That's what vertical deflections are for, you go too fast, you damage your car. None of us like the things at all. I've honestly never smashed my car even fully loaded, mind you if I can't get my wheelbase equi'd because someone's parked on the LHS I'd slow to 1/2 speed in that 30MPH zone.

 

There are speed bumps in Birmingham which scrape my car even at a slow walking pace. My point was really that there is a definite difference between my 2.8 diesels and the 3.3 petrols. My 2.8 will often ground on the sort of narrow country lanes where the road is cambered away from the centre, with or without a bit of grass in the middle.

Those SPACCER kits seem worth a look. Thanks Scotsman4th

 

The something very seriously wrong with your MOTA's suspension & - or geometry. The 2.8 CRD Ltd Edn weighs in @ 2225 kg and roof to road is 1749 mm across all models and sill height to ground 40.1 cm.

 

Thanks QinteQ. Page 97 of 2005-RG Service manual lists curb height measured from the top of the wheel arch at the front, as 755mm +/-11mm. I just did a quick measurement of mine and both sides are 725mm, so, as you say, there is a problem. Can the coil springs sag with age? I know I have..

 

Here, how about giving us a picture of one of your front wheels side on so we can comment regarding ours.

 

You may got new shocks with coils as a complet unit , they came only to the Gas models. The coils on CRD is much stronger & dos not come as a unit = Shock+coil.

There has been sellers thinking the shocks with coils fits all models. Whats not true. If you got Gas coils you can for sure feel it .

There is a big weight different on the 2.5 & 2.8 , The 2.8 has the heavy auto transmission. Both got their own front coils.

 

There is definitely a difference. My cousin had a 2.5 and later a 2.8 and we used to go up to Scotland every summer quad-biking. Anyway there was one place near Loch Ness we used to camp and my 3.3 zips down the track loaded with tools and towing a trailer with 2 bikes yet both of his would bump and scrape their way down with little more than some camping equipment and the seats removed!

 

Q, I'm pretty sure when they first introduced the 2.8 in Spring 2004 it came with standard seating. Later that year they introduced 'Stow n Go' as an option. I'm not sure when 'Stow n Go'became a standard fitment.

My undertray was missing when I bought the 2007 2.8 I have now, but I still get the same grating noise when going over speed bumps a bit too quick that my 2004 2.5 produced and that did have an undertray. I've always put it down to the rubber lip underneath the front bumper that hits the tarmac as a result of the car nose-diving when dropping from the top of the speed bump.