Escape

How on earth do you get so low????? I'm happy if I can keep it at 18l/100km! On topic, my TD5 90 did about 9-10l/100km, mixed roads and off-road, on 255/85 Muds (actual mileage, GPS km vs l at the pump, consistent for about 20k miles), which works out to 29 to 31 MPG. With the 37" tires and a lot of offroad I get 23 MPG.

Thx for the replies guys! I'm certainly not one the use a Defender as a racecar (have a nice Range 4.6 for that ), but I fail to see any logic for the speed limiter. My TD5 did 90 mph or so on a couple of occasion, it's always nice to be able to when you want to. As a few have commented on the Belgian forum, why don't they limit the white vans as well?

I seems that over here the new Defender 2.4 has a built-in speed restrictor, limiting top speed to 137 km/h (85 mph). Does anybody know if this goes for all new Defenders or if it's a local 'problem'. It does not seem logical to invest in noise reduction and comfort but limit the top speed to below that of a TD5.

Have you tried both lockers but no diff-lock? This will prevent one rear wheel from spinning on its own and because there is more weight on the rear axle (combination of trailer and up-slope) the front will be more likely to spin, thus reducing the risk of pebbles being thrown towards the boat. I noticed this effect when on a steep slope the diff-lock jumped out. The front wheels dug in but bystanders told me the rear were hardly moving (they thought I had broken a halfshaft or cardan). HTH Filip

What a coincidence... So was mine! But there was considerable play in the rosejoint, so I forced it out and machined the head to take a Range Rover Panhard bush, handling has improved dramatically since! Easiest would be to try with a different set of tires first though.

Have you checked or replaced the Panhard rod and its bushings? If there's play, the axle will be able to move left to right, causing severe wobble. Have a mate shake the steering wheel violently while you watch the rod and bushes carefully. I had this problem on my 90, at first I could drive through it, but it got worse until I changed the bushings.

Sucking all air out is virtually impossible. With a compressor set-up you'll be able to create some underpressure, but not a lot (depending on the type of compressor, turbine types are better suited then pistons). All the airseals are actually the wrong way round once you start working with under pressure, so you could end up with a lot of losses. Compressor efficiency is also very important, hence the high price. For high vacuum (>75%) you need to look at different technologies.

I know of it least one TD5 with the same problem. Mine doesn't seem to heat up though. I'll soon find out as I've just taken out most of the interior trim to make cleaning easier.

Some trailers use coilovers, for example the bigger RIBA boattrailers. Very smooth ride and good stability even with a 3m high boat on it. The springs and dampers do take up a lot of space though.

I have a 4" lift and the difference in length isn't much either (few mm), but yet the misalignment is obvious. When it's adjustable you at least have the opportunity to fine-tune it and compensate for production tolerances.

To align the front axle left-right after a spring lift. As the axle moves down (larger springs tend to have this effect) a standard Panhard Rod pulls the axle towards the driverside, by increasing the length the axle remains in the middle of the chassis. To make sure you have the exact length, an adjustable version can be set up depending on the exact lift and overall geometrie.

Looks awesome! As for arches, I use the ones from White Peak/QT to cover my 37"s. Good fit, easy to trim and available in 2 widths.

Other suppliers: rovertym and equipe 4x4

My D-90 is called Nessie but recently is also known as Mean Green or Monsterdef (could have something to do with the 37" tires...) The Range Rover 2.5 DT is called Paige, the 4.6 V8 Prue aka The Charmed One. All female off course.

I know a few TD5s with 200k+ miles, without (major) engine work, just the unavoidable replacement alternator, starter... A lot depends on how you drive it.

Spent last night trying to sort everything out, some minor adjustements to eliminate play in the bearings, replaced the bushes in the adjustable Panhard with standard LR bushes (which did require machining the head) and the shakes seem to be gone! I hope it stays that way, this weekend I'll put the 37s back on...

I put my solenoid box under the hood and rerouted the controls to the dashboard (switch + remote), works like a charm. It does make a lot of noise though...

Mickey Thompson Competition Claw 37x13x17 on Predator 17x8 rims with Staun internal beadlocks.

I have been using (and abusing) a T-max 9500 for about 2 years now, never let me down yet! So I would say great value for money, as it cost me only half the price of a Warn. I am thinking of upgrading to a dual hydraulic unit though, probably Milemarker, but I have yet to find a suitable (non-PTO) pump.

Get your vehicle up on a ramp and see which is the limiting factor. I would guess your rear shocks bottom out before the front, so you're best off starting with longer rear dampers or lowered rear mounts. (Classic) Land Rovers tend to have a lot more articulation in the rear. One way to improve front articulating is to drill holes in the bushes between then radius arms and the axle, thus enabling more up and downward movement. The holes should be located straight above and below the bolt. Check out RTI photos for comparison.

I'm having similar problems, violent shakes around 35mph. The problem is not consistent, happening most when I slow down from higher speed. I already tried another set of tires, but to no effect. Wheel bearings have revently (1000 miles) been replaced. I replaced the Panhard busehs, curing the problem for a few 100 miles before it returns. I'm going to check the swivelballbearings, track and steering rod ends and may have a go without front propshaft as well. I hope we quickly can get to the bottom of this, for all of us, 'cause it's all but a pleasant drive!

The 4.0SE was indeed available with a manual box. But they are very hard to find! It's not that the current box urgently needs replacement, I'm just looking at alternatifs because I can get my hands on the R380. I must admit the Range Auto is the nicest one I have ever driven, but I still prefer the change gears myself. Just being stubborn and thinking I can do better then the electronics I guess. Greetz, Filip

I have recently bought a 4.0SE auto which has the engine replaced with a 4.6. At 200k miles the gearbox is showing it's age though... Being not to keen on auto boxes and wanting something special, I was thinking of converting it to a manual. I have a low mileage Defender R380 available. Does this swap stand a chance or will it involve a lot of adaptations to make it fit? THX! Filip

I think I see what you mean, the winch lies partly between the chassis-arms, right? That would indeed accomplish a good distribution of the forces. BTW, I never stated the winch was mounted incorrectly, I just wondered about the cable coming off the top. Thx for clearing it up!

The mounting bolts are on the bottom of the winch. If the cable comes of the top of the drum, this represent a far larger lever compared to the situation where the cabel comes of at the bottom, close to the chassis. The resulting torque depends on the length of the lever and must be handled by the mounting bolts, with the rear one being pulled up and the front one pushed down.