steve_a

Not sure how you would go about it - but considering you are working with the army it shouldn't be that difficult - have you considered wandering into the REME buildings and seeing if somone wants to earn some money on the side. Most bases have car clubs where they can legitemately do this. You get hopefully good work done at a good price, squaddie gets more beer and prozzie money everyones a winner. I was over in Elmpt BFG in may and they had a good sized REME area. Other side is you should be able to join a car club and do some work anyway in a nice area.

1) not sure, i thought about this and then said bugger it and bought a standard def 90 item 2) Give some thought to doing it yourself. All you need is an engine crane to do the gearbox with 'relative' ease. One from machine mart is £170 ish, which is what you would pay for labour on the job (at least probably) but you get an engine crane out of it. Les Hanson on here can change a clutch without using a crane, but I'm not convinced les is normal having done the disco with a crane. If you got it done at a garage - at a guess 3 hours labour? 3) no idea 4) you won't really have the transmission apart so you won't be able to see anything. As you probably know LT77s have a reputation for wearing the output gearbox spline which feeds into the transfer box, this can put clunk in the system. To check for this first take the PTO cover off then remove the bearing inside and finally the transfer gear. You might even be able to tell with just the pto off and rocking the car and looking for relative motion. However there are LOADS of places where clunk and slack in the drive train can occur, in no particular order: drive flanges on the wheel hubs cv joint wear worn flanges on the driveshafts wear in the diffs propshaft ujs wear in the centre diff so check the most likely first, i.e. propshafts, it may be that your noise and clunkyness are related to them - never discount the impossible on a LR

I'm sensinig I want to put a new rear x member on Diff - that is *exactly* why i am concerned about doing the chassis swap, there is always a just while you are here element to it. I am stuck for space for doing a chassis swap, my house is fine for maintence, but a big job like this would be a pain. I was gonna see if I could rent a barn or something local to do it in if I was gonna go ahead. Simon B's swap hasa been ongoing for a year or more, but that has been with little actual time spent on it. More worryingly I have had a series 3 off the road for getting for 2 years IIRC with the engine just about to go back in... I was thinking that a 'small' job like the x member is the way I woudl go for now - so this probably settles it. Nige - weree suggesting trying to increase the llength of the weld, by zig zagging the new x member extension leg ends? if so I can see that being a bloody good idea, if a straight match between length of weld and swl is true I'll see Tim on the hill and get an idea of what he would charge thanks for replys

I thought that about the hair and drill too - couldn't muster the energy to post it though and I thouoght I might have been turned into a nanny by work S edit: also note the mole grips and long sleeves and a free floating bit of wood. My god think of the children

My rear cross member is looking a bit sorry, and I managed to do some good damage to one of the chassis legs where it joins the x member (bent and a hole punched through - no idea what I hit!) So I am considering 1) new rear x member - any recommendations in my area (Portsmouth area) as the welding needs to be v good. 2) chassis swap for a galvd unit. In the normal way though, if I go for option 2 I can't help but feel I should get a new bulkhead and replace that at the same time, since the corners are looking manky. I'm concerned if I go for 2 I will end up with a lot of requirements creep Can you get away with doing a body lift on a truck cab? or will it be a case of stripping it all down anyway, in which case I might as well give some though to a new bulkhead. Assuming I go for a new bulkhead, should I buy a manky bulkhead with all the parts so I can do the transfer of as much as possible before stripping the motor or should I just accept a days effort to build up the new one from all the old parts. Perhaps this is a stupid question, but what about the wiring loom? How do i get this out of the chassis? my basic plan is 1) remove as much extra carp as possible - winch - roll cage - radios etc 2) remove axles & transplant to new chassis 3) remove engine and gbox, fit to new chassis 4) sort out some wiring 5) strip old bulkhead to new one 6) fit new bulkhead 7) transpant all the body to new chassis I am working on/off road for this, so at what point is my new chasis a car and vice versa? Ideally I guess I could do with finding a garage or barn to work in since that will really speed things up.

Had 2 alternator faults at the weekend of this type. On the Friday mine stopped working (no charge light) which I assumed was a dead diode pack. Couldn't get a replacement so out of interest I took it apart and had a quick peek. The brush pack was at fault, there are 2 brushes, one for the excitor current (via charge light) and one for battery charging. The excitor current one had gone so I needed to pull that out, which was why no charge light. On another motor the charge light came on. Since it was salisbury plain and he had bounced through a few puddles I thought it could well be dried muck on the brushes, so we rinsed it while running with water which fixed it. Both of these were defenders, where the alt is more exposed I am thinking about making some kind of protector for the alt, but on the defender 200tdi, even without the shroud, it is short on space around it, the disco should be fairly easy to cover a little bit though, and would probably be worth it, water/mud hitting the bonnet will drop down into the alt, a cover round the top would help to keep the worst off I guess

Hey Wavey, passed a few messages over on difflock and waved at each other at a HBRO driving day where I was marshalling last year. As it happens we were yapping about grizzly claws and thier ability to eat wheel bearings Did a run to Germany with someone on grizzlys and we saw him lose loads of lugs - some poor french and belguimeze drivers got hit by large lumps of tread

chemical metal and fine sanding? or silicon as suggested.

hi wavey, over from difflock then. what tyres you running now, they look like stock khumo mt's - bit normal for you isn't it my main modifications to my disco have been to get rid of doggy smell (a bit) and stop the brakes from leaking. however I am getting a camel trophy bull bar off my brother in the next few weeks to make the front a bit more substantial. I am desperatly trying to avoid any real off roading my disco, I have a terrible fear of beaching it because of the long wheel base and small tyres in comparision to the 90....

a job I couldl probably do in my sleep now.. manged to save my hub and stub axle when I had similar. mine had been making a funny noise for a few days but couldn't pin it down, took it in for the Mot anway - failed as he could waggle the wheel. A LOT.. drove it home thinking he was being a bit picky and found the wheel had scary play!

more the merrier Steve

check out bbc news article on natural england agency and thier home page natural england homepage Having had a quick read of the article and thier website these b****ds seem to be set up for mainly walkers, a passing nod to horse riders and nothing for green laners Looks like it might be worth trying to get a concerted email attack going to make them recognise us as users of the country side EDIT: this page is what got me a bit riled access to countryside seems you can still try and get new access rights registered as walker but not as a green laner, grrr

bribery? sod buying gear for the truck just give a load of dosh to the marshals (as a regular marshal on the mike wolfe i can see this working for me ) To me the idea of doing handicaps or classes is just that you then get to feel competitive. I do go to challenge myself, however it is also nice to feel that you did well in comparision to other people. If anyone wants to drop me copies of previous challenge scores I will look at producing an algorithm and possibly software dedicated to the process. I do think that having winners in each class is important and an overall winner too. Though that does start to stretch the resources for meagre prizes. If someone can come in thier series 3 std 2.25 motor on muds and take the standard cup home it will encourage them to keep going, there is plenty of room for big boys and big toys, but I really think getting people in right from the go would do a lot for the sport. Thing is to get the scoring and systems right before implementation. we have loads of past results (i.e. rough specs for motors and experience of crews along with punches obtained) to run an algorithm against to make sure that the majority would be happy. If you want quick scoring then do away with punch cards and punches, you want RFID

Excercise Roadmaster, part of the BAFMA series, HB(L)RO help run the event for the army, so we get to do some driving on parts of the plain normally out of bounds.

Would have been good to meet up and see some faces, instead I shall just have to drive around the plain and help run an army event, oh well :->

handicap - challenge events could become the new golf (well I'm sure a large proportion of winch bitches would consider it a good walk in the country ruined ) a point for each of the elements you have, eg 1 point for each winch and diff locker a point for every inch over 33 on tyres (since 33 is not that big is it?) you could set the handicap at a standard challenge starter, i.e front winch, 33", 2" lift could maybe Just a bit like the spreadsheet used for scoring the punches by no of successful vehicles. be interesting to try the scoring system on past events and see who would have won

Feel for you Nige - I have a cold pack on my neck right now as I have trapped a nerve again and have pain down my arm 24 hours a day. It's not that bad after the first week, you kind of get used to it and know it will go eventually. Not as bad as the last one which meant I couldn't feel my fingers, couldn't move my arm and had muscle spasms down my right side for a week. F**k me, I nearly went the doctor

Was very sloppy, much gloopyier than in previous years when I went on the Sunday (last moment decision). Had a good time going around the course, did find myself going sidways a fair bit. In a strange coincidence, I have that very same 110 captured randomly near the final climbs on the last run of the day. if you own hn54 ysx, silver def 90 with what looks like a roof rack and tent I have some video of the drop from the final climb. I will post the videos I have on u tube at some point as well. My LR4x4 sticker looks pretty prominent in the photos. Only gripe was that with the hose pipe ban washing down was a pain - had some major heating issues on the way back and when I cleaned the rad this morning it was v full of mud. Got to say though, getting bored of the course after 3 years - I know it is switched around and is an excellent learning course but I am starting to know my way around! Perhaps some kind of twist for the upcoming year??

can't believe you are struggling to fill the seat Jules. I would jump at it, but I am working away during the week and the missus would kill me if I buggered off at the weekend to do this.

the cause is lost isn't it Geoff? All that's left is militant action... . You have to remember that to stop illegal laning they made more lanes illegal to lane. Not sure how that helped, but I'm sure some stats somewhere show it worked. Perhaps number of bobble hat complaints have reduced or something. Not sure that illegal laning will help or hinder any cause we may have. But i am feeling a tad pessimistic about everything at the moment :-{

Hi, I'm planning on going along to take some photos and support the HBLRO team this weekend, however I have no ideas of start time etc. Anyone got any details? what time, any detailed directions etc?

http://www.suffolk.police.uk/Useful+Inform...ghts+Of+Way.htm has some good information, although just coz it is a police site I wouldn't neccesarily assume that it is correct! Also doesn't have much info about penalty though. check out the final bit about who can stop you - technically if a rambler gets antsy with with you could take his name and address and report him for obstruction of the highway

the charge is driving a motor vehicle anywhere but a road I believe. As for outcome, I think it can be as harsh as confiscation of the vehicle, but that is repeat offences only I think. Searching for the above law will probably tell you. Steve

one factor about going for Bronco tyres, Grizzilies included, is that Bronco is the maker and only seller of the tyre. I have been waiting since about this time last month for a new grizzy to be sent, despite them taking my cash on the 25th aug. But you can only give them so much abuse before your just left with the option of ditching them and getting a complete new set of tyres. Only dealt with them once before and they were all right, so hopefully this is just a blip. Slightly more on topic is that Bronco mention that they had moved factory, so I hope some quality control concerns might be addressed.

I went to powerflow I think it was in Southampton - I don't think he wanted job on my 90. 1) he wanted about £300 to do a side exit 2) he wasn't listening to what I needed 3) he wasn't prepared to offer any guarentee because it would be used off road. Might just have been the local guy but he seemed happy with the easy work with the novas and didn't want my dirty great truck mucking his garage up. :-(