Daan

To be fair, you could also replace the bottom rubbers for softer ones, like the procomp ones. I don't think there is anything wrong with the design of the shock as such, but the bushes are polyurethane, and rock solid when done up, which caused them to bend. I think any other shock would have done the same with those bushes. The angle they go through on max articulation is quite large.

They were +2", which makes them 10" I think. I used these at the front: https://www.prolinx.biz/Catalogue/Shock-Absorbers/Truck-SUV/Land-Rover-Shocks/Fox-20-Land-Rover-DefenderRange-Rover-Front-PSeries-RRes-2-FOXLANDROVERDEFENDERFRNTPS2RR And these at the back: https://www.prolinx.biz/Catalogue/Shock-Absorbers/Truck-SUV/Land-Rover-Shocks/985-24-080-Landrover-PS-Front-2-Lift It was like that as that was all that prolinx had in stock, and I needed them in time for Croatia. I since came to realize the IFP at £155 is insane value. I would have them all around and replace the bottom rubbers for spericals. Best bang for buck by a very long way IMO. Daan

Is this an opinion or is this based on experience?

I'd say the OME's are hard to beat. Fox truck shocks were better still, but I bend the pins on max articulation. I still intend to have them rebuild and fit sphericals at the bottom. I think they are the best bang for buck shock for a landrover.

You probably wonder if it is a legal conversion... If it is a disco body on a 130 chassis it is, but from the pictures, it does not look that way.

Both of these points are true; for me, I have been towing several times, but not enough to warrant going for a trailer test. But it meant I was usually illegal. Thing is, I would have had grandfather rights, had I done my test in the UK. But I had a dutch license, and I tried to wiggle it in such a way that the year in which I got my license, would give me grandfather rights in the UK. Not so, as no grandfather rights in Holland, means no grandfather rights in the UK. So I am happy with this move. But it is not good for everyone. My last (borderline legal, but safe) towing adventure. Daan

I am pleased to see the end result, especially as it was all my fault! Daan

Is it on wheels? In that case just get it transported on a car transporter; there must be loads of new cars going that way and trucks coming back empty.

Found it for you mike, surely there is a misprint in the price though: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1997-Land-Rover-101-FC-radio-body-LHD-MOD-Rover-3-5-V8-engine-expedition-camper-/184993048124?ul_ref=https%3A%2F%2Frover.ebay.com%2Frover%2F1%2F710-127635-2958-0%2F16%3Fswd%3D13%26itm%3D184993048124%26mpre%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.ebay.co.uk%252Fitm%252F1997-Land-Rover-101-FC-radio-body-LHD-MOD-Rover-3-5-V8-engine-expedition-camper-%252F184993048124%26user_name%3D%26spid%3D2349624%26mplxParams%3Duser_name%252Citm%252Cswd%252Cmpre%252C%26sojTags%3Dswd%253Dswd%252Cdu%253Dmpre%252Citm%253Ditm%252Cuser_name%253Duser_name%252Cspid%253Dspid%252Csuri%253Dsuri%252C%26srcrot%3D710-127635-2958-0%26rvr_id%3D3013435709157%26rvr_ts%3D3ba94d7a17b0a0a779924e27ffe622b6&fbclid=IwAR2_cojKzzV6NB9231wJmgTgg8iVnxxMDHGbWNUV1Nce5TZjpT9yAMmMRP4

Good to see you keep the light weight theme going...

The 255/85/16 is a very good tyre, as mentioned, especially if you run stock axles. If you are willing to upgrade, it is in my opinion 285/85/16 or 35*10.5*16 in old money. 9.00x16 is also good, but hard to get. It seems the larger diameters have very little choice in thread patterns unfortunately. Does anyone on here have experience with 8.25 x 16 tyres? How do they compare with 255/85/16? For wheels, it is very personal, but original land rover wheels do look right on a land rover in my opinion. Just get them banded to achieve the right offset and width.

I changed tyres many times; the hi-lift jack to break the bead as shown in the video, 1 tyre lever and a long crowbar are my tools. Don't leave your drive without a hijack, it is one of those things you don't regret taking if you are going somewhere remote.

My polo didn't have one when I bought it; after 7 years of ownership I decided I was on borrowed time, so I bought a spare wheel for it. 3 months later I had a puncture. I think the reasons for not having one is cost, weight and the majority of the population incapable of changing it. The boss last week had a puncture next to the playground in the village, .5 mile away from home: Clearly the job of changing it was delegated to myself, but I got a helper. I must say, as an engineer I can do it, but getting the spare wheel from under the car is a major puzzle; it involves removing the rear mat, and a rubber plug, which reveals a hex driver for a winch to lower the wheel on the ground using the wheel brace to drive it. This than gives you the wheel and the jack which is packed in a tupperware type box which has a sliding lid which is almost impossible to remove without a screwdriver. As the jack is exposed to the elements, it had gone rusty and is very hard to operate; nothing a bit of WD40 can't solve, but that is not something I usually carry. This is all nothing compared to trying to get the wheel back under the car, which requires 2 hands to keep the wheel horizontal and a third to operate the winch. Clearly a designer has been given a job to sort out the spare wheel mounting and not given Joe average a go at actually changing a wheel. It is non starter IMO for the usual customer. Similarly, if you have a defender with a 7.50x16 tyre on the back door, is the average (lady) driver able to lift it up?

I am not sure about them failing due to overloading, if you run the later, thin style hub, I'd say they will fail at some stage. Most challenge trucks run hardened drive members, so it surely is a problem. I think them stripping the splines in normal use is the result of the car running grease in the bearings, rather than oil, which causes the splines to run dry and rust, similarly to the gearbox output shaft. Once they had added oil supply holes the problem was solved. My bearings run in oil, and the drive member splines are mint.

But if you fit a 4 pin diff, you remove a weak spot that could stop you in your tracks. You could still break a shaft but you can usually keep going. My ideal weak point is the drive member; easy to change and carry a spare of.