, with a small loss of oil which squirted out, and is in the process of ordering seals for the ram. He seems optimistic that he can reassemble and recharge the sphere, and now he's found the refill hole, get the oil back in. Then it's back to reb78 for a test.

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That's good news from pleiades. I better give them a ring though because the ball joint was pretty worn at the top of that one, so if its too worn and not changeable, I'm not sure how useful that one will be other than to practice on - I did mention that when I dropped it off.

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Hi all

I am in a similar position of having one of these units, but in a sorry state, as rust/corrosion has taken its toll.

Full credit to those for finding and speaking with Pleiades.

On searching the web I came accross this supplier who offers some parts for the self leveling unit, namely the rubber gater.

http://www.mcdonaldlandrover.co.uk/parts/index.php?cPath=21_36_356&sort=3a&page=2

Hope this link ois of use???

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  • 1 month later...

Just a quick update on this. I have picked up the unit from Pleiades. They have changed the seals, refilled with oil and recharged the pressure in the sphere. I'm just going to source the ball joints (top and bottom) and then when the weather warms up, i will give it a trial fit and see what happens.

I have found bearmach ball joints on sale for it for as little as £4 each (and also as on Phoenix's link above), so it makes sense to change them as part of the process.

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  • 3 months later...

Right. Time to resurrect this...

I finally fitted the recon leveller today. First impressions are that the suspension is stiffer because it is holding its height better when loaded. However, there is a rather annnoying clunk/bump on rougher ground now as the axle moves up and down. Its perfectly smooth on main roads and the clunk/bump seems worse when going slower.

The leveller ball joints are new. They felt tight when fitted, so i dont think the clunk is them (they are done up tight). Since it didnt do it before, it must be something to do with the leveller? I'll just use it for now to see if it settles down.

Removing the old one was a bugger - i had to get the chassis up so that the axle could hang. For a while, i thought i was going to have to remove the shocks to let the axle drop further, but there was just enough room with it hanging.

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I took some measurements this afternoon.

Before changing the leveller, the wheel arch to tyre distance was 2 inches passenger side and 3 1/2 inches drivers. Now, its 1 3/4 and 2 respectivley. Both of these were taken after a run, so it if was going to pump up then it should have done. It doesnt look like this has worked at the moment. I'll give Pleiades a ring next week and see what they think, but it was such a faff to take the thing off and replace it, that i might give up soon.

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