Help with a Damper issue.

[ChrisO86]

I really hope someone can help me. I am getting really stressed about this now. I will put as much info as I can.
I own a Compass Rallye GTE 490/4L 2000. It has an Alko 1300 stabiliser.
I have driven it twice now and I have a noise when braking and pulling away. On further research I believe it to be the damper, although I’ve been told it may be the brakes.
I watched a YouTube video that had a guy simply remove the front and rear bolts and the damper simply pulled out. I have done this and it is freely moving, to an extent, within the shaft but will not come out.
Also in one of the pictures you can see the larger side of the damper and it looks like nothing I can find online.
Can anyone help me remove the damper and identify what I need to purchase as a replacement.
Thank you all in advance.

 

[Beardy]

Is there a nut on the opposite end of the damper? On mine the shaft was threaded - bit of a pain to get to.

As for a replacement, hopefully there will be a part number on the damper itself when you remove it.

 

[ChrisO86]

Is there a nut on the opposite end of the damper? On mine the shaft was threaded - bit of a pain to get to.

As for a replacement, hopefully there will be a part number on the damper itself when you remove it.

On the one end it turns indefinitely without doing anything and the other end is ether unbelievably stiff or doesn’t turn as I cannot get it to turn.
The damper will move enough to bring each end out of the enclosure something is stopping it coming out. I cannot find a bolt and I have had as good a look as I can down the shaft using a torch and cannot see anything obviously blocking it.

 

[Beardy]

Just to add, you can test the damper in situ. If you push on the hitch it should compress very very slowly - it takes a lot of effort. Once compressed, release it and it should extend very slowly. To give you an idea of the effort required, I tried compressing my new damper before fitting it and it took at least half my body weight to move it.

 

[ChrisO86]

Just to add, you can test the damper in situ. If you push on the hitch it should compress very very slowly - it takes a lot of effort. Once compressed, release it and it should extend very slowly. To give you an idea of the effort required, I tried compressing my new damper before fitting it and it took at least half my body weight to move it.

Thanks. I might have to reassemble and test. From research and a YouTube video i saw I believe the issue I’m having must be the damper.
When I pull away there is a sharp thud and when I brake the caravan thuds again.
Also even though I have never towed before I believe a freelander should be towing a single axle easier than it is so I may also be having braking issues.

 

[trevormonty]

Noise maybe coming from fricton pads of stabliser. Mine made grinding noise when corning at low speed, quite normal as it ficton pad rubbing against metal. Try towing it without engaging stabliser ie knob you wind and its lever. Not engaging them won't effect safety of hitch ie trailer isn't going come of towball. I've towed 100s kms with it not engaged.

While talking about stabliser knob be very careful unwinding it, go to far and it will jam. There is little spring holding pad that binds with plastic of knob, look at shaft careful that knob seems to turn on. That shaft is actually ficton pad with circle clip at very end.

 

[ChrisO86]

Noise maybe coming from fricton pads of stabliser. Mine made grinding noise when corning at low speed, quite normal as it ficton pad rubbing against metal. Try towing it without engaging stabliser ie knob you wind and its lever. Not engaging them won't effect safety of hitch ie trailer isn't going come of towball. I've towed 100s kms with it not engaged.

While talking about stabliser knob be very careful unwinding it, go to far and it will jam. There is little spring holding pad that binds with plastic of knob, look at shaft careful that knob seems to turn on. That shaft is actually ficton pad with circle clip at very end.

Thank you. I have already changed the pads. It sorted the horrific noise it was making at low speed but not the bang as I pull off.

 

[otherclive]

Thank you. I have already changed the pads. It sorted the horrific noise it was making at low speed but not the bang as I pull off.

I don’t know how the towbar fits to the FLs structure but I had a towbar fitted to a generation 1 Mondeo estate by the Ford dealer. It fitted to two front to back box sections and clamped around them, with a bolt going through. There should have been a spacer fitted to stop the torque on the boot compressing the box section. It hadn’t been fitted so I got a clunk in pulling away and braking. A long shot s I guess the FL fitment is different for a car designed to tow trailers.

 

[ChrisO86]

I don’t know how the towbar fits to the FLs structure but I had a towbar fitted to a generation 1 Mondeo estate by the Ford dealer. It fitted to two front to back box sections and clamped around them, with a bolt going through. There should have been a spacer fitted to stop the torque on the boot compressing the box section. It hadn’t been fitted so I got a clunk in pulling away and braking. A long shot s I guess the FL fitment is different for a car designed to tow trailers.

I fitted the tow bar to my Freelander myself and was amazed at how easy it was. I really don’t know why all LandRovers aren’t factory fitted with them as they are practically made to tow.
An issue with the car was what I suspected on holiday so I took it to a garage for a check and the tow bar was fitted and tightened correctly and a brief inspection of the car revealed nothing wrong.