Anti Roll Bar disconnect

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Gingerbread

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I have ACE on my disco but would like to run with a completely disconnected anti roll bar off road. However, when I am on-road I would like to have the ACE.

I plan to have a mechanical disconnect but I feel it would be less than ideal having the ACE system still running and actuating without being connected to the axle.

Would I need to have a NANOCOM to enable/disable the ACE when transitioning from onroad to offroad? Or could I just switch power from the ACE pump?
 
Surely ACE should give you loads of flex off road. Are you 100% sure it is ACE limiting flex? Have you tested this on a high lift?
 
Gingerbread said:
I have ACE on my disco but would like to run with a completely disconnected anti roll bar off road. However, when I am on-road I would like to have the ACE.

I plan to have a mechanical disconnect but I feel it would be less than ideal having the ACE system still running and actuating without being connected to the axle.

Would I need to have a NANOCOM to enable/disable the ACE when transitioning from onroad to offroad? Or could I just switch power from the ACE pump?
Click to expand...
IMO first of all you should study how the ACE works and how it was built to realise that it's better off-road than those with conventional ARBs as it gves you more flexibility especially that it's completely releasing the bars at very low speeds unless it goes to the "slide slope detection" mode based on the accelerometer's inputs and locks the bars to increase stability and vehicle response on a side slope

switching off it's power sends the system to "locked bars" default when it acts like a non ACE vehicle which has less roll capability ... learn to drive it off road as it is cos it's a very well engineered system, any interference in it's operation mode can only make it worst, believe me or not
 
Gingerbread said:
I have ACE on my disco but would like to run with a completely disconnected anti roll bar off road. However, when I am on-road I would like to have the ACE.

I plan to have a mechanical disconnect but I feel it would be less than ideal having the ACE system still running and actuating without being connected to the axle.

Would I need to have a NANOCOM to enable/disable the ACE when transitioning from onroad to offroad? Or could I just switch power from the ACE pump?
Click to expand...


I though the whole point of ACE was to give you good on road handling and good axle travel off road?
 
lynall said:
I though the whole point of ACE was to give you good on road handling and good axle travel off road?
Click to expand...
It is. It is a very good system and a shame it wasn't used on other vehicles like the p38 Range Rover or Defender. Although it was used in the RRS L320 under a different name and still exists on newer full size models today.

Without knowing what the op is doing or their setup, it could be a limiting factor, but I don't have first hand experience. But they would likely need to be doing something rather extreme, rather than just a 2" HD lift kit.....
 
300bhp/ton said:
It is. It is a very good system and a shame it wasn't used on other vehicles like the p38 Range Rover or Defender. Although it was used in the RRS L320 under a different name and still exists on newer full size models today.

Without knowing what the op is doing or their setup, it could be a limiting factor, but I don't have first hand experience. But they would likely need to be doing something rather extreme, rather than just a 2" HD lift kit.....
Click to expand...
It was one thing I really missed when I bought my D3, which did and still does handle like an over loaded whale!
 
Gingerbread said:
I have ACE on my disco but would like to run with a completely disconnected anti roll bar off road. However, when I am on-road I would like to have the ACE.

I plan to have a mechanical disconnect but I feel it would be less than ideal having the ACE system still running and actuating without being connected to the axle.

Would I need to have a NANOCOM to enable/disable the ACE when transitioning from onroad to offroad? Or could I just switch power from the ACE pump?
Click to expand...

They are fine connected, you do not need to disconnect, as that is sort of what ACE does, but hydraulically.
 
lynall said:
It was one thing I really missed when I bought my D3, which did and still does handle like an over loaded whale!
Click to expand...
Indeed, the D3 is quite nice, but somewhat of a barge in the corners. The Range Rover Sport on the same platform came standard with the next Gen ACE system on the V8 models (diesel & petrol), but was optional on the V6 diesel. And never offered on the D3 or D4. I'm sure some boffin could get it to fit and work, being the platforms are the same. But I wouldn't have a clue on where to start.
 
300bhp/ton said:
Indeed, the D3 is quite nice, but somewhat of a barge in the corners. The Range Rover Sport on the same platform came standard with the next Gen ACE system on the V8 models (diesel & petrol), but was optional on the V6 diesel. And never offered on the D3 or D4. I'm sure some boffin could get it to fit and work, being the platforms are the same. But I wouldn't have a clue on where to start.
Click to expand...

I following a D5 on a roundabout, they lean well
 
300bhp/ton said:
Indeed, the D3 is quite nice, but somewhat of a barge in the corners. The Range Rover Sport on the same platform came standard with the next Gen ACE system on the V8 models (diesel & petrol), but was optional on the V6 diesel. And never offered on the D3 or D4. I'm sure some boffin could get it to fit and work, being the platforms are the same. But I wouldn't have a clue on where to start.
Click to expand...
Guy up Scotland used a rrs chassis to make a 3.6 v8 d3 with ACE, was on the d3forum, guys name was/is discomikey.
 
IN my experience the D2 with ACE is not nearly as compliant as a Defender without ARBs. I also plan to increase the amount of droop over what I have and can see the ACE ARBs becoming even more of a hinderance.
 
Gingerbread said:
IN my experience the D2 with ACE is not nearly as compliant as a Defender without ARBs. I also plan to increase the amount of droop over what I have and can see the ACE ARBs becoming even more of a hinderance.
Click to expand...
IMO if you want to transform a well enhanced D2 into a Defender better sell it and buy a Defender ... no offence
 
Gingerbread said:
IN my experience the D2 with ACE is not nearly as compliant as a Defender without ARBs. I also plan to increase the amount of droop over what I have and can see the ACE ARBs becoming even more of a hinderance.
Click to expand...
What do you mean by compliance and how is ACE impacting this? Curious to see what mods you are proposing for more droop. My guess is ACE isn't currently the limiting factor.
 
300bhp/ton said:
What do you mean by compliance and how is ACE impacting this? Curious to see what mods you are proposing for more droop. My guess is ACE isn't currently the limiting fac
Click to expand...
With anti roll bars the more travel suspension you have the more ARBs become a limiting factor as you are attempting to flex the axles further in respect to the chassis (precisely what ARBs attempt to counter).

I plan to add 125mm additional travel dampers along with dislocation cones. Without a similar increase in ARB compliance I won't be able to maximally benefit from the additional available travel.

This is just my thoughts of course and I have little experience of the disco2 and ACE. I will add the longer travel first and assess the behaviour of the ACE ARB. It may surprise me.....but I am a bit doubtful it will be ok with such an increase in travel.
 
Gingerbread said:
With anti roll bars the more travel suspension you have the more ARBs become a limiting factor as you are attempting to flex the axles further in respect to the chassis (precisely what ARBs attempt to counter).

I plan to add 125mm additional travel dampers along with dislocation cones. Without a similar increase in ARB compliance I won't be able to maximally benefit from the additional available travel.

This is just my thoughts of course and I have little experience of the disco2 and ACE. I will add the longer travel first and assess the behaviour of the ACE ARB. It may surprise me.....but I am a bit doubtful it will be ok with such an increase in travel.
Click to expand...
I agree, with enough travel any ARB can become a restriction. Or would need some relocation brackets. Although ACE is designed to allow more travel than a regular ARB, so its limits are different. A bit like the Toyota KDSS system offers impressive travel, even compared to having no ARB's, albeit they are IFS rather an live axle.

I've not got any real hands on experience with the D2's suspension. But very familiar with the Defender (RRC/D1) setups. And adding a 5" shock to a Defender will not typically give much in the way of gains in suspension travel on the front axle. As the damper (nor the ARB) is the limiting factor that restricts travel.

I'd be tempted to lift up the vehicle on a high lift with with a loader or something if you can. And drop the springs and dampers out and see how much travel you get and what limits it. That way you'll be able to jack a hub up and down and see what limits travel such as ACE or if it is something else.

+5" shocks will need new upper shock mounts and longer brake lines.
 
KDSS in off road mode is more or less a disconnected ARB. But in contrast ACE is an actuated (with hydraulic pump) hydraulic cylinder acting in series to the ARB. As you say I need to understand the limitations of the ACE better. My observations are based on ACE vehicles I have seen off road. THey do appear substantially more stiff than no ARB (unsurprisingly).
 
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