bobcat

Thanks for the replies, it'll be a long 2 days - now where did I put those I-spy books??

Bit of a general mechanical question. Got a 1,200 mile journey to do in a short space of time. 2 people driving in shifts, good sleeping seat, 300 litres fuel capacity so other than an occaisional toilet break and leg stretch there's no obviously reason to stop. But what's best for the truck mechanically ? My guess is continual running and a low-stress driving style is the best way to go, but is that really the case? Does an engine need rest? Any thoughts? (2.8 international engined def 110 with 700kg trailer.)

Thanks for this Les, I imagine it's a case of getting the load even, low and over the axle?

Cheers anyway, For now and for calculations, I guess I'll assume a Sankey+400kg doesn't come apart over 55mph and is capable of safely cruising at 60-65mph when conditions allow.

Thanks once more Will. Good to hear that the gearbox gave plenty of warning before it expired! RE: front diff – I guess I'll just have to check with the bank. RE: the gearbox temperature, I'm tempted to remove my (solid) steering guard, as I suspect this impedes the cooling. Otherwise it's a case of taking things easy, until I can afford that £5,999 box.

Thanks, but I'm still trying to work out what that safe speed is likely to be in order to schedule my journey. You're right about the recommended speed, however the idea of crawling along at 45mph when normally I would do 75mph is a little daunting!! Just for the sake of theory, assuming the conditions were good to drive at 80mph (trailer-free) how fast could you safely tow a Sankey in the same situation? thanks in advance

Ooops, should probably blow the dust of my highway code leaflet. How about in a less regulated environment? Say 3,000 miles of straight desert road without speed cameras? I've got a long way to go, so 5mph here and there is going to make a big difference.

Hi, I'm planning on aquiring a 3/4T. Sankey Wolf trailer to tow behind my Defender (tdi/tgv). Being new to towing I'm wondering what kind of (safe) cruising speeds can be managed on good tarmac roads. (It'll be carrying about 400kg). Cheers

Will, many thanks for this. See your point on the front internals, although I'm still tempted to go with the new CV's/Half shafts at the front, partly because the existing ones have had a hard life, but also because a broken CV will leave me with an undrivable vehicle, whereas a broken diff will mean I can pull out the shafts and creep out in 2WD. (Someone please tell me if this is bad logic!). Also, I'm loathe to replace a brand new diff without at least getting a trip out of it ! Had a chat with MD Eng. about their 242mm HD clutch (they're no longer doing the 250mm) , but at £370 for the kit it's a little painful on the wallet. A 130 clutch is under £100 – do you think the difference is worth it? Your experience with the R380 is worrying me. Mine is an Ashcroft, with I seem to remember, "bigger bearings", what that means in practice I'm not sure. Would it be worth adding a cooler? Rick -- Uprated back axle shafts are on the wishlist for next time, the Maxi drives look good, in the meantime I'll have to grab some new OE's to hit my deadlines. Oiled bearings - sounds like a good option, is it really as simple as leaving out the seal? Anything else to consider? Diesel Jim - does it come with chassi, engine, stereo etc.? John - will PM

Just running 265/75 bfg's no tractor wheels! I'm looking at a set of HD CV's, halfshafts and drive members from Ashcroft for the front. I'm guessing these will hold up well. The front diff is standard Rover, but only a few hundred miles old. Transfer box is recon (20k old). R380 is 40k old (from new). I was thinking these last 3 components would hold! But reading Will's post I'm less sure... Seems like there's a good argument for driving the TGV with a gentle right foot... In terms of use: long motorway miles towing medium weights and then deep Saharan touring - think: soft sand, rocky tracks and extremely isolated locations. Reliability is crucial, so I want to get this right, (but without breaking the bank). It sounds like a set of new stock shafts and members might be adequate for the Salisbury - although the Dana conversion would be nice! Any other areas of drive chain concern? other things to think about or check?

Thanks John, spoke to Dave and it's another couple of months before those HD shafts are likely to arrive. Looks like I'll be going with stock Does anyone know of any rear prop options?

I have a 130 clutch on order. Still can't seem to find any HD halfshafts for the Salisbury... do they exist? Unless Ashcroft are putting something on the market this month, I'll have to keep looking. Do the HD drive members for the rover axles fit the salisbury? The other area I was thinking about was the propshaft - does anyone produce a beefed prop that would fit?

Hi, I have a '96 110 (HD) with the salisbury rear axle. As it's done 150k and the vehicle is about to be fitted with a torquey 2.8 TGV, I'm looking to overhaul the axle and beef up the drive chain. My first thoughts are drive members and halfshafts - what aftermarket options are available and recommended?

I've actually got a lot of minor electrical glitches that seem to come and go. I'm wondering where else should I look for bad earths - which are the important ones?

Sorry, had another problem, this time with BTbroadband! Thanks for the replies. Cleaned the contacts on the relay which stopped it buzzing away as soon as the key turned - and then realised that yes, the battery was low (doh...). Checked the earth strap, and that had come away from the chassi connection (still bolted to the gearbox though) so maybe that was compounding the problem?

Hi, my defender won't start. I turn the key and there is a 'buzzing' sound coming from behind the dash. Opening the bonnet the relay (?) screwed to the bulkead a few inches below the windscreen vibrates away, the dash lights flicker and nothing happens!! Any ideas?