Kev Baldwin

Grand Trek M/Ts are a decent tyre. I went on a Dunlop PR event when they launched them in the UK. Weird thing is I've never heard of them since or ever seen them advertised in the UK.

They need to be cheap. A main dealer contact of mine was telling me his LR two dealerships sold a total of one car between them the other week and took a £1000 loss on it to shift it. Had a MUD customer in the other day with new 08 model 90 who had managed to haggle a £4k saving on list.

Top man! PM sent.

Cheers! The spare lives on the bonnet of the 130 but the weight of the tyre prevents the regular bonnet catch from releasing. It's ok if there's two of you - one to 'pop' the cable release-the other to lift the bonnet, but if you're on your own, you have a problem. Dipping the oil has become a two man job! FWIW, the correct bonnet stay for a bonnet mounted spare wheel should be the straight round tube type rather than the hinging flat bar type. But I guess you knew that didn't you Jamie!

You know the ones. The springy hook type. Yes I know I could use the rubber bungee type or bonnet pins but I'm a sucker for the genuine look. It's an OE thing....

East Coast Rovers hoods are supplied by Badger Coachworks in the US. 110 hood will be a custom item. FWIW. Badger Hoods make the finest LR hoods in the world.

The feature was in LRW last month. To drive that route you'll need to book the services of the 'Queens Guide' to act as your guide. Don't underestimate the risk involved in driving across Morecambe Bay. Tackling it on your own is asking for trouble!

Give these guys a shout. http://www.bc4x4.com/ They've helped me out with projects in the past.

There's nothing to stop you from swapping the seats around to move the position of the backrest adjustment. A friend of mine has done exactly this. You can cut the raised lip at the back of the seat but it won't give any more adjustment on seat travel. You'll also need to grind out the pressed 'stop' on each seat slider that determines the seat travel and add a blob of weld to the rear of the slider to act as a new stop. This will prevent the seat base from sliding all the way off the back of the frame! You may find due to the angle of the seat, you'll still need to add spacers under the back of the seat to use the extra travel on the slider. Alternatively, fit a set of MUD Rails....

Thank you gentleman for your kind words, and of course, your custom! Simmonites and DLS and lots of other big outfits no longer go to Billing or any of the shows for one good reason. Money! Too much time, effort and outlay for very little return.

Nice pics Jim. I've driven that trail myself on a couple of occasions and pics can never portray just how steep those climbs are. And more importantly, just how far down you'll fall if you get it wrong!

The AT is not a park up for week base camp trailer, more of a pull up for the night before moving off early in the morning way of off-road trailering. The Trek Overland and their like style trailers are IMHO waaaaay too OTT for day to day use. I prefer the Adventure Trailers more simplistic approach for solo or two person travelling. Each to their own I guess. FWIW, a pull out awning/annexe is available to create extra living space.

Check out Adventure Trailers. Tough as nails trailers for those who can do without the on board wine cellar, 24 piece dinner service and matching salt and pepper pots. I know where there is an AT Chaser trailer if you want a closer look...

I'd say the Cooper S/T (not to be confused with the STT) is the tyre that best fits your requirements. It's a MT/AT hybrid that even comes in the thinking mans 255 tyre size. Will be perfect for CB without deafening you on the long drive to the alps!

I thought the CB regs stipulate M/T tyres rather than A/T.

Had an email from Kim at Performance and Protection at 16:30 today to say that Steve Burgess and Dan Evans (from P&P) have set sail in their attempt to make the first vehicular crossing of the Bering Strait from Russia to Alaska . The crossing is expected to take 16hrs and you can keep an hourly check on progress at the Cape to Cape website Ranulph Fiennes, Iveco and Ford have all so far failed at similar attempts so fingers crossed for a slightly mad Yorkshire dairy farmer and his 110. Bon Voyage!

AFAIK, Richards or Designer (can't remember which) have been commisioned by the Series 1 club to do a batch of 80in chassis.

A wide angle prop won't do anything to counter vibrations. You need a double cardan front shaft.

Many years ago I worked with a guy who during his time in the army worked on the Centaur evaluation trials The reason the military never bought them was because it was a hopeless pile of s**te....

Rema Tip Top (the puncture repair people) have been doing balancing beads way for years. There's goes by the brand name 'Equal'. There's a useful ready reckoner on how much you'll need on the Expedition Exchange website. As has been suggested, any truck tyre outfit will almost certainly have a Rema Tip Top account and will be able to get hold of it if they don't stock it.

OK for a weekend plaything but not ideal for a daily driver. Lots of flex at the expense of some driveability. There was an infamous instance of Safari Gard's own truck flipping under an emergency brake test at a suspension shoot out some years ago. The system that failed was alledgedly the prototype 3-link system and was subsequently beefed up. FWIW Safari Gard is no more so the only off the shelf option these days is the QT system. Personally I've never seen the point in 3-link for UK style 'muddy' off-roading.

Yes they'll fit straight onto a '98 model. Turning circle may be reduced, but only very slightly from massive to a bit more massive. I think the LR version has the part number or some form of ID cast into them.

....and broke something expensive sounding in the front axle trying to drive over the pile of scrap cars.

Vibes 99.9% likely to be from front prop. This is common of trait of the Disco post-list. The cure is a Double Cardan front prop of the same type fitted to D2. LR version doesn't have grease nipples. A good aftermarket custom version will. My 300Tdi Auto displayed exactly the same vibration problems you describe immediately following a lift. DC prop fitted. Result - instant cure. As above. It's a good idea to swap the rear prop for an earlier Disco or RR version so you can do away with the crappy rubber donut. You'll also need to swap the rear diff pinion flange from the three bolt to a four bolt fixing. You can rob one from a scrap diff (don't forget to retrieve the thick spacer/washer that lives behind the pinion flange) or Britpart does a kit that includes everything you need including flange, seal, new nut and the spacer. Since you may as well pop in a new pinion seal anyway, the kit is a good way to go. Sorry don't know the part number but if you ask an independent supplier to source it it'll be listed as a 'pinion flange kit' or similar for a 200Tdi Disco or any Defender axle.

Just a thought. 'Leyland DAF' are now known as LDV Vans these days so search for a LDV dealer in your area. Some LDV dealerships are still attached to a DAF truck dealership, however, the only connection between the two companies these days is an historical one.