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Or use fibre board as used for waffle boards/sand ladders. I did my Ifor LM146 (??) in 22mm. It sat outside for a long time but as it has holes in it the water drains through and doesn't puddle As it's fibreglass it doesn't rot, and when I did mine it cost a massive £50 and it's also fairly light. It's carried about 3t of "treasure" at various times, Rand Rovers and Disco's so plenty strong enough Mark

I'm not sure if this thread is still relevant but ; - When we bought our Ifor LM146 it had of all things a caravan on it (prev owner wanted an offroad caravan) and the only piece of phenolic still left was under the front which had been made into a gas bottle store. Once the "van" was removed I priced up new phenolic board but even then, about 2008 they were £100 ish/sheet which was too expensive. I used to sell waffle boards and thought the same material would work perfectly well as a deck so we used some 22mm thick with approx 6mm holes in which has been excellent and is still on there now and was lat used at the weekend for Sodbury. It doesn't hold water, won't rot and has a fine grip on it and apart from vehicles and general treasure (tut) I've had plenty of bulk bags of various building materials on it and it works perfectly well. I've even had loose soil on and all I did was lay a tarp down first and wrap it like a parcel. I don't know if that's of any use as an idea or if you've already done it but its possibly food for thought !!! Mark

I've painted many (LR) wheels over the years as i worked in a large vehicle manufacturers Wheel Plant at Dagenham, and well, it was easy and free and seemed rude not to but I don't know if the same process is available anywhere commercially. I used to shot blasted the wheels first to remove rust and old paint and then put them through the paint system which firstly chemically washed them, sprayed them with phosphate which was an etch primer process and then they were electro coated satin black in a dip tank before finally being cured in the oven. The whole process took 1hr 10 ins i.i.r.c. The black was actually only an undercoat and could be painted if you wanted (I didn't) as many years ago they used to also be sprayed silver until it dawned on someone that they then fitted full wheel trims and so that stage was removed at a great saving. The painted wheels were obviously tested which Inc being scored and having salt water sprayed at them under pressure and they had to last something like 360 hrs which was to simulate more than a lifetimes use. If you could find somewhere where they had these facilities you'd never have any problems with them but i'm not sure it'd be cost effective or even available but possibly somewhere that paints outside fabrications used in harsh environments although i'm thinking they may be galvanised. Anyway, sorry for waffling on but thought it worth mentioning how manufacturer's paint their steel wheels. Mark.

Hi All, I'd recommend Costco which ok, you have to pay to become a member, but the tools and stuff in general are all very good quality. They now sell on-line which you can purchase from whether you're a member or not although i think its abit extra if you're not. Worth a look and if you want to go into the store to check the item out you can as a prospective member but you obviously won't be able to buy anything although beware as some stuff is on line only and not in store. Mark

Cheers Dave, So the fuel filter being hot is ok ? Thank's, Mark

Abit of a strange one, but after having a leak (again) from the fuel filter on my 2004 D2 and changing it i was making sure all was ok by taking it for a run but on my return i felt all around it to check for leakage and the filter was hot. Is this right as i must admit i never noticed this before and wouldn't have thought it should get hot. ? Thanks Mark

Thanks Chaps, Some good ideas there with the adj drop plate idea and the tube instead of a roller. I thought about the ammo box already and if it was gonna stay on the trailer i'd do it that way or possibly make a discreet (ish) box but it does cover the "where to store recovery bits problem" too. And thanks Al, i didn't understand first time round about the fairlead but i'll try the hook through it as the one i have i bought with a wire and hook and solenoid with tails etc and a wander lead from that very nice chap David Bowyer at the first Beauleigh "Sodbury" as i knew they'd come in handy one day. Don't you just love it when that happens and it makes all of those spares and shelves of bits worth it !! At the risk of being too fussy however, whatever way i do it, i don't wanna weld to the trailer but make the mount boltable as at some point i'll sell it and don't want bits welded all over it. I've just got a new motor cover and freespool lever for it as the originals were knackered and have a drum cover on order so i'll be sorting it all out fairly soon once school hols are over but want to decide how i'm doing it and get bits under way if i've gotta make anything.

Thanks Al, The Anderson connectors i have and thought it made a neater job as i'm also gonna wire up my 90 with them on side of seat box for jump starting should i ever need to but yeh i could just run onto crocodile clips. I've seen the tow ball mounts but didn't want to have to disconnect the trailer to use the winch. The fab'ing side of things isn't overly an issue as i have access to machining and laser cutting etc so it'll be well made and engineered if nothing else ! The roller guide idea started out as a 3/4 round grooved pulley which the cable runs through when vehicles on the ground and obv as it goes up ramps it'll lift out or another idea was a hardened conveyor roller to fit between the ramps that clamps or bolts to ramp lip on back of trailer and wire can move across it and again will lift off it as car moves up ramps. What did you mean ? "If your rollers are staying with the trailer make sure they are big enough for the hook to pass through." Thanks, Mark

I have a Superwinch S5000 which i want to fit to my Ifor LM146 trailer but want to fit it to be removable, not only for the obvious nickability but also for the weathering element and the fact it will only get used occassionally. I'm thinking of using Anderson connectors and it will run off cables ala jump leads but bigger (prob weld cable) as don't want to hard wire it. Does this sound ok and am i right that i'll need to put some sort of fuse in line ? I want to mount it fwd of the trailer headboard so i don't lose bed space if needed and will run the cable through a large/normal size fairlead fitted to h/board. Although the winch has one fitted already the wider one will give me more scope. Ideally it'll be level or slightly higher than trailer bed so i wondered if anyones mounted one similarly or if anyone has any ideas, views or pics would be even better ? At the other end of the trailer as it'll be running over a sharp ish edge i was thinking of making either some sort of roller or small pulley set up or poss a 3 roller or V type fairlead set up, just to cradle the wire for when the vehicle first comes up ramp. Again, has anyone any ideas, views or pics pls ? Thank's, Mark

Another well thought out bit of kit Si - Not very pc or saleable but what about "The bo LOX" range. It could be adj to cover all variants ? Gear loX Pedal loX Brake loX The list could be endless !

O.K., thanks, I'll give it a good clean and try to see exactly where its leaking but it was all put together properly and has been ok up until recently.

Hi, I'm hoping someone can offer some advice as to why would the diesel filter under the o/s wheel arch leak on my D2 ? I changed it a while ago as i had trouble starting and its been fine since but i've noticed recently that its been dropping diesel on the drive. Thanks

Thanks Fozsug, Thats the one i saw but i wanted info about where its wired into as i wanted to do it myself. Thank's, mark

Gents, I'd like to fit a new bluetooth head unit to my 2004 Landmark for the phone and mp3 facilities but am becoming abit bogged down with info etc as having decided on a unit i was told it would be a real p.i.t.a. due to the system being amplified. Has anyone fitted an aftermarket head unit who can throw some light on the subject pls ? I've also seen that the original unit can be fitted with an aux socket for mp3/phone and it retains both the CD changer and the original look of the dash but i'd like to know more about where this is connected to as its done inside the radio and i thought i'd have a go at doing it myself if anyone can offer any info about it pls ? Thank's, Mark

After trying the purge process a couple of times without success on Thurs night i recieved a smug call from my girlfriend on Fri morn to say she'd got it started. Did i say smug, abit of an understatement really as when i came home i thought her head was gonna fall off backwards she was smiling (laughing) so much. Anyway, i used it Friday afternoon and it was all ok and ran fine and then sat i used it with my trailer to pick up a couple of ton of sand etc and again it all ran fine. I'm now trying to shift the sand etc and when i get a chance will look at the filter but i'm not sure if the noisey pump was anything as i now notice it abit and am wondering if it was like that before. Finally, thanks for all the replies, help and suggestions. Mark

Or, as a fix that can be improved on ;- If they're getting ripped off when off roading try drilling a small hole along the bottom edge and use a cable tie or similar thru it to tie them up out of the way on to the handle thingy on the rear X member or somewhere else if the later Defenders don't have the handles. A simple solution but it worked for me as i found mine getting ripped off mainly when reversing and they got trapped between the tyre and ground and just hooking them up kept them out of harms way ! Mark

Thanks for all the replies everyone and the priming/purging is the first thing i'm gonna try when i get home this afternoon, so fingers crossed !! To be continued................ Mark

Hi All, I'm in need of some help pls, My Disco's not been used since early Jan but i decided that nows the time (well, 2 weeks ago anyway) i need to have the old girl back on the road to do some towing and general carting around of stuff. Its been ok in that time altho to be fair its only been used a few times but none the less it was all working ok ! But, i went to use it last night and it started up ok, moved all of about 8 ft (or should that be 2.4m in new money ?) and promptly cut out. The bloody thing wouldn't start and after a couple of times i noticed what can only be described as a pump running empty or as if pulling in air from the back which i assume to be the fuel pump and altho turning over ok it won't fire up. Does the fuel pump sound a possibility ? I'm hoping to have a look at it tomorrow and am going to have a look at and check out the fuel pump and will start by bleeding/purging the system or do you think i'm barking up the wrong tree ? Thank's, Mark

Yeh, A real p.i.t.a. when the jets freeze up and it happened on Sunday when on return journey from Eastbourne. The outward trip ok as i put some boiling water in bottle but by the time we came home it paffed out about half hour from leaving. It was ok though as combination of bottled water, fruit shoot bottle and other half getting a cold arm every so often seemed to work a treat !!! Years ago i was using Sis's Mini and had the same problem so i wound extended washer pipe around top hose and never had problem of frozen jets or water again and i'm def gonna have a look at doing this on the Disco and the 90.

I'm considoring taking the plunge and buying a diagnostics unit like a Hawkeye or Nanocom or any other if theres anything out there as i'm thinking that it would be better to put the money i'd spend on having my Disco put on a diagnostics unit at my local independant LR garage to find a fault then once repaired to reset it towards one. Any opinions, experiences or recommendations will be greatly appreciated and inparticular with breference to how good, how easy to use and if they need updating and how etc. I understood that if i buy a Hawkeye unit i get 1 lead which will do my vehicle, a 2004 D2 but if i want it to do other vehicles (i'm hoping to get a RR next year) i have to buy another lead @ about £100-120 but talking to a guy this morning at Land Rover Parts Shop.com in Doncaster about a new rear ABS sensor he said that since about 98-99 all LR's use OBD2 so it should fit everything ? Any one know if this is so pls ? Also, i mentioned it on a post about my 3 Amigos problems; The cheap RAC units from Argos. Has anyone got one and what are they like as if they do the common stuff they could be worth a punt or would they be a waste of money which could go towards a better piece of kit ? Thank's, Mark

Cheers Gadget, Thats what i wasn't sure about as the fault was so obvious i didn't understand how the garage said, and i quote "Read fault codes with ABS, T/C & HDC found right rear hub faulty requires replacement. SRS lampand cruise controlsystem non operativepossiblydue to rotary coupling link broken. Requires further investigation. Both rear side doors CDL not working possible wiring fault" Then the good bit.... Total Labour Charge - £41.13 No i haven't checked the connector under the seat i'm gonna try and have a look at that today hopefully ! I though that was the case about having them reset. I'm gonna post a topic about diagnostic kits as i'm still debating getting one as i'm now thinking that my Disco may be getting to that age where it may develop faults etc and it'd be handy cos i can't see the point of having to keep forking out for diagnostic checks and resets !

Thanks for all the replies and advice so far but the plot thickens......... Im confused as i've checked the Cruise control, horn and radio adjusters on the steering wheel and they all work ok with the SRS light on and off so i don't know if that rules out the rotary coupler or not ? I managed to have a look today at the reason for the 3 Amigos(or in this case 4) warning lights being on and found that the R/H rear ABS sensor cable was actually broken, well actually it appeared to have been bitten as it had teeth marks on but thats another story ! I'd like to ask how the fault would actually have shown on the diagnostic m/c as the garage who did the check were very specific that it was the R/H rear hub bearings. Would it be specific, i.e. in my case an ABS sensor fault or does it only give a generic R/H rear hub fault which would then be a starting point to check from ? I did a temp repair while i was under there until i get a new cable but if my temp reair was ok should the lights have gone off or do they need re-setting anyway and would this also be the case when i fit the new cable ?

The other thing i had was no cruise control either altho i don't use it alot as not a great fan and don't know if its coincidence or not but last week i checked the horn fuse and it'd blown so changed that and hey presto it worked again and then over the weekend on trip to Eastbourne the cruise control worked too ! My garage seemed to think the SRS, Horn and Cruise Control were related to the rotary coupling but at the moment i have an SRS light which comes and goes, a horn that works and a cruise which also seems to work altho i'm gonna try it again later to make sure. Too much electrickery me thinks !! Talking of diagnostic units, i was thinking of investing but am unsure as to which one as have read a few mixed reviews about Hawkeye. Can anyone shed some light pls on any others and which if any they'd recommend or not pls ? Saw cheap RAC ones @ £99.99 / £49.99 in Argos book last night whilst looking at Xmas pressies with kids, any views about these as for the money they're very good value if they work but that could be a big IF ? Thank's, Mark

Hi All, I've just had my 2004 TD5 Disco on a diagnostics m/c as i had the 3 amigos plus the handbrake/level light and an intermittant SRS light come up. I'm told its the r/h rear hub for the usual culprits, ABS, TC, HDC and t.b.h. they want (and i think a reasonable) £250 to do it as the price of the hub varies between about £150 to £250 dep on O.E.M. or Britpart/Allmakes and then poss some others too. I've read alot of threads about the sensors/hubs etc and hopefully tomorrow i'm gonna have a look and check the bearings etc just to make sure its nothing silly but ultimately i'm expecting to fork out for it to be done or buy the bits and do it myself as its not a big job, or doesn't appear to be which as we all know on here are famous last words !! Anyway, thats the easier bit, what i'd like to know is about the SRS light as the garage said it could be the rotary coupler and again having read about it it doesn't seem too bad a job but i'm abit concerned as its an intermittant fault and was ok for most of weekend. Has anyone experience of a similar fault and what did you find pls ? Thank's, Mark

Hi All, I'm in need of some advice as i have a problem with the drivers door elec window on my 04 Disco 2. Last week i lowered the drivers window and there was a bang which came from inside the dr. The window seemed to stick momentarily and then lower ok altho when closing it seemed to be slightly out of position as when reaching the top of the frame it seemed to push it fwd slightly but it did close and seemed to work ok . Anyway, i tried not to use it until i could get to investigate it but on Weds i had to lower it and it made a bang again and the glass was lowering and raising but on the tiddle and i had to help it on its way, similar to the old days with wind up window problems! I'm guessing the window has somehow come out of its track but wondered if anyone on here has knowledge of anything similar ? Thank's, Mark