Bought a new 2006 LR3 but noticed something interesting today. When I put the air suspension in the lowest mode the rear tires really tow in alot. I then raised the suspension to normal ride height and it was not towed in as bad but I checked it with a level and the tires are still towed in a good amount. Has anyone else noticed this, is it normal? I don't think it should be like this!! I am concerned that this will cause uneven tire wear and it looks quite stupid as well. Now, I must say I never noticed the tow in on the dealer lot or once I got it home until I dropped it down. Maybe once I drive it down the road the tires will go back to being more upright....I hope....

Also, I have a question about the so called tow package. I asked my salesman if the vehicle had a tow package or hitch and he said yes and I would just have to buy the insert piece which I assumed was the piece that has the ball on it for like $20 at walmart. Come to find out I had to buy an adapter and electronics for $680 to tow and THEN i can tow. I feel like this was very misleading. What was your experiences regarding this?

 

Are you sure you are describing this correctly?. Do you mean toe-in/toe-out or camber change? (the top of the tire leaning in or out as compared to the bottom). Crooked also means a uneven relationship, i.e. a ride height difference between the right rear and the left rear. Respond and maybe I can help you. Regarding the tow package, yes it is unfortunate the salesman did not inform you that it is not a simple matter of sliding in a reese insert. The factory towing aid package is a expensive proposition.

Regards,

Mike McLaughlin

www.eurotekapg.com -- the source for the do-it-yourself Land Rover owner/enthusiast

 

hey geoman, thanks for the comments. let me explain this better, if you stand behind the vehicle and look at the rear wheels: the top of the wheels are towed in towards the center of the vehicle. don't know what that is called but it doesn't look right and don't know what would be needed to be checked/fixed to correct this. i have seen pics of badly worn inner tires to the point of belts showing and i want this fixed now if it will become a problem.

i called the dealership and talked to service and they said it will tow in slightly when lowered but that it was not meant to be driven in that position. like i said also, it improves quite a bit when i raise it to normal ride height but is still able to be seen that it is crooked with a level.

any help is appreciated!

 

Okay!--- what you are describing is referred to as "negative camber". Positive camber has the top of the tire/wheel "leaning" out towards you as compared to the bottom. Now-- "toe" is something completely different. If you were standing, say on a ladder, and looking down on a set of front wheels (or rear) and they were "pigeon toed"--or pointed in-- this is called "toe-in". If they were pointed out, say like a flat-footed person's feet, then this is called "toe-out".

With all that said, the negative camber you are observing is a result of changing suspension geometry at the lower ride height. As the service department guy told you, this is not a normal attitude for the vehicle when it is driven down the road, and so is of little concern. It is only when a vehicle has negative camber settings (which loads the inside edge of the tire) and is driven consistently in this manner---that premature and uneven tire wear will occur. The real issue here is whether the camber and toe--- is within factory spec at normal ride height. And that-- can only be confirmed by putting your vehicle on a professional alignment rack, OR by using hand-held camber and toe gages and performing a check on all four wheels.

Negative camber is something you see utilized on race cars to optimize the "contact patch" for grip in corners as the suspension geometry changes with weight transfer. These guys don't care about tire wear, as the racing tires only have a short life before their grip goes off. On street vehicles you only see improper camber angles when people have fitted non-standard wheel/tire/spring combinations and are not aware of suspension geometry--- and how it changes when you mess with ride heights and rolling diameters.

Hope this helps,

Geoman

www.eurotekapg.com

 

at the dealer there are a set of measuring devices used with wds and an alignment machine it will be covered under warranty there was a "mishap" at the factory and some came thru with issues mostly air suspention values coming from the sensers but sometimes toe issues (make sure to set it in mid range height not access or off road)

 

We were recently informed that there's a recall on the air suspension valves on our '05 LR3. Not sure if this will apply to your '06. Our valves needed to be upgraded to more heavy-duty ones. Apparently the original ones cracked/leaked. Perhaps this is related to your problem?

 

Lisa,
There is also an technical service bulleton out regard tire wear on the LR3's so keep that in mind when you visiit the shop. I have seen 2 or 3 other articles about what you have been describing and they question the same thing, pretty normal based on the design of the suspension.
Mike

 

I am seeing the same problem on my MY06 LR3. The inside of all 4 tires are scalloping or wearing. I went to the dealer and they told me that it was because of the full time 4 wheel drive.

We have about 12,500 miles but I am concerned about the wear.

I checked the NHTSA complaint web site and found 1 complaint for MY 2005 and 2006 LR3. If we want to move the needle on improving the manufacturer response then we all should file one.

Here is the link:

http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/pr...aintsearch.cfm

Disco Mike, do you know what the Technical Service Bulletin number was?