[New member]

Hi Marcus,

Good pix, nice truck and cute girl

For the snow lovers, here is a recently taken picture from around here... The car is a CRV, not as tall as our Def but still!

[Praha inquiries]

Ahoj,

I plan to have a trip to Prague this summer and I would like to take this opportunity to spend a bit of kronas in a Land Rover spare parts shop.

Does anyone here know the right shop? You know: nice people, good inventory and cheap prices

And also, if you know a fun 4x4 club there I am also interested!

Diky!

[Tubular or fold-down side steps?]

I've got the same problem, bought the truck last year already with 2" lift and big mud tyres - wasn't especially looking for either, but it was the best one I could find. It's fine for me (I'm 6'5") but the wife and kids have trouble mounting the beast!

That's pretty much my situation actually. Most of my off-roading is indeed "bad-roading" !

The height of the back seat is great to load our baby onto her special chair but to cling in, my wife is not so happy .

I don't think adding a step with greatly dimish the off-raod capacity, clearance is still quite high! So, besides clearance issues, what are the pros and cons of fold-down steps?

[Tubular or fold-down side steps?]

Happily driving a 07 Def for almost a year now, I am considering some enhancements for summer. The first one would be to finally equip the car with side steps to climb in.

Now, what is best? Long tubular steps ($$$) or simple fold-down steps ($) like in the one in the rear?

What do you say?

[TC on ice]

I need a buddy's advice:

I parked today on the side of the road, after a good pile of fresh snow fell. The street had been cleaned more or less and the snow was pushed on the side. There was not too much snow, maybe 20cm max.

When coming out, the car was stuck. The right wheels were skidding in a little ice dip. The TC was on while I tried to manoeuvre, the car moved a bit but not enough to get out.

I did not want to make the embarassment last too long (a Def stuck in town! ) so I got out, took my spade and in 5 seconds freed the wheels. The car went out without problem.

Now, here is the question: While standing, my wife noticed that the back wheels were not really spinning. What happened? Is it the TC? Should I pressed the gas to get any grab? Or, should I plugged directly the Diff-Lock?

What is your opinion?

[Calling PUMA Defender owners...]

Nothing to complain about the new Def. Drives smoothly, ABS and all those electronics do their work when needed, very comfortable seats, heats fast and has a real A/C, drinks not too much...

No, really, nothing wrong with it. Each time I drive it (not every day) I am glad we bought such car!

Oh, yes one thing though: I believe the sound system is a joke. Even with a quieter engine, it is still best to turn on either the music or the engine, but not both at the same time!

[Temperature extremes]

Hi there,

I use this thread to ask a cold-related question: It's been rather cold down here too lately (but not that cold, only -8/-10 celcius) and if I had no problem starting the car and driving, I felt cold on my hip!

Let me explain: When I turn on the heating (such as screen and low arrow), I can definitely feel cold air between the seat and the central box (replacing the third seat of previous versions) near the gears stick. I stuck some gloves or other things for the time being but I'd like to have your opinon about it. Did you experience such situation before and how did you cope with it?

PS: the bottoms-warmer is bliss when it freezes! A must-have in any sub-zero areas!

[Overseas fuel prices]

FYI, here in Moscow, one liter of Diesel in a good station is 17-18 rubles with is about 35 pences per litre (0,50 euros).

As for the same in Imperial Gallons (it's time you switch to metric systems, folk!) it's then about 1,6 GBP.

BUT, this is the second largest producer of oil AND the salaries are way below UK standards (I'd say at least five times less) so it is probably the biggest rip-off of all!!!

[Bad roading]

Thank you q-rover for understanding what I meant. Yes, I have been driving too in snow: Among other with a old Peugeot 504 family version. It was alot of fun as the car was full of people and we had nothing else to do than follow the traffic at 30 km/h!

Today, effectively, I just wonder how a Def with the latest tech (you know all those acronyms) would react on an icy road for normal driving with a family...

Thank you for all your messages. I believe, first of all I will give a try with the General Grabber untouched. After all they are S+M and the streets of Moscow are being cleared somehow. If I feel like a ice-skater, then straight to the garage to be equipped with anything with studs.

[Bad roading]

metal studs depends on the roads you are driving and how good they are at keeping them clear.

Well, that's the trick. The roads here (Russia) are, let's say, less than good, and they are definitely not very efficient in cleaning them (at least not as swift as the Canadians...).

what temps are you talking?

are they always covered in snow/ice or regularly cleared

are they gritted

- Hum, in winter, regular temps in January/February could be -10/-15 celcius, down to -25 occasionally.

- They are regularly cleaned in town, where I drive most of the time.

- They can be gritted with gravel and/or salt

what does everyone else use

They all use winter tyres with studs! That why I am wondering what to do.

what are the local laws regarding the use of studded tyres?

Well, I guess S+M would do anyway.

an AT/MT with studs on cleared roads we found to be the ideal compromise.

So you think I should get some tyres with studs, don't you?

[Bad roading]

Hi there,

Thank you for all the comments. However, I'd like to have your specialist point of view: do we need winter tyres with metal studs or not?

If not, why?

Sorry for being stubborn but I precisely do not want to end up ballet-dancing in a 110...

[Bad roading]

Concerning tires (tyres?) I found this comparative web site that may interest others:

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/surveyresult...y.jsp?type=ORAT

I'll see how it goes when the snow starts falling but there are great chances I'll keep my current tires all winter too.

[Bad roading]

try BFG All Terrain or BFG Mud Terrain 235/85R16 or 265/75R16,

Thanks a lot all of you for your comments, it helps.

As for the "BFG All Terrain or BFG Mud Terrain", do the have metal studs? And while I am there, do you think it is absolutely required to have studs on such heavy vehicle in winter? After all I don't plan (yet...) to make the trans-siberian race with that, just to get out on the road.

I heard some snow and mud tyres have no studs (hydrophilic rubber), what do you think of that? Any of you tried?

[Bad roading]

what tyres are you running too? If not MT's and you want to go playing in 60cm of mud again I'd fit these too.

Cheers, Steve

There are some "General Grabber" with some 235 alloyed wheels. I've never heard of such brand before they came with the car. According to the LR brochure, they are supposed to be among the most polyvalent...

And, well, the mud part was not really part of the plan!

BTW, any advice for winter tyres? Around here, we'll have to install those snow/ice tyres soon and I wonder what would be appropriate on a Def.

[Bad roading]

The "Greeen Monster" (official name proposed by mother in law and approved by all) has been finally available to us one saturday morning in mid July. Two hours laters, we were hitting the road for a hell of a running-in: 1100km on Russian roads! (and another 1100 three weeks later)

Here is what I would say about this experience (feedback is welcome):

- My 5-month old baby girl liked it very much with is probably the best advertising we can give to the beast (the car, not the kid).

- Besides a few Range Rovers and other gold-plated SUVs, no-one passed us during the trip! I found 110km/h a good speed but we passed the 130 a few times (even 140 but don't tell).

- It's cool to have a CD-player embedded in the dash-board as well as tweeters but honnestly, even with the supposed noise reduction implemented in the new version, it is still best to listen to the music when you switch off the engine...

- The electric windows are, well, tough! A black nail on my index reminds it to me every day. I heared modern electric windows have a captor that stops the window going up if restrained; obviously not the case of the Defender system. So watch out.

- The long jack of the car is good-looking but needed some metal ajustment to be functional (good I did it indeed!): the two holes on the front side are made a bit too low in the chassis. Hence, a perfect tube could not enter it, I had to grind the jack so that it can fit in. Did any one experience the same default?

- The seats are very comfortable. No one got tired after the trip. The car is better than good in this regard.

- The average consumption of diesel was about 11 lit. per 100km, really not bad considering we were going rather fast on ****ty roads.

- I am now waiting for the snow to come to see how it will behave but heavy rain and mud went unoticed (for that trip...).

The overall experience was very positive and we really did not regret to wait to get this 110. B)

Now, part 2 , last WE, we took the monster out to have a tour in the forest and... we got stuck in mud well. It did not look a bad spot but even after all the tricks tried we still could not have it out of 60cm of mud... The front bumper was in the mud and even when we unstuck the back wheel (thanks to the grinded jack) we still could not put the car out. Good a chap had a tractor around. When I heared that this guy got himself stuck on this spot and got out with his tractor too, it made me feel better but still the image of the unstoppable green monster is tarnished in the family now. If only we had a wrench!

So, I have one question: Is a portable, manual wrench exist? I don't want to install a whole electric wrench on my bumper just in case one day I get stuck again. But, I could have one in my trunk. I dunno, something with two hooks and a crank in the center to twist the cable... Some rescuers once got me out of a canyon with some stuff looking like that. Any ideas?

[Crash Test]

They never got the rating. The Defender carried on straight through the concrete block, then out of the wall of the test center and hasn't been seen since

LOL !!

[Crash Test]

Does anyone know if any crash tests had been performed with the Defenders? (For the new 07 version or for any previous versions)

In all the sites and magazines that compare cars, the security line for the Def is always "N/A"... Yet, according to UK statistics it appears as one of the safest cars on the roads as for the risk of death for the driver; but there are only stats, not collision tests.

Any figures or ideas?

[HELP!!!!!]

If that can help...

[Name]

While waiting for my new '07 Def 110 to arrive, I've alread launch a competition at home to name the Landy. After all, a Landy is a new member in the family; isn't it?

The plebicited name is "Antelope-Gnu".

Out of curiosity, what's the name of yours?

[HELP!!!!!]

I know it does not sound very globe-trotter style, but why don't you ask the local mechanics? Usually, those guys know the tricks.

The alternative, even less glorious but probably more effective and trouble-free, is to ask the local "Gendarmes" or the "Pompiers" (fire fighthers)... They know all this stuff, guarantee.

[Today's sightings]

Around here, Moscow, I admit, in several years I saw maybe three or four Defenders (and maybe it was the same each time!). T here is a, how do you call it again, Freeelander parked in my street and I see a few of them every week.

But for the Disco and the RR, that's another story: There are packs of them! Everyday, I see so many of them that I stopped counting. Of course they are the latest version with all chromes and shiny stuff...

I guess they start learning Russian in solihull...

[Stupid questions]

Drink more coffee!

Well, since you're in Russia you should probably make that Vodka instead

That's too stereotyped... People here don't drink Vodka. They also drink... Beer!

But I am a Frog after all, I drink grapefruit juice mostly. You know, the one for grown-ups... B)

[Stupid questions]

diff bassically allows the wheels to move a different speeds so that u are dragging the wheel around the corner if u jack up one side of the car of the ground and put in first the wheels will spin anf th other wont move at all hence the saying give power to the least resistance , the transfer box is mainly only used for high and low ratio with the locking option

so if u lock the diff u are giving equal and constant power to both wheels helps if u have one wheel of the ground trying to get traction , ie if u had no diff lock and had the front left anf rear right wheel of the ground u aint going no where but with diff lock u can have the wheels on the ground in the same situation driving

Thank you very much !

Now, I understand. I'll be less stupid tonight than this morning!

[Stupid questions]

Oops, I forgot one of the questions I wanted to ask in the first place : Is there really any difference between standard wheels and alloy ones?

Besides the prices tag and the look, is there really any benefit in getting such wheels on a Def?

[Stupid questions]

The LR only has a locking center diff which locks the front & rear propshafts together, both the axle diffs are still open and will allow drive through the path of least resistance. With this set-up (even with the centre-diff locked) at any time you are only getting drive to one wheel per axle.

That's precisely what I don't get.

The thread is about stupid questions, so, sorry for insisting. Can you explain me why a wheel in the air does not really get power?