Iain

Good quality reproduction knobs are available. (insert your own joke here) https://embertonimperial.com/products/land-rover-series-2a-3-dash-repro-windscreen-washer-wiper-switch-knob-90575153?_pos=4&_sid=b562dcebe&_ss=r

Sorry about that previous response. I can't figure out how to remove quotes from the reply box. It just kept adding more. I thought if I submitted it, I could then delete it. It seems I can't figure that out either. The tyres are brand new road focused tyres from a reputable manufacturer. I didn't expect them to be particularly out of balance. I know some motorcycle tyres usually have a spot to mark the heavy point, but didn't know that was still a thing on car tyres. (maybe huge knobbly mud tyres) The balancing machine knows where the weights are going, so gives different amounts for weights on the inside and outside rim. The point about balancing on the wheel hole rather than studs is a good one, especially on these rims where the centre hole may well be imperfect. Not sure how to get round that. All I can really do is finish getting this thing back on the road, and see how it drives. These were supposed to be the every-day road use wheels. I have another set which are mangels rims which were going to get something lumpier fitted. I can swap them round if need be.

I got a set of used Wolf wheels a few years ago. There was some surface rust and a little pitting, but nothing that worried me. I had them stripped and powder coated, and now fitted with Michelin Latitude Cross tyres. However they've taken a lot of weights to balance. The front right has over 150grams. How much is normal? Should I be worried this is a sign of problems with the wheels?

And here's the left side.

Thanks! Here's a side on photo, of them now fitted to the right rear, so the one on the right is the leading shoe with the lining closer to the piston. Thanks the help. I couldn't find it in either green or blue bibles. The new shoes, although apparantly genuine, came from a well known supplier with no packaging at all.

I'm just fitting new brake shoes to the rear of my 109. I've noticed that although the metal part of each shoe is identical, the actual friction material is positioned differently on them. In the set of four, there are two with the pad closer to the fixed end, and the other two have it closer to the slave cylinde end. (See the attached photo) The ones that came off are the same, and although I carefully noted whuch holes the springs belong in, I didn't not which way wound the shoes were fitted (and it was me who fitted that set 15+ years ago, and I'm not sure I knew the right answer then either!) I one type must be the leading shoe and the other is the trailing shoe, but which is which? Thanks, Iain

I've googled bunny lane! You drove here: (Thanks to The Solent And District Land Rover Club for the image!) in one of these? (thanks to Autoexpress for this one) You don't really like your Primera then? Iain

Bunny Lane? I take your point about the 4x4 it's not something I'll need a lot. I used to travel round happily in the winter on 1 or 2 inches of snow in a mini metro. As long as you kept moving, and steered gently it did ok. That was when it was just me , or maybe me and a passanger. But then all the weight was over the front wheels. These days I have a habit of traveling in winter with 3 or 4 adults, a boot full of kit and often mountian bikes on the roof. When you get the weight at the back then you really struggle for grip with front wheel drive. Reversing up a snowy hill is not my idea of fun, but sometimes it's the only way! A mate used to have a 2cv - it was brilliant with 2 people, and 2 bikes sticking out the roof from the back seat on a dry day, unless you tried going uphill into a headwind, we were down to 10mph some times, and aparantly the engine was in really good condition. However I still liked it, as always like cars which have proper air conditioning (flaps under the windscreen!) This time I'm really looking for something reliable that I can get serviced at a garage. I already have a landy that takes up more time than I have. I went for a test drive in the Suzuki Ignis today - it was a 2 year old model at £6k, that should be within my price range at the moment without any big loans, (which means more money to spend on my Landy) I took it a very bumpy track (musselburgh Lagoons, just East of Edinburgh) that used to ground badly on my Mum's Pug 206 (a horrible car to drive) even when you take it at 3mph and steer round all the big dips. The Ignis got over all the bumps with no scrapes or bangs, and a good deal smoother than the 109" would manage at the same speed. I expected some complaints, or at least a worried look from the salesman in the back, but he didn't complain about my choice of route. I think he just enjoyed a more interesting test-drive than usual. I was suprised to find it has a baby live axle at the rear. A panhard rod and trailing arms I think. - I'm not sure what I was expecting. - something modern and independant probably. The brochure just says "3 link Rigid" or some guff like that. I think it has enough height and winter grip to meet my needs, without being a replacement for the old landy. I'm going to ponder for a few days, and maybe buy it next week if it's still around. Cheers for the advice folks! Iain

Skoda are due to make a "Scout" model of the Fabia and Roomster, but only the octavia actually gets 4x4 - the others are just pretend - same with the possible Fiesta "OFF-ROADER" that made me waste £1.80 on Auto express. The golf 4-motion is the same floorpan and running gear as the Octavia, but for the UK market they lower and stiffen the suspension, whereas the Skoda gets it raised (and possible softened?) Scoobydoos are out as they drink worse than Landies. Audi might be worth a look - I have no idea what an A4 is - will take a peak at the Audi website. I had missed it in the "What Car" guide as it apparantly is a "Compact Executive". a car for company directors under 5' tall? The Kia is actually not that far off the others in terms of price and economy. I'll need to check out insurance - they're group 10. Thanks! Iain

http://www.memory-map.co.uk/ There's even a link for a free Trial of the software. I've been using Memory Map with an Orange SPV M500 and now a MDA Vario II for a couple of years for driving, walking and Mountian Biking. I have Tom Tom 5 ( there's a wee program that lets you share the GPS unit so Tom Tom doesn't hog it. GPS Gate? I think)) Any phone that runs window's Mobile 5, or similar should Support MM, just don't expect the people in the phone shop to know that. They aren't brilliant as a phone, but it sure beats carrying a phone, an Ipod, a GPS and a lap-top with you. You'll be able to make posts to this forum, as you're out and about. It'll be "I am sunk up to the bonnet in mud, and I'm about to climb out the window and start digging" rather than " I was stuck in mud up to the bonnet, and had to climb out the window and dig for an hour". Iain

Hi all, My SIII rebuild is taking a bit longer than planned (almost a year since I got the new chassis, and still no where near finished) So I've decided to buy a boring car to get me around in the mean time. - something car-like, small, fairly new, cheap to run, but with 4x4 and above avergae ground clearance, for snowy roads and bumpy tracks. I'll be keeping it after my 109 is rebuilt, to be an everyday run around/ motorway use, and keep the milage on the landy down. I'm looking at: Suzuki Ignis GLX 4Grip - a supermini estate with full time 4x4 and better ground clearance than most normal cars. Suzuki SX4 / Fiat Sedici -brand new "crossover" car built by suzuki in hungary. the suzuki has no diesel, and the Fiat is UGLY! Fiat Panda 4x4 SLOW! i.e. slower than my sIII. - and that's with 1 person inside. Will be terrible with 3 blokes in and 3 bikes on the roof. Nissan Quashqui - another brand new town car with 4x4 as an option, no diesel option yet... Skoda Octavia 4x4 or Scout - golf sized estate car with 4x4 as an option - not actually seen a 4x4 one in the flesh yet, also much more expensive. Has anybody got any experience of these? Or any other suggestions? Cheers! Iain

If your going to be geeky, don't forget the 2b - 110" forward control!

Rght Les! if you'd posted on LRA you'd have your answer by now! First, unless catflap has a 24v system, or you've managed to get 6v pumps ( how? why?), don't wire them in series. Fuses are there to protect your wiring ( stop it catching fire!), not the actual pump, so it doesn't matter that much what current the pump draws, as long as it's more than the fuse. You need to make sure that your wire and switch have a higher rating than the fuse - e.g. 15 amp switch and wire, 10 amp (continous) fuse. If more current goes down the wires than the pump should use, then that's either caused by an already faulty pump, or by a short circuit through the wire insulation or connections to switch or wire. If you have a multi meter, use the ammeter option to measure current through a single pump ( whilst pumping water, not dry - this will use more power) - double it for runnign two pumps and add at least 1/2 again for your fuse rating - double again would be best. Then up the rating on your wire and switch another 50%. If your not sure about using the ammeter it will probably use the same ground (black) connection as when your doing volts, dwell etc, but there will be a another socket you need to use for the red wire (it may have something like "10A max" written next to it, like this). Use the meter wires in series with the pump i.e. making the connection between one of the pump connectors and your battery. I doubt a washer will need more than 10A, but if you see the reading go over 10 or read ------ or another warning message, disconnect straight away! Don't try this on a starter motor! After you've finished measuring the current remember to move the red wire back to the normal socket before trying to check any voltages. Iain p.s. pics from machine mart - thanks www.machinemart.co.uk - It's a very good meter, I've had one for years, and it works very well!

going back to the first Issue: congestion charging and road tax. Road tax pays for the upkeep of roads, and that kind of stuff - nothing to do with congestion. every legally registered car in the UK has road tax - it's a fixed fee for the year - it can have no impact on congestion. - i.e. the number of vehicles choosing to use one bit of road at one time. it has no affect on how often a person chooses to use their car, how many miles they do, and only a vague link to the amount of pollution they cause ( a 109 that does 2000 miles a year pays more than a new fiesta that does 20000 miles a year, because the 109 causes more pollution?) tax on petrol should encourage people to use their cars less in general. but as petrol is still cheaper than public transport, and cars are very convenient, people would rather bltch about the cost, and still use cars for every journey. depreciation and insurance are also fairly fixed - neither are double if you do twice the milage, or 1/2ed if you do half the milage, so again it's a cost of ownership that encourages people to make use of a car they have whenever possible. The only "tax" to reduce congestion in one place at one time, is a specific charge applied every time a car drives on that bit of road. Take the london thing - if you could get an annual pass ( can you? I don't know) , people would buy it, and from than on they've already paid - they have no reason to not use their car - worse still they'd feel they've paid to use their car, so they should drive in london as often as they can. only by applying the cost each time, can you hope to discourage people from that bit of road at that time. I'm all in favour of scrapping car tax fully. we'll still need to register the vehicle and display a disk, to show we're not uninsured MOT dodgers. it might even encourage the people who aren't insured or MOTd to give it a go. Private transport in cities is still cheaper than public (even in a LR) on a trip by trip basis. I think a charge on congestion ( in cities or busy national roads), that directly subsidises public transport, cycling and pedestrians) would be a good thing. wouldn't a lot more people use a good public transprt system if they could get a day ticket on the bus for mum,dad and 2.4 kiddies for less than the cost of driving into the city? it would hopefully discourage the solo drivers too, except for the real fat-cats who are scared of sitting next to people they don't know anyway. What irritates me most in cities is the terrible pedestrian facilities they have in many areas. many years ago, i tried to walk from one part of liverpool to the other. it was almost impossible. pavements were very dirty, covered in mud and debris. pavements next to some of the big roads just stopped sometimes, many large junctions had no crossing places. it took me 2 hours to walk 5 miles, I'd normally cover 8 or 9 in that time. walking is the most basic level of human transportation - yet outside city centre's it's ignored by town planners and the ministry of transport, and most other levels of government. - Heck it's even hard to buy shoes that are suitable for walking around in these days - mine wear out in 4-6 months. Even in cities, i find i'm sent 100 yards up side streets at main junctions to get to a crossing. The alternative is to climb the railings and dance with cars that are not expecting to see pedestrians on the road. Every day for the last year my work collegues and I have to cross the end of a motorway, on my way to work from the local train station. it makes me a little bitter to see millions spent on roads, parking restrictions public transport etc, yet we can't even get a "pedestrians crossing" warning sign, let alone a proper pelican or foot bridge. rant over, for now!

HI all, I'm finally starting to figure out some of what's been happening in the world LRX forums. I've been going round in circles for a while, as I hadn't looked at the LRE forum for months, until today. When i did look - it's at the same place, but now is called Land Rover Addict Forum - yet there were lots of posts of people moving away to the LRA forum. So now there are two forums with the same name. One has 5 or 6 years worth of old posts, the other runs very quickly. I don't mind what the URL is, what colour it is, the important thing is to keep it going with as many of the useful people still using it - even Dougal had some helpful input at times! Let's all be friends? At some point though it would be nice to hear the full story, complete with secret meetings, double agents, deleted posts, bribery, violence and corruption. Probably best to add a love interest as well to keep the ladies amused. Iain