Defender 110, a Bedford cf and a utility truck walk into a bar...

[Stellaghost]

All good advice above. I have ARB air lockers ( easy to install at home and the compressor blows tyres up ) in my lightweight I fitted them because I was doing modified trials and that usually means a welded diff and fiddles but we are talking silly terrain to negotiate, you certainly won't be doing this overlanding. In my experience some people who have them tend to engage them full time on off road sites and far too often at other times to the point they forget how to drive without them as there is less skill involved negotiating obstacles. Also I have been stuck in mud engaged lockers and still remain stuck thank God for winches. If you don't have a winch I would spend available cash on one and a decent ground anchor, snatch block etc way more useful for overlanding hell you could use the winch rope as a washing line and save a bit of space lol also if you have a compressor you can air your tyres down for more traction and re-inflate once clear of obstacle just my 10 pence worth regards Stephen

[Badger110]

Thank you all for your inputs.

 

Here's my thought process and how i ended up here, and please feel free to point me in a different direction with your knowledge and experience

 

This will be our home. It will provide us with the ability to get around the world in any situation, from Nordkapp to Cape town.  I'm not one for uneccessary bolt on bits unless they have a function which improves mine, the wife, the dogs and most importantly, the truck's life and well being.

The standard front diff, from what i can gather, aren't the best so i would like to replace it with something stronger. This got me onto the Ashcroft website where i sat for a while reading up on the locking diff set ups.  I figured the Locking diffs alone are pretty substantial over the standard, so why not use them as a replacement.  Keeping it in the Ashcroft family, the shafts and CV joints can all be done at the same time.  The HD props have been bought, so that is covered too. 

 

As for the rears, well if i'm having a locking diff at the front, then i may as well replace the rear. Again the shafts and CV joints will be upgraded regardless.

 

So it isn't so much having Locking Diffs as it is replacing standard with something abit stronger, the bonus is the replacements are also lockable.

 

Nonimouse put it well when he says ' know your limits ' and i couldn't agree more.  I've put myself in positions recently with the truck and stepped back and realised i approached it all wrong, but experience is a key to knowledge

 

I can only see an improvement by doing this, however i'm happy if someone comes up with a suitable stronger set up than what i have to consider

 

 

 

 

 

[miketomcat]

You have to try really hard to break the standard set up on 31" mud tyres. If yours has a Salisbury rear axle they are bombproof if not the rover one is ok on standard tyres. The only time I've broken a diff was wheel in the air sudden stop. 

I would love lockers on mine but can't justify the expense, especially when I rarely get stuck and I have a winch. However as I've said "because I want them" is a perfectly good excuse so fill your boots. 

Mike

[Daan]

As mentioned before, you need to ask yourself what you really need. On 7.50 tyres, the rear axle is as bombproof as it gets (I assume a salibury axle). The front, you might want to consider HD shafts and CV's and a 4 pin diff so nothing breaks. Certainly, if you consider diffs, the Detroit setup will alter handling, as will any limited slip diff, so selectable would be better with your uses.

Winches, well if you like travel light, than don't bother, as you carry something wherever you go, and might need it only once.

I have seen this though, and would be very keen on this in your situation:https://www.bogout.com/

Works front and rear if you need it and weighs almost nothing.

Daan

[Bowie69]

4 minutes ago, Daan said:

I have seen this though, and would be very keen on this in your situation:https://www.bogout.com/

Very cool implementation.

There's a been a few similar ones in recent years, including one that was a chain and a piece of angle iron(!), but this one looks much more sophisticated, and actually winches you out, as opposed to relying on any traction at all.

[Arjan]

Drove Nordkapp in Winter. Apart from studded tyres in a standard vehicle.

Learn to drive to arrive.

Bon Courage !

[Peaklander]

Doesn't it depend whether or not you are on your own? If you are with another vehicle or can call them back on the radio, then it can't be quite as important as when you are alone and reliant on someone you don't know and possibly can't converse with, eventually driving pat and offering to help.

I have never yet put myself in a situation where I might get bogged down (apart from Peak District snow) but I have been in reasonably isolated places with no back-up (Albanian alps, central northern Greece, Bosnia). It's not Africa or Mongolia but it does make you wonder what you would do if you couldn't extract on your own.

[deep]

I've carried a Tirfor-style winch in the back of my Land Rover for years.  I've almost never needed it - which means I have actually needed it two or three times, despite being fairly cautious.  The beauty of a powerful hand winch is it can pull you backwards, forwards or even sideways.  I think, in terms of peace of mind, it's invaluable.  In recent years I've had an electric winch on the front.  It saved a lot of embarrassment only days after I first fitted it but mostly only gets used to haul logs or other stuck vehicles. I think it would be overkill on an expedition vehicle, though they are very cheap these days and can be tucked away quite discreetly.

The idea of switchable diff-locks is, of course, appealing.  However, in the situations where I have got stuck on remote tracks, they wouldn't have helped nearly as much as a winch.  Getting them for the strength value is far more important!  

I think the wisest thing is to get heavy duty components but keep standard drive flanges.  That way, the first bits to fail are the smallest to carry as spares and the easiest to replace.

[Badger110]

All very interesting points, thank you.

With regards to a winch, it's an item i've considered and still might get, however it's the mounting which got me thinking.

 

The front bumper has the wheel mounted to it and the rear is set clear as i'm still thinking of mounting a small cc trails bike to a swingaway set up which would take up the rear crossmemeber space needed for a winch.  However, i did consider making up a tray at the rear which the winch can be ' dropped ' into and secured with quick release bolts if and when needed.  If i make one for the front then i've covered both ends ( remove the spare wheel, drop the winch in ).  Anderson plugs for power etc and when not in use, it can be stored elsewhere so as not hinder the swingaway or the front wheel mounted. 

Alternatively, use a tirifor, less hassle and simple

 

Anyway i'm thinking off topic here abit.

 

Back on topic, ATB's front and rear, HD flanges front and rear, CV and shafts replaced at the front and shafts only for the rear. The rear is apparentely pretty decent and won't receive alot of shock from ATB's over Lockers.

ATB's are a fit and forget, enhance the already fitted TC and are cheaper and easier to fit.

 

I'm going to contact 4x4Xcess for more advice and prices

[Nonimouse]

The front axle on my 100" (a shortened 110) showed up the lack of strength in a 110 front axle. At barely 220K miles with the original half shafts and diff, whilst left foot braking to maintain traction, in a stream, with a gravel bed, the damned thing failed! A halfshaft broke and took the diff with it.

I complained to Land Rover (of course) but they didn't even reply. Poor customer care. That's the only front diff I have ever broken (in a Land Rover product) except when working for the LR Experience.when D2 front diffs went for a pastime.

But it was my fault. Too lazy to winch.

Badger, when it comes down to it, it's your money and your choice..

[Ozzy50]

It’s  better to have it and not need it than not have it and ...........

[FridgeFreezer]

My approach to overland trucks is that everything should either be standard or swappable with standard - if build an Uber-axle using all sorts of special bits and then lunch a bearing in the middle of nowhere, you are more likely going to be able to get a standard part than some custom-whittled special bit that only that one company back home have any of.

By all means uprated shafts for example, but if you throw an LSD in that needs special oil you've made your truck harder to service/repair.

Also I thought/had heard that lockers didn't necessarily help on snow/ice as locking the wheels together just encourages wheels to break traction unless you're driving in a perfectly straight line.

41 minutes ago, Ozzy50 said:

It’s  better to have it and not need it than not have it and ...........

I would say this is the #1 fallacy in vehicle prep - throw vast amounts of gear/spares/accessories at the truck "just in case" and end up with an expensive, overloaded, cramped, hard-to-repair vehicle where you could probably get around quite happily in a Merc Sprinter with a set of AT's 99% of the time and for half the price / twice the MPG / a lot more comfort. Of course if you go in a van, no-one knows you're a hairy-chested rough-and-tumble Overlander so it simply isn't practical

[Badger110]

Vcv arrived today so that's a wee job that needs doing this weekend.  The engine revs are up and down at cold start up, 6th gear seems a little flat too, so i'm hoping this may help.

 

Also the Webasto for the shower ( which worked very well in Scotland ) has begun to intermitantly not power up the fuel pump.   When it does this, it also fails to create a shutdown cycle, this could be because it hasn't ' fired '.

I do have a spare from a BMW X5 which i can swap the PCB from this one to eliminate a unit fault.

 

Other jobs to do this weekend are the lift up vents on the Dormobile roof.  One decided to make a break for freedom whilst we were away and a kind gentleman captured and returned it whilst we were out.  It's duct taped down in the position now and hasn't budged, but a more permanent solution is needed.  I looked at replacing it with a marine style opening hatch but it's a bit overkill for what it actually is.  I may GRP over it and fit a small circular vent that can opened to allow some fresh air in.

 

The middle shroom vent in the upward position and dropping down into driving position casued some water to come in, i think it's collecting water when at an angle and dumping it inside when the roof is closed.  It's no biggy but does need looking at, i may look at a motorised one which can be turned on to empty it when the roof is up.

 

 

 

 

[Carloz]

17 hours ago, FridgeFreezer said:

Also I thought/had heard that lockers didn't necessarily help on snow/ice as locking the wheels together just encourages wheels to break traction unless you're driving in a perfectly straight line.

Completely true: when a wheel can rotate it's own (natural?) speed it has the most grip.

 

Many years ago I drove a Suzuki Samurai: with no central diff it was less predictable and stable on snow in 4wd than in 2wd. So on the road I did pulling away in 4wd and the rest of driving in 2wd.

For the same reason I don't like the Haldex or Visco coupling between front and rear axle (on some so called 4wd passenger cars): it is just coming in action when it is already to late (front wheels slipping). Permanent 4wd with 3x torsen diffs is the way. 

[Badger110]

Whilst changing over the vcv i was aware of an mild oil leak over the past month or so under the bonnet and figured this was a good time to locate the source.

 

As the oil has appeared on the underside of the bonnet, i was thinking it's around the front of the block more than anything, possibly being disapaited from the fan/belts at some point.

 

I removed the inlet manifold to get to the vcv, it's not neccessary, but makes life a little easier and saves knuckles and ripping gloves.  The interior of the manifold and intercooler pipework is coked up quite badly and with a fresh coating of oil, something's a little unhealthy in the engine.

 

 

Dipping a finger in the inlet and dragging  it out shows the amount of carp in there

 

 

 The engine has been running since i got it ( 120k miles ) and smokey at start up and it's now on 160k. It doesn't lose oil if i'm honest and has had 2 oil changes since i've had it. 

I was looking at ripping out the current airbox set up for something abit better and maybe a intercooler upgrade, but this will need to be sorted before any upgrades to the engine's performance is thought of.

 

I shall look into it abit more as to the best way to tackle this and put it at the top of the jobs list.

 

The vcv results? bloody brilliant! Smoother at cold, no lumpyness but top end was no real difference going solo, need to wait until i have a trailer attached to see if there is a benefit.

 

 

 

 

 

[landroversforever]

VCV? 

[Badger110]

volume control valve, or suction control valve...it sits in the high pressure fuel pump and controls the low pressure side of the pump. 

It is a simple remedy to irratic cold running, low power at the top end and a few other gremlins with the tdci engine.

 

there is a thread here on Def2 which shows uneven wear of the unit.

 

[Nonimouse]

Do you spend a lot of time at idle or low rpm - or do you rag the nuts of it regulalry?  

Our Transits, Rangers and D90's fitted with 2.4 and 2.2 ford engines dropped like flies... But that's because they were left to idle for long periods and never given a good hard thrash..

So we swapped to Sprinters.....  and the less said about that disaster, the better.

Now we have Iveco, D5's and Shoguns. The Iveco's are very, very good

[Badger110]

No, neither really. The truck gets used like any normal car, however what i have found is apparentely standard for this particular engine series.

 

the crankcase breather is fed into the inlet manifold pipe...combined with an EGR vavle and you end up with this scenario.

 

The way around it is to fit a Prevent captcha can and blank off the EGR.  It's the cleaning i'm not looking forward to

 

 

[miketomcat]

If I remember correctly there are mot implications if you blank the egr valve now. Just so you know. 

Mike

[Badger110]

1 minute ago, miketomcat said:

If I remember correctly there are mot implications if you blank the egr valve now. Just so you know. 

Mike

You are correct 👍

 

However you can remove the blank and set the ECU back to factory from tuned for an MOT

[landroversforever]

Isn’t the EGR thing one of those that they can’t do anything about if the engine cover is on and you can’t see it? 

[Badger110]

Not sure on the laws relating to either the visual side or whether it affects the emissions test.

 

I'm sure someone with experience in this field will be along to give some more information

 

[Qhriss]

15 hours ago, Badger110 said:

Not sure on the laws relating to either the visual side or whether it affects the emissions test.

 

I'm sure someone with experience in this field will be along to give some more information

 

Know a guy from Volkwagen who might help you there- on holiday at the mo'   Q

[Qhriss]

On 7/25/2019 at 9:40 PM, Badger110 said:

In my quest to expand on the current long distance traveller build of the 110, I toyed with bolting a ambulance body to the back of the 110, even selling it as it is and buying a 130 pulse or mashing together 3 different vehicles to come up with ( queue Guy Martin's voice ) ' A grand idea '.

I went with the mashing of 3 vehicles, namely the 110, a Bedford cf2 camper van and a 110 utility truck special build.

Before I get to that ' Grand idea ' of mine, a little history of where we are now.

The base vehicle is a 2011 110 USW in Buckingham Blue which is a bit blue and a bit dark...so dark blue. It is a XS spec which means something although I’m not sure exactly what that is but the seats cook your arse in the winter and the front screen is heated which if I’m honest, is rather helpful on those cold mornings. It has/had aircon too, which in any vehicle is a stupid idea in my honest opinion...no point keeping yourself cool when you open the car door and its still bloody hot outside...open a window and climatize yourself.

The previous owner was a farrier who had it from new and the rear load bay was sectioned off from the rest of the truck with a hatch built into the side for access to his forge etc. Other than that, it was pretty standard.

 

The build begins

I had to make the area available from behind the front seats to the back door as a living space for 2 adults and 2 dogs ( Old English Sheepdog & Basset Hound ) to include cooking, washing, sleeping and seating.

This isn’t easy when you have 1400mm x 1900mm floor space and a head height suitable for a 5 year old. Standard procedures are to have a bench seat down one side and a counter top on the other to include the cooker, sink etc. This leaves a small area along the middle to fit your legs and feet but not a lot of room for the Floof ( the nickname for the Old English Sheepdog ) especially when we’re sat on the bench seat.

I wanted to create as much floor space as possible for the dogs to lie in and for us to be able to sit without them on our laps or getting in the way. It is a lot to ask for in such a small space, but it is possible.

I came up with a stowaway seating option which allows us to pull the seats out when we want them but have them stored away when not in use. They double up as storage box’s all the time. This may sound quite interesting and abit ‘ out there ‘ in design etc, but in all honesty they’re box’s which we sit on. Yes I made them the correct height so we can sit on them without bending our heads on the roof, but they are still a box. Simple.
 
I made a unit to fit a sink/cooker combo I ‘borrowed’ off a mate, made some units to house my seat ‘ box’s ‘, added some wood as fold down tables, did some electrics including 2nd battery, water pump, amp, sockets, lighting, fitted a webasto heater, chucked some carpet on the units, some on the floor and got it ready for bombing around the UK with a roof tent up top.

There’s a divider piece between the front and rear cab which, when the front seats are folded forward, acts as a back rest for the box seating, a small draw which slides out from the original footwell of the rear seats and a host of other bits n bobs which I’ll cover later on.

 

The build at the moment was a little rushed as we wanted to get it up n running for the summer to use before the ‘ Grand idea ‘ build starts with it which I’ll cover next

So that’s where I’m at now.

Good mod- welcoming wine glass Q