Rear suspension (2.0L)

[rayd8or]

Hi everyone,

Has anyone else got a poor rear suspension?
Over speed humps at anything other than walking pace causes the rear to 'bottom out' with a distinctive thump!
Obviously with rear passengers it is worse but even driving alone it is very noticable.

Is this just the way they are and/or can they be uprated.

Any help welcomed

Ray

[madmile]

Is it bottoming out, or is it just a thump. The rear antiroll bar bushes are very prone to wear, or the brackets snapping and this will give a definite clonk over bumps.

[missfixit70]

Got to agree with Ed on that, check your anti roll bar bushes, brackets & droplinks. Mine bottoms out occasionally when I'm well loaded up with the back box on if I don't slow right down for humps & bumps, hence I've got some air spring assistors waiting to go on.

[ptatham]

I did! Fixed it last night.

Bought my freda a month ago and only when I compared it with another bongo I noticed that it was very low at the back. I put it on a ramp and had a look at the coil springs and the top two turns were permanently compressed. I bought 2 nearly new springs from ebay for £20 and fitted them yesterday. Although it was a bit of a fiddle (needed spring compressors), it didnt take that long to do. I reckon the back of my freda is now a whole 3" higher than it was and as such it no longer bottoms out on speedbumps.

Suggest you take a look underneath, might be worth a look to see if you have the same problem.

Patrick

[rayd8or]

Cheers I'll check it out. It seems ok on a run on smooth roads, it's just when you hit a pothole or similar the rear suspension seems very very hard. Thanks for the replies.

Ray

[missfixit70]

It's not having to "work" or move on a flat bit of road, so it won't be noticeable until you hit any bumps.

[dandywarhol]

I did! Fixed it last night.

Bought my freda a month ago and only when I compared it with another bongo I noticed that it was very low at the back. I put it on a ramp and had a look at the coil springs and the top two turns were permanently compressed. I bought 2 nearly new springs from ebay for £20 and fitted them yesterday. Although it was a bit of a fiddle (needed spring compressors), it didnt take that long to do. I reckon the back of my freda is now a whole 3" higher than it was and as such it no longer bottoms out on speedbumps.

Suggest you take a look underneath, might be worth a look to see if you have the same problem.

Patrick

Sounds like someone has "adjusted" the ride height The Great Pretender stylee by taking a welding torch to the rear springs and heated the top coils til they deform