Description and principle of operation of the front suspension (Defender 2007+)

Front suspension

Pos.	spare no	Name
1	parts	Diagonal torque rod (panhard rod)
2	-	trailing arms
3	-	Cylindrical springs
4	-	shock absorbers
5	-	Roll Stabilizer

Description

The front suspension design maximizes wheel travel and axle mobility to achieve good ground clearance without compromising traction or roadholding.

The long trailing arms on the front axle provide maximum axle flexibility, which is essential for off-road use. The trailing arms are attached to welded support brackets welded to the front axle. Elastic rubber bushings on the end pivot serve to secure the rear ends of the trailing arms to the supports on the chassis cross member.

The diagonal torque rod, which keeps the front axle centered, is mounted transversely and uses swaged rubber bushings on both the axle and the chassis.

Two rubber bushings with retaining clips secure the rear of the anti-roll bar to the chassis mounts, while the bushings support the front of the anti-roll bar to the front axle.

Conventional long-travel coil springs and hydraulic shock absorbers are used to control body movements in all driving conditions. The shock absorbers are mounted on welded struts that are bolted to the chassis. The top and bottom fasteners use a single locating stud with flexible rubber bushings, support washers and lock nuts. Mounting plates are used to fix coil springs on welded posts and supports on the bridge.


Rubber camber stops are located under the chassis, next to the front springs, and prevent potential damage that could result from excessive axle movement relative to the chassis.

Front suspension, MY 2002

Pos.	spare part no	Name
1	-	bolts
2	-	bushings
3	-	Diagonal reactive	barbell (panhard rod)

Changes have been made to improve the durability of the suspension. Currently, diagonal rods are made by forging. New diagonal rods are introduced, welded from steel pipes and machined.

The rods are equipped with larger bushings with M16 bolts instead of M14. The tightening torque of the new bolts has been increased to 230 Nm.

The support brackets for the diagonal rods are now welded from tempered steel, making it possible to tighten the fastening bolts with a higher torque.