Rear suspension damage

[The_Skg]

Has anyone else experienced damage to the rear hydraulic suspension hoses? They’re very vulnerable being on the front of the rear suspension assembly. I understand most won’t end up in a situation where they’re at risk, but even on the highway an errant object could be kicked up by the front tires and impact the hoses where they are. Any good guards out there yet?

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[Zoidz]

This concern has come up in previos discussions, but I don't recall anyone having actual damage. I might be wrong, but from the photos it looks/sounds like you have a story to tell?

Those hoses obviously must flex and adapt to the wide suspension travel of the Rivian, so I'm not sure what else could be done as a retrofit.

 

[Mr. Ham]

How did you get things so banged up down there? some rock crawling?
Did your lines get damaged? Hard to tell for sure, and they look like they survived.

 

[Tr4ckD4ys]

Why is your underbody so banged up? I see holes and cavities.. thought this stuff holds up better

 

[R1Thor]

Why is your underbody so banged up? I see holes and cavities.. thought this stuff holds up better

Doesn't look like OP has the underbody shield. I think this looks good for the non-armored version (assuming he was doing some adventuring and this isn't just from road debris).

 

[Riviot]

This is why you have to brush TWICE a day AND floss! You've got all kinds of problems in there, might need a root canal. At the least, a couple fillings.

 

[R1Tom]

Suspension is at full downward travel in those picts. It is substantially higher up at normal ride heights...particularly at normal highway heights...reducing that risk of front tire kick up causing damage.

 

[Tr4ckD4ys]

Doesn't look like OP has the underbody shield. I think this looks good for the non-armored version (assuming he was doing some adventuring and this isn't just from road debris).

I’d agree with that if he’d been hard rock crawling but I would expect this to look better even with normal off-roading.

 

[R1Thor]

I’d agree with that if he’d been hard rock crawling but I would expect this to look better even with normal off-roading.

This is why you have to brush TWICE a day AND floss! You've got all kinds of problems in there, might need a root canal. At the least, a couple fillings.

Based on this find alone, I anticipate the story to be beyond 'casual' offroading for sure...

 

[Dark-Fx]

I personally avoid running over shit on the freeway.

 

[HJP1]

Has anyone else experienced damage to the rear hydraulic suspension hoses? They’re very vulnerable being on the front of the rear suspension assembly. I understand most won’t end up in a situation where they’re at risk, but even on the highway an errant object could be kicked up by the front tires and impact the hoses where they are. Any good guards out there yet?

Would the underbody shield have protected you, looks like you do not have it?

 

[The_Skg]

This is actually damage from the vehicle being moved by forklift. I don’t anticipate such extreme damage happening from normal use or even moderate off roading. Obviously the LCAs need repair, but it got me thinking about how vulnerable these hoses are normally. The forks on a forklift are of course flat (ish), which means the hoses are in the “danger zone” under the vehicle.

I don’t know if the underbody shield would have helped, I suspect so. I haven’t gotten a good look at one. This battery shield appears to be fiberglass, or some such composite. There’s about a 1/2” gap between it and what must be the actual battery enclosure. The vehicle will be at the SC to get the hoses and left side damper replaced, and I’ll ask their opinion.

 

[Rexbo]

After a couple death valley trips and rock crawls, the rear suspension is getting pretty beat up on my truck. No failures on the hoses but the rear passenger shock is leaking oil despite being well-protected. I'm probably going to spend some time prototyping some LCA and hydraulic hose protectors, will post pics if I get off my ass and do it.

 

[Rivianero]

Has anyone else experienced damage to the rear hydraulic suspension hoses? They’re very vulnerable being on the front of the rear suspension assembly. I understand most won’t end up in a situation where they’re at risk, but even on the highway an errant object could be kicked up by the front tires and impact the hoses where they are. Any good guards out there yet?

So, lucky me, my R1T has the exact same damage in the same location (rear left) from the same cause: forklift operator. Luckly no bites out of the arms.

No warranty, so I'm replacing the bent and leaking hydraulic line myself.

Does anyone know what specification Rivian uses for their suspension hydraulics? Articles seem to indicate that it is something special, but I would bet it is not so exotic that we couldn't find a substitute.

 

[The_Skg]

So, lucky me, my R1T has the exact same damage in the same location (rear left) from the same cause: forklift operator. Luckly no bites out of the arms.

No warranty, so I'm replacing the bent and leaking hydraulic line myself.

Does anyone know what specification Rivian uses for their suspension hydraulics? Articles seem to indicate that it is something special, but I would bet it is not so exotic that we couldn't find a substitute.

I finished my repairs over this summer and have had my T back on the road since. I got away with replacing just the jounce lines and the rear damper on only the drivers side.

It’s a Tenneco/Mclaren system, and it’s actually pretty simple to do if you’re a methodical person. I would highly recommend you watch a video by “Hollywood Mechanic” on YouTube, go to his page and search Rivian. He walks you through the process at a pretty surface level. I’d be happy to chat about the details if you have any more questions!

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