Orange

AMEN! Another suggestion is to get out and look. Park the vehicle in a stable, but articulated position and get out to have a good look around it to see where the movement is and how much more you think you need. Alternatively, get a well trusted friend to drive over a few obstacles with you outside of the vehicle so you can see what actually happens to your suspension at the moment. I know it's a risk - I only have 2 people I would trust to do this!! Mark (mod on here) had this issue with his D1. When we parked it up a loading ramp at a play-day and actually looked, the rear had plenty of movement up and down, but the front didn't. It may only be one end of the vehicle you need to change in order for the whole set-up to 'feel' and work better... HTH Adrian

You are probably aware, but the bolts holding the seats in should be fixed to a plate that has a small rivet to hold it in place on the under-side of the seat box... I had to renew a coupe of mine (small piece of flat plate with an M8 nut welded to it). Got to be easier to do than cutting the seat box up. Also, are you planning to use the jump leads to jump yourself, or help others out? If the latter, fine, if the former, why not fit a link lead between the two positive terminals and install a suitably rated cut-out (the type with the red handle) so you can flick the switch and jump yourself (ooo-er!) from the second battery... If you install the cut-out in a position that means the door won't shut with the key/handle in, then you can't leave it on by mistake and drain both batteries... HTH Adrian

How much have you used the vehicle in it's current state? What do you use it for? There is definitely an argument for the saving option as it gives you more time to play and find out what changes need to be made. It also gives you more time to research your options to make sure you get what you want without having to do exactly the same again in 6 months time... Just a couple of pennies for the pot...

Apart from the fact that there is a battery in the way, I don't see a problem with it. The main strength is in the framework/round the edges. I presume that there will be some sort of seal and/or box arrangement just in case the battery decides to let go of it's contents...

Dear Santa (as it's nearly that time of year again!!!) This year I have been exceptionally good. Can you pop into Ashcroft for me and pick me up a set of strengthened halfshafts, drive flanges, CVs and 2 ARBs, please? Ta awfully! Big-up, nuff respec, CaptainChaos On a slightly more serious note: I've managed to snap shafts and shatter diff planetary gears doing a lot less than that!! 24 spline axles are not a lot (if at all) stronger, but diffs and shafts are more expensive to replace... I've been looking into all the options available for my 10 spline 90 and have concluded that Santa will be getting a letter similar to the above!!!

You've seen my attempts at building stuff.............I thought you would be pleased!!! And please stop suggesting that my chequebook is orange.....It wouldn't want to be tarred with that brush!!

As far as I can work out from discussions with Mark, the suspension is all taken care of by the use of the Discovery chassis. It is literally a case of mounting the Freelander body onto the chassis. This can be done relatively easily (apparently) using the main chassis runners and some careful fabrication of body/shell mounts. I'm just waiting for him to stop talking the talk..........

Oh, it's that simple...........Thanks chaps. I just wondered if the DVLA were starting to get a bit more stringent on matters like this. After-all, some of the sheds that I see running around look like they have been scrapped several times over!!! Time to get on with it, then...

I am aware that I can take a vehicle to a scrap yard and fill in the V5 (log book, whatever you want to call it) to tell the DVLA that the vehicle has been scrapped and provide the name/address of the reputable vehicle dismantler and all is fine..... What are the options when breaking the vehicle yourself?? Am I best to break the worst of it and transport the chassis, with V5, to a vehicle dismantler, or are the DVLA OK with me just registering it as scrapped without providing details of who by?? The collective's thoughts and experiences...........???

Git!!

The mounting requirements are all covered in Hybrid From Hell's "Oooooo - so you want to make a roll cage" thread that is pinned at the top of the Tools and fabrication forum. The diagrams are contained within the 2 downloads and show the possibilities with regard to mounting angles, etc. Sorry I can't help with actual experience...

If the injection pump sprocket isn't turning (as you describe) the timing belt has broken. Don't keep turning it over... You'll be lucky to get away without bending/breaking something. The chances are that you've bent a push-rod - worst case scenario is that a valve has stayed open and mashed the top of a piston. As a bare minimum I would look at removing the front of the timing chest and removing the head to check that no damage has been done. Change the head gasket while you are there and you've pretty much fixed everything that would need doing for a while... If you know the history of the engine, fine, otherwise replace the head bolts while you are at it. The pushrods can be inspected without removing them from the head, but I wouldn't recommend it if you've had a timing belt failure. Sorry to say that it looks like you'll be stripping the head to make sure... Another way of looking at it: You're stripping the head and re-setting all of the valve clearances, so hopefully your engine will be reliable for longer and you won't have to do it for quite some time. It may also help the performance a little. HTH Adrian

Thanks all.

Thank you! To be perfectly clear, is this like a fuel pre-heater, or is it the actual heater unit for the climate control? TIA Adrian

Afternoon all! I don't often venture over to these waters, but a friend in need has asked a Q... When doing short journeys on cold mornings the car emits quite a large puff of smoke/steam from under the bonnet about a minute after the engine has been stopped. My first guess is it's something to do with the climate control and the fact that the engine isn't really warm... The LR dealer has apparently told the owner that it's completely normal, but when pushed they wouldn't actually say what it is... The car is a 55 plate TD4 manual if it makes any difference... Any clues anyone?? TIA Adrian

Chris realises that it's only moments before the solids start passing......

Very true Bring a bottle...........

I haven't done it, but I can only imagine that in theory, at least, it's much the same as any other gearbox... Remove prop shafts Remove the hi/lo linkage Separate the T/box from the gearbox undo the T/box mountings Remove T/box Undo the bolts and nuts connecting the bellhousing to the flywheel housing (you may need to remove the engine mounts and drop the back of the engine down to get access to the top ones) Remove the selector and hi/lo selector knobs/handles Remove the gearbox mountings Remove gearbox. Having experienced trying to get a gearbox and transfer box out of a 90 in one lump, I wouldn't recommend it. Definitely separate the two as not only is it lighter, it gives you more room to manouvre. You will need about 5 hands in places, but it's do-able on your own with a well positioned jack/transmission stand. It might also be possible to remove the gearbox before removing the bellhousing to give you a bit more space to get at the bellhousing nuts/bolts, but I think you will have to put it all back in together to get everything aligned correctly... Hope that's of some help... Adrian

Let's be honest though Walfy......Dave has a business to run. He can't spend all of his hard-earned on supplying customers with endless coffee... AND.... Not everyone is used to having the occasional work break getting in the way of their tea/coffee breaks like you do.....

I haven't managed to find any that are local to Kent The best I can find (for reputable/recommended companies) are North Off Road (Skipton, North Yorkshire), Whitbread Off Road (Almost on the western coast of Wales) and Performance and Protection (can't remember where they are but their website is www.ppcages.com) With regards to building your own - as long as you follow the spec and design criteria published by the MSA, you should be fine. There are a couple of handy links pinned to the top in the Tools and Fabrication Forum. Have a read through and see how daunted you feel!! HTH Adrian

On the flip side, the last 2 shafts that I have snapped have both got themselves completely wedged in the diff. I ended up knocking 7 bells of s##t out of them to remove them. No magnet would have come close... I think it all very much depends on the circumstances in which the shaft is broken and whether the vehicle has travelled far with the broken shaft. The first shaft I broke came out very easilly, but the last 2 have been somewhat bigger challenges and the vehicles had been driven a considerable distance between breakage and removal... The tool will work in some circumstances, but not in others. Simon at X-Eng will probably tell you that himself if you give him a call to discuss...

What a comment!!! Sadly, that's probably true!!

Exactly how many times did you say "Bu##er" when the hole saw popped through the inner wing, then??? Sounds like something I would do!!!

PM Mark and see if he's got any pictures of his install... He's only just completed it. On the other hand, have a search through the Discovery forum as there was a discussion about it not so long ago...

I am quite willing to be corrected, but AFAIK, Stauns are pneumatic....