Chicken Drumstick

As long as you keep the chassis (original one or new replacement) without being modified (arguable on what is modified) and 2 major components you should be ok. DVLA state to keep the ID your vehicle needs to score 8 or above from: Chassis (not modified or 2nd hand) = 5 points Steering = 2 points Axles = 2 points Transmission = 2 points Suspension = 2 points Engine = 1 point I think you should be ok.

What are you planning to do with the vehicle? A Toyota axle swap will not likely be cheap, not unless you can fab up all the bits you need yourself. 24 spline axles are stronger in some area's but still suffer in others. It may be cheaper/easier to just make your Landy axles a little stronger with some after market parts. For many this will be sufficient for most off roading. If you plan extreme use or huge tyres then yes, an axle swap will probably be the better bet. As far as I understand it, Toyota axles are a lot stronger and probably more capable than built Rover ones, plus you can upgrade the Toyota one too. However there are stronger better axles than the Toyota ones out there and may not actually cost much more to do. This is all my opinion though and I might well be wrong..... lol

As Disco's are so cheap these days I've been toying with the idea of making a pickup out of one. Partly for the look, practicality and to save weight (lower CoG too I guess ) I'd be looking to keep it full length to avoid any SVA issues with a modified chassis, just looking at chopping the body tub down. Hows it done and what sort of cab top and back do people use? Does a 90 cab fit or is it easier to retain the original Disco roof and just fab up a back to it. Is it easier with a 3 or 5 door? I was hoping to use a 300Tdi or 3.9V8 so I guess a 5 door might be my only bet? Thanks. BTW - pics, advise and the big print edition for dummies are all welcome

Anytime, sorry it only goes to 5000rpm, I created it for Tdi engines although the Td5 doesn't rev much more (5250rpm I think).

Sadly its not that easy. You can work it out this way. For a 235/85r16: Rim = 16" Width = 235mm Profile = 85% of the width (235/100) x 85 = 199.75mm You have two side walls, top and bottom so double it. 199.75 x 2 = 399.5mm Convert to inches (1" = 25.4mm) 399.5 / 25.4 = 15.73" Add the rim diameter 16 + 15.73 = 31.73" total tyre diameter. Saldy manufactures don't always measure the tyres in exactly the same way, so their specs may not reflect fully the physical size of the tyre. Big lugs are also not always accounted for very well. Tread width is also different to tyre width. A 265/75R16 should be about 31.65" tall, so slightly shorter than a 238/85R16 but wider. If you want bigger tyres you may or may not need bigger rims depending on what you have. In the tyre world there are more BIG tyres in 15", mostly because you want a big sidewall and most American 4x4's use 15" rims as stock. Land Rover have usually used 16" rims, so while you have less choice it is still a well supported rim size. As for width, well it depends. You can usually get away with mounting large profile tyres on narrowed than spec rims. A 33.12.50R15 requires a rim which is 10" wide (15x10) however on such a large profile you will have no trouble running them on an 8" wide rim (15x8). Things to watch for with bigger tyres, they reduce steering lock and will rub on full lock so you need rims with a different offset. However this can cause them to stick out from the body work which is illegal in the UK. Bigger tyres will also up your overall gearing and may hamper performance and braking ability. They are also heavier and more likely to brake stuff.

Cool, looks like a neat bit of kit, wonder if you can get them here, wouldn't mind one myself. What's your other hobby BTW? Couldn't quite make it out in the pic..

The standard Disco bottle jack should have a cup shaped U on it, this goes under an axle near to where the radius locates. You don't need to jack the whole chassis up as it'll cause the suspension to droop. Just jack the axle as per the manual. Failing that, buy a trolley jack (£30-50) same idea, jack the axles not the chassis. But easier to use than a bottle jack. Lastly if you have bumpers/sill protectors with attachments for a hi-lift jack then use one of those (£30+) but you will have to jack the chassis to get the wheels off the ground.

The V8 is less because its alloy block, however they are not as light as some sources on the web claim, especially the latter cross bolted blocks. V8's are listed as low as 318lbs (145kg), but I don't know if its dry/wet or dressed, but it is for an early incarnation of the engine. Tdi I can vouch is heavy, it took 4 of use to lift one into a back of a car and I spent a week in the hospital as a result.

+1 on a 235/85R16 or some 7.50R16's

Depends what you want from it. 3.54 will be ok'ish IMO but it won't do any favours for acceleration, probably mpg or crawling ability. If you let me know the gear ratio's I've got a spread sheet to work out speeds, I'll post them up so you see the difference in gear options. Personally if you have the £££ I'd say go for 4.75:1 with those tall tyres.

Interesting Without sitting down and clicking all the links, what were the highlights of the Landy?? What sort of power was it laying down, transmission, did it still have 4wd and low range? Thanks.

Sorry thread hijack! Sounds an interesting project, is there a build thread for it or any more info? What tranny are you planning on using?

Coolio. Any pics of it installed, what make did you say it was?

Only reason to go non-stock is to gain something over stock, but it'll be at the cost of something else as a rule. Also if you plan on different shocks it would make more sense to look at an overall package. Just depends what you want from the vehicle. I remember a time when it was the thing to fit Bilstiens (sp?), they do make it handle different on the road (more level, better turn in maybe), but they also ride worse and have more drastic manners when you go past the limits.

standard is probably your cheapest route and they are more than good enough - OEM parts are usually pretty good, just not focused to a particular ability. If yo want better street manners and road handling or better off road ability then you need to look elsewhere.

I don't think it'll be much of an issue tbh. I mean Disco or LR's aren't really very quiet at the best of times so I can't see it really being an issue. Also BFG MT's are standard issue on quite a number of 4x4's around the world, so they are an acceptable tyre. Also don't think mpg will be much of an issue. You're not going to massive extremes in terms of boggers with 2" deep lugs.

I don't know, I guess it would depend on terrain, driving style and type of tyres. If its just a set of A/T's used on grass then its a lot less stress than some huge boggers being used for rock crawling. In the US were they like to run lockers and there's a lot of rock crawling, I think 35" is about as big as they go with Rover axles, no matter whats been done to them. In the UK on mud and ruts I dare say you'd get away with a bit bigger.

I think you may have hit the nail on the head. Maybe we at LR4x4 should see about setting up some sort of 4x4 organisation/representative body for just such a thing. It does seem silly when you can literally build a brand new classic car, retaining none of the original parts and then slap the ID of a tax exempt vehicle on it and be ok and legal, yet you can't even bobtail a Disco with technically needing an SVA.

That's my understanding. However even if you do replace the chassis with a 2nd hand one, but all other parts remain original (at least original type). How is anyone going to know that the chassis has been swapped at all? The regs say SVA, but tbh only if you tell them about it. A standard vehicle really shouldn't need an SVA. Same would go if it was a classis car like a Herold or something. You might have two, one with perfect body, engine and running gear but knackered chassis and another with a solid chassis, panel damage and a dodgy engine. Swapping the good chassis onto the other car would be no more dangerous or deceiving than buying a new chassis. Just make sure you then scrap the remains of it and fill in all the correct paper work.

I'd say it should be fine. I mean who would know? Unless you go and tell them about it no MOT tester will no that the winch mount is a modification to a new chassis. And unless you tell them, how will they even know its a new chassis? If its of the same spec they wouldn't be able to tell how old it is and you could say its always been on the vehicle and they couldn't prove otherwise.

Disco's are great fun but for trialling they have limits. If there are other Disco's/RR's its not so bad, but if the club is mostly 90's, 88's and other small vehicles you'll have to accept that you probably won't be challenging for top spot very often. Its when you get a lot of trees that you'll really start and notice the size. Mine has damage on both front wings and a huge dent in the side (behind drivers door, its a 3 door). A 90 probably would have suffer no damage at all but only due to being smaller. A 110 I think you'd fine similar issue and turning circle. It'd still be a real hoot and a lot of fun though. If its just for trialling a SIII 88 is hard to beat for all out fun and ability. But then you will also lack the power, articulation and many other attributes found on the Disco.

Not sure how your budget stands, but the D3 TDV6's are cheaper and cheaper at the mo. The 6 speed auto in them is miles better as is the 2.7. If it is in scope it might be worth looking at the 5 door Wrangler, 116" wheelbase (as much space as a 110) with a 2.8 CRD motor and an auto. They go very well and offer a mix of old school Defender abilities and feel with some more modern D3 like attributes in terms of spec and daily use. Also rated at towing 3500kg.

I agree there, my cousin recently bought a TR7 from a trader who had it MOT'd. Nothing strange in that, except the inertia reel setbelts didn't work. Makes you wonder what they checked??

Sorry Just thinking about this again. If you took that same scenario of the RR, yet kept it's 100" wheelbase and fitted a Defender body (100" version), then you wouldn't have a modified chassis (unless you count the out riggers/cross members) and it would still be original. Not that I plan on doing this, I just wouldn't mind knowing the answers. Thanks