Delphi Air Suspension Helps On And Off-Road Performance For Land Rover Discovery 3
Published: 8th October 2004
Land Rover Discovery 3
The new design of airsleeve is constructed of soft, thin rubber reinforced with nylon chords: a construction chosen to minimise suspension harshness. An aluminium restraining cylinder is placed around the airsleeve to give it rigidity, increase durability and allow it to resist very high pressures. Protection from mud and stones is provided by a rubber gaiter.
During the design processes, Delphi engineers paid particular attention to component sharing between front and rear units and to design-for-manufacture, allowing faster development and reducing both development and manufacturing costs. Final calibrations were supported by Delphi’s mobile ‘ride laboratory’, which allows the specification of components such as dampers, air springs, spring aids and top-mounts to be quickly changed and evaluated on the vehicle.
Several new manufacturing and quality control processes were developed to ensure that the units will withstand the very high pressures required. More than 35 in-line tests confirm critical stages of assembly, including two high-resolution laser gauges accurate to just 0.001mm. At the end of the production line, a bespoke helium leak test system is used to verify the performance of every unit before delivery to Land Rover’s plant in Solihull, UK.
As well as enabling an outstanding combination of on- and off-road ability, the airsuspension system provides automatic self-levelling, regardless of the mix of passengers, cargo or trailering requirements, the ability to change the ride height for increased ground clearance or to improve the approach and departure angles for off-road driving, and the ability to lower the vehicle to ease loading or for trailer attachment.
Other Delphi technology on the Discovery 3 (LR3) includes Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) to increase comfort on long journeys, the latest Passenger Occupant Detection System (PODS II) for ‘smart’ airbag control, a high-durability lead / calcium battery and a carbon canister for the emissions control system.
