Compromises: Winch/Traction Aid/Vehicles

[RPR]

I just bought this:

'99 D1, 4.0, 5spd auto. It will be SWBO's daily driver/school run mobile and mall crawler, but she has agreed to some "modifications" for family offroading - stress on family offroading.

My original thoughts were: 2" lift, 235/85's, Detroit rear, and 4.10 r&p.

However, as several people have pointed out, the first thing I need to do is get some body protection:

front and rear bumper (probably Rovertym front and TJM rear - any thoughts on the latter which must be sold in the UK as well?)

sliders

tank guard

diff guards

This starts adding up fairly quickly (about 1200 before shipping etc. just for bolt on armour), so I need to economize somewhat on these plans.

I don't think she will want a winch, but as the bumper will be set up for one, I started thinking about skipping the rear Detroit and GBR/Ashcroft HD half shafts at this time (that's roughly 600 quid over here before shipping) and putting a winch on as the "traction aid".

I have recently come across the Warn xd9000i multi-mount,Warn xd9000i mm which I have not seen before. I have had an xd9000i on the Tonka now for 4 years and while I am aware of it's limitations, I just don't have to use it that often . So I am considering putting the old xd9000i on the Disco and buying the new multimount jobbie (slots into a 2" reciever hitch at either end and moves back and forth). This is about 200 quid cheaper than the Detroit and GBR HD half shafts (comes with free shipping) and I get a new winch for the Tonka that I can move back and forth front and rear as needed (and since I tend to have to recover others not infrequently, that could be more useful than one may think).

So, does anyone have any experience of this or other multi-mount winch systems - good, bad or indifferent?

Am I deep in the midst of "gear ecstasy" and not thinking this through ?

For a family wheeler and sandbag DD, a winch in lieu of a Detroit makes more sense, no?

[bill van snorkle]

I just bought this:

'99 D1, 4.0, 5spd auto. It will be SWBO's daily driver/school run mobile and mall crawler, but she has agreed to some "modifications" for family offroading - stress on family offroading.

My original thoughts were: 2" lift, 235/85's, Detroit rear, and 4.10 r&p.

However, as several people have pointed out, the first thing I need to do is get some body protection:

front and rear bumper (probably Rovertym front and TJM rear - any thoughts on the latter which must be sold in the UK as well?)

sliders

tank guard

diff guards

This starts adding up fairly quickly (about 1200 before shipping etc. just for bolt on armour), so I need to economize somewhat on these plans.

I don't think she will want a winch, but as the bumper will be set up for one, I started thinking about skipping the rear Detroit and GBR/Ashcroft HD half shafts at this time (that's roughly 600 quid over here before shipping) and putting a winch on as the "traction aid".

I have recently come across the Warn xd9000i multi-mount,Warn xd9000i mm which I have not seen before. I have had an xd9000i on the Tonka now for 4 years and while I am aware of it's limitations, I just don't have to use it that often . So I am considering putting the old xd9000i on the Disco and buying the new multimount jobbie (slots into a 2" reciever hitch at either end and moves back and forth). This is about 200 quid cheaper than the Detroit and GBR HD half shafts (comes with free shipping) and I get a new winch for the Tonka that I can move back and forth front and rear as needed (and since I tend to have to recover others not infrequently, that could be more useful than one may think).

So, does anyone have any experience of this or other multi-mount winch systems - good, bad or indifferent?

Am I deep in the midst of "gear ecstasy" and not thinking this through ?

For a family wheeler and sandbag DD, a winch in lieu of a Detroit makes more sense, no?

Richard,I don't have any experience of the winch, but as a former duall Detroit owner and differential/ gearbox

repairer I'd advise against the locker. A broken halfshaft invariably takes out the Detroit sidegear. The additional 13 degrees of backlash built into them is very annoying when multiplied through a constant 4wdmanual transmission, and general on road driveabilty in wet, slippery conditions is not too impressive either. They have some serious and dangerous limitations offroad too, but whether or not you will experience them depends on the type of conditions you take the vehicle into. Get the winch first.

Bill,

[SteveG]

Wow, good condition for a Disco I! Going by used Disco prices in the US, I suspect the cost of putting bits on will costs more than the truck!

Front an rear detachables - haven't used on, but was shown one and how to mount it at LR experience on a P38. Although handy, you can't drive around with them on as they affect approach and departure angles so much. You'll be getting stuck more often if you do So you have to mount it on when you need it, which is ok if you can get access to do so. If it is nose down on the front forget it, and if for example you are stuck in ruts then getting access and a pin inserted on the rear would be fun too.

So in my view, not really practical. The rear load bed detachables like the Equipe 4x4 one would work though.

Overall though I think putting the winch on is best, rather than diff lock and associated hardened shafts. So put a winch on the front and tell your mates to buy one too!

Cheers

Steve

[Turbocharger]

I have to ask if a set of tyres and some sill bars etc wouldn't be enough for a family offroader. There are people who compete in RTVs etc with less and a Disco is a pretty capable vehicle on its own. It depends on your 'family', I guess

[MogLite]

I've got a similar winch mount to that with a M8000 in it.

With steel cable and a steel hawse, its pretty heavy to haul around. I've got some plasma to go on it, and a ali hawse is on the shopping list.

I'm going to put a reciever mount in the loadbay of my Isuzu, for storage, probably tied into the seatbelt mounts for the 7-seat stuff, as I don't want a winch hitting me in the back of the head.

I'm also going to put a mount on my trailer.

Hope it helps

[honitonhobbit]

I just bought this:

'99 D1, 4.0, 5spd auto. It will be SWBO's daily driver/school run mobile and mall crawler, but she has agreed to some "modifications" for family offroading - stress on family offroading.

My original thoughts were: 2" lift, 235/85's, Detroit rear, and 4.10 r&p.

However, as several people have pointed out, the first thing I need to do is get some body protection:

front and rear bumper (probably Rovertym front and TJM rear - any thoughts on the latter which must be sold in the UK as well?)

sliders

tank guard

diff guards

This starts adding up fairly quickly (about 1200 before shipping etc. just for bolt on armour), so I need to economize somewhat on these plans.

I don't think she will want a winch, but as the bumper will be set up for one, I started thinking about skipping the rear Detroit and GBR/Ashcroft HD half shafts at this time (that's roughly 600 quid over here before shipping) and putting a winch on as the "traction aid".

I have recently come across the Warn xd9000i multi-mount,Warn xd9000i mm which I have not seen before. I have had an xd9000i on the Tonka now for 4 years and while I am aware of it's limitations, I just don't have to use it that often . So I am considering putting the old xd9000i on the Disco and buying the new multimount jobbie (slots into a 2" reciever hitch at either end and moves back and forth). This is about 200 quid cheaper than the Detroit and GBR HD half shafts (comes with free shipping) and I get a new winch for the Tonka that I can move back and forth front and rear as needed (and since I tend to have to recover others not infrequently, that could be more useful than one may think).

So, does anyone have any experience of this or other multi-mount winch systems - good, bad or indifferent?

Am I deep in the midst of "gear ecstasy" and not thinking this through ?

For a family wheeler and sandbag DD, a winch in lieu of a Detroit makes more sense, no?

OEC are the TJM distributors in the UK now and they stock the Disco rear bumbers. Well made, nice to fit, do the job

[RPR]

Bill - thanks for the views on the Detroit. Her Imperial Highness would not be amused by tricky behaviour in the wet on road to say the least. I had been led to believe that the new Detroits were more well behaved but in any event, this helps convince me of what I was already tending towards.

Steve - Not far off on bolt-ons vs vehicle price The multi-mount winch would be for the Tonka, not the Disco. With 18" under the diff, if I'm burried up to the point where I can't get at a reciever at bumper level, well the winch won't be getting me out! On the front, it will sit on the breakfast so no impact on approach angle.

To all - thanks.

Another question for the electrically bright (pun, poor as it is, intended) among you. For the connections to the rear mount, would a set of jumper cables do for the limited use it would see or can they not take the power? I have a spare set and thought I could plumb them in rather than go out and buy welding cables...