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Newby here and a million questions....


Epsomgreen

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Hi all, Pugwash sent me over here from pistonheads.

Just bought a nice tidy 300tdi 90 as a daily driver that Im going to use for offroad fun as well.Not new to the scene but have returned after about 4 years, this being my 4th 90.

Anyways, as its hopelessly standard at the minute, I though Id air my future plans and suppliers just to make sure Im not giving dollar to the wrong people.

Tubular bumper - First four

Spots - lightforce 170s from venture overland

Rear ARB - Not sure who to use as I want it fitting locally.

Disco trans gears/box - Ashcrofts ?

Snorkel - either Safari OR the new Mantec version

Set of Insaturbos on mods.

X-brake - Do I assume this also makes a differnce to the way the truck accelerates, as its not having to spin up the heavy drum set up ?

Not going to bother with a winch, hopefully put either another ARB or maybe Detroit on the front.

Long term plans, I want to do the Croisiere Blanche.Think thats about it.

Have a good old poke around, seems quite sensible round here, unike some of the other landy fora.

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Only two I'm really qualified to answer.

Spots - lightforce 170s from venture overland

Lightforce are exceptionally good lights, however, (and this applies to a lot of 4x4 lights), do you really need the tightly focused pencil beam that will light up a single tree at two miles? For most of what we do, flood illumination is more use - you are more likely to spot the mine-shaft your wheel is just about to drop in to! To this end, small, diffusely focused lamps work better than tightly focused spot lamps. I know you can adjust the focus of Light-forces but why pay the extra for something which at the end of the day is only useful for posing!

X-brake - Do I assume this also makes a differnce to the way the truck accelerates, as its not having to spin up the heavy drum set up ?

I doubt it. 5kg less rotating mass set against the rotating mass of the engine, transmission and in particular wheels - I'm not convinced you'd be able to tell the difference. Where it does score is in actually working (as the standard handbrake generally does not).

Si

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Have to agree with SI on the Lightforce, great light, designed for shooting bunnies in Oz so just not right for off roading unless you require bling or go lamping. Had a set for three years couldn't break them but found them ineffective so sold them. Cibie Oscars, second hand, repaint and add a set of Renault 4 headlights (sealed beam) works wonders or some of the old sealed beam KC Daylighters if you want bling....

The Croisiere is the best event I have ever been on - it's the one to do if you only do one ever! A winch is a good idea - EP9 Superwinch. Watch tyre size so you can get some decent chains..

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hey epsomgreen- glad you found us- hope you are getting some useful feedback. As SimonR is far too careful to say, i thought i'd let you know that it is his business that produces the X-brake among some other pretty innovative items!

are you sure the lack of winch is a good plan? you know how muxh trouble you can get into with lockers after all!

whereabouts in Herts are you? there's some events not a milion miles from you so you might end up going to a few events if you're not careful!

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Like you Simonr I'm only qualified to answer the two same questions as you.

For lights go for a flood or a drive over a spot...... What Simon has said is true.

Sorry Simon but I THINK that my Defender 110 station wagon lifts her skirts a little , should I say, quicker than when I had the drum set-up now that I have the X-Brake. It could be just me of course........

mike

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Welcome,

As I said to Si R I do have a serious compliant about the X Brake :angry:

After near 20 years of having LRs none of which the HandBrake worked (for long when it did),

having fitted an X Brake it has never ever failed to do the job, ..............BUT I STILL park the 90 in Gear :lol:

Said I reckon the kit should have a sticker in it saying simply "NO - It works now you muppet" :)

Nige

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Don't think weight will come in to it but it will accelerate quicker than with a slightly stuck on drum handbrake and less smelly too :)

Though I have to say I have never had a problem with 300Tdi handbrakes, the old ones used to seize up but not had it once on any of my 300Tdis...

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Winch first ARB second. Every time.

You will become unpopular very quickly (and laughed at a lot!!) if you get lockered up and then proceed to get into some big stucks with no means of self recovery!! :lol::lol:

As the beardy one says, EP9 is the best bang for your buck and first four do a tubular bumper that takes it (see SteveG's thread somewhere on here)

Ashcrofts for all oily coggy bits.

Decent strops and RATED shackles too.....

Oh, and welcome to the mad house and take a Gold star for filling in your profile without being badgered by the Mods for weeks! :hysterical::hysterical:

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IMHO The Cevenol is far better than the Croisiere Blanche, and you don't have to hope it snow either.

Peter

Peter I have to agree the Cevenol is good - very good, as is the Mille Rivieres. Hell I am just old enough to have competed in the last proper Raid De Santiago De Compostela! Tried the Triangle Vert and Randonees Val d' Isere amonget others.

But the Croisiere is so different because of the white fluffy stuff. Stomping through those Alpine snowfields or desperately trying to gain that first climb on the Mikado after 100 vehicles. For me the ultimate fun would be to open trail with the 'Extreme' - and I don't like snow! Each to his own though.

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post-4461-1187117155_thumb.jpg

Pic as requested.

In reply to some of the above -

Yes, I know Simon is x-eng, and I do like a lot of the products that he does.

Location wise, Im in Tring, and am also clubless currently.......

My lack of winch thinking is more to save having to use loads of revs when off road, having seen lockered up trucks walk up stuff Ive had to run at.That and not wanting to really go for the hardcore offroader look.

Any other thoughts on lights ? I like the x lite, but havnt got a cage to bolt them to, and having had roof lights in the past I find the lit up bonnet distracting.

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Hello, Epsomgreen, glad you like it over here, couldn't have found a more friendly bunch though I say it myself :D

I have Southdown, Mantec, Milemarker, X-Eng and KAM kit on the nas and all works pretty well. The Southdown winch bumper has taken more than a few knocks in the past and is still in one piece and the Milemarker (Ahem) will pull all day without failure and those less generous on this site will say it needs all day due to it's lack of speed! :rolleyes:

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I would swear black is white that the message with the info in it wasn't there when I read through yesterday....

No picture either at the time...

(I'll post my rocket launchers up later.... - Which reminds me I must get round to making them a more permanent set of fixings.... !)

Maybe I'm just losing it. (Or lost it.)

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post-4461-1187117155_thumb.jpg

Any other thoughts on lights ? I like the x lite, but havnt got a cage to bolt them to, and having had roof lights in the past I find the lit up bonnet distracting.

While I'm not in favour of roof lights. You can soon stop the glare on the bonnet by fitting some metal or plastic half "tunnels" under the lights. Like the French rally drivers used to use in fog in the good old days.

mike

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