Daan

True, but you can still have the hydraulic bump stop I think?

This one? https://racecarsdirect.com/Advert/Details/107212/bowler-v6-110-defender-race-car Interesting to see that Bowler does most projects with a single damper on every corner; I like that much more than the Ultra 4 12 damper solution. Daan

Just buy this: https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=offroad-armoury&epa=SEARCH_BOX

Some comp safari/ultra4 cars have more money in their shocks than most of us have in their entire car, so I'd say we shouldn't waste too much time looking at these. Anyway, from how I understand suspension for going fast in the most simplistic way is this: You need to aim for the softest spring you can possibly fit without the wheel hitting the bump stops too often. And to do that the shocks are the main thing. So too high a damping rate will make it a bone shaker. So dampers have a variable damping rate. To achieve this, there are 2 options: A bypass damper, which makes the damper rate higher the further it moves up the stroke. These are being used for baja and ultra 4, and in recent years also getting used in comp safari. The other option is different damper rates for different speeds. So dampers that have adjusters for high speed and low speed. These are used in WRC and Dakar. I am not sure why the different approaches are used in different disciplines. I think a big problem with the setup on ultra 4 etc, is 3 dampers per wheel: so there is a coilover, a bypass and the hydraulic bumpstop. So you have 12 dampers on the car. Where as WRC have everything, including the bump stop built in a single damper, so you only have 4 dampers on the car. Dakar cars have usually 2 dampers per corner. The tricky bit is setting them up. the dampers can be rebuild and revalved to make the car handle the way you like. To do this you need to go testing and try several different valvings and springs untill it behaves the way you want. Ideally, you need to get a couple of sets of dampers, so you can test while your shock technician revalves another set, than swap over. When I mention a shock technician, we probably start to think it gets a bit involved. So once you have spend a load of money on the actual shocks, you are going to spend even more money on getting them dialled in properly. Here is were we just cannot keep up with big spenders basically. Interestingly, In a tuning guide for fox shocks, they stated that they make many more shocks than they make valving sets, so the majority just fits them out of the box and call it done, never really get the full benefit. Anyway, back to the level were most of us operate, I have never got too far into dampers myself, but Fox does the truck & SUV range, which allows their dampers to be used as a direct fit to your car. There is this one, called the IFP which has no external reservoir: https://www.prolinx.biz/Catalogue/Shock-Absorbers/Truck-SUV/Land-Rover-Shocks/Fox-20-Land-Rover-Defender-Rear-PSeries-IFP-2-Lift-FOXLANDROVERDEFENDERREARPS2 Or this one with external reservoir and adjuster: https://www.prolinx.biz/Catalogue/Shock-Absorbers/Truck-SUV/Land-Rover-Shocks/Fox-20-Land-Rover-DefenderRange-Rover-Front-PSeries-RRes-Std-Hgt-wCD-Adjuster-FOXLANDROVERDEFENDERFRNTPSSTDA I had an adjustable set at the front, and the IFPs at the back for croatia. (Prolinx only had 2 external reservoir versions in stock at the time) And they were a different league from the old man emus I had previously. So that is my recommendation. even just fitting the IFPs will be a big improvement over any mass production damper. And at that price, i'd say it is the best bang for buck you are ever going to get for your suspension. I don't think a bypass damper has much to offer on a defender, as it is not a good fit at the front, but the high speed/low speed adjustment approach is certainly a good thing to have. There are problems though,as the the pin fixings have very stiff rubbers. I didn't dare to do them up fully, which resulted in 1 damper loosing its rubbers somewhere on the M40. So Then I did do them up as tight as possible. This resulted in the shafts bending under full articulation. So although I recommend them, I would replace the bottom pin fixings for rodends at the bottom. When we have are soft springs, cornering gets interesting, so an anti roll bar can be used, but this makes setting up harder again as the roll bar also influences wheel movement at speed. Also for cornering, castor is good for steering feel and it means your wheel will roll on camber in corners, which is good to get it to turn in. Anyway, from my little knowledge of suspension. Daan :

A tesla can do 300 miles on a charge. That will do most people. So we are getting there. A defender is just the wrong vehicle to begin with. There is always the bollinger if you want an offroader.

It would be good fit I reckon.

Thanks, but 110 hp in an 80" wheel base is plenty I reckon. I am no good with electronics, so will keep it simple. Daan

I am working normal hours at home, but it seems much busier doing other things as well: sprog 1 learning to cycle: Make sure sprog 2 doesn't disapear: Walk sunny: I might get 1 hour tonight on the landrover (still on topic!). Daan

We are in this situation now. It is Maxis trepador that's all the rage. It is bigger, now 37 or 40 inch. But from what I saw, they fill up and don't self clean very well as they are not as course as a simex or bogger. But being bigger, you don't get stuck as much as the diff is higher of the ground. A shame it went this way, as it pretty much brings us into special axles teritory, and that puts people off the sport I reckon. Daan

Varta Blue dynamic is what I run: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/075-VARTA-D24-TYPE-027-Car-Battery-12V-60AH-540A-Replace-OEM-VW-JZW-915-105/252605667600?fits=Car+Make%3ALand+Rover|Model%3ADiscovery&epid=248945723&hash=item3ad0789910:g:LwcAAOSw1N1eqoig Has been there since 2010. I cannot quite remember what amps the one I have has, but it is definitely this shape. I run a single battery, and that is used for everything including the rear winch. Daan

Yes, the main man is called Igor, and he was the driving force behind it al. I have heard there were troubles behind the scenes as well, hence last years event was moved to a different location.

Have to say, the negative ackerman problem is not bad enough to warrant welding to a cast component. This is always going to be tricky. I know wytze is planning to change to a fabricated bracket, but even so. There is a standard bent trackrod available for this. Another angle is to just fit a coilspring front axle. If your tyre size is 35", some ashcroft internals should easily make it reliable. And the spring over conversion to a coiler axle is dead easy. Problem solved. Almost every challenge truck now has hydro steer mounted to the front of the axle, and if you do this to a rover axle, you have negative ackerman. In theory it is not ideal, but in practice, it works ok. For the people who wish to graft coiler sides to a leaf sprung axle, I noticed this (from another forum): https://www.designdevelopmenteng.co.uk/store/Land-Rover-Stage-One-V8-Front-Half-Shafts-Uprated-23-24-Spline-p196582103 Daan

Did you try running it with the crank case breather disconnected?

Shame the links are so short and have a bend in them. But I am just nitpicking.