Godlykepower Posted July 4, 2009 Share Posted July 4, 2009 I received my copy of "The Rugged Guide" yesterday, which I think is quite a good watch for the money. There are a couple of things mentioned within the "Vehicle Prep" section that I had planned on getting, but have yet to get around to buying, which I might as well get sorted out now. 1. What are peoples recommendations for a Bottle Jack suitable for use on a Defender (with regards to axle height/tonnage etc.) 2. What is the part number for a brass thermostat housing cap? Or, is the X-Eng radiator cap (X-Cap) the same size and will that do? 3. Anybody into boats that can supply me with, or point me to some anti-slip rubber deck matting? I only need enough for 2 bits on the winch bumper. There are a few other bits the DVD reminded me of, but after several beers tonight, I cant seem to think of them now! I can add later if necessary. I have tried searching for these items on the t'interweb, but I have no clue about these 3 things, so dont really know what I am looking for, especially regarding the jack. Ta Martin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
western Posted July 4, 2009 Share Posted July 4, 2009 bottle jack minimum of 2 tonne capacity. go for the X-eng cap it'll fit, just tell Si which vehicle/engine. forget rubber matt, get some boat deck non-slip paint or just add some sand to some black paint & coat it with that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Godlykepower Posted July 4, 2009 Author Share Posted July 4, 2009 Ralph, I can find bottle jacks all over the place, but I really dont know which one in particular will be suitable. I may be wrong (and drunk by now ) but i'm pretty sure it said 10 tonnes in the Rugged Guide? That seems like overkill to me. Is there a particular jack/brand name people are using that cope with the higher ground clearance than a "normal" car? Any reason why I should avoid rubber matting? On my old bumper, I just had 2 bits of Ali tread plate, which I never slipped on, but I quite like the idea of some rubber matting for the winch bumper. I would certainly want something a bit more professional looking than paint with sand in it! I have spent a substantial (!) amount of money on getting to this point, no point me cutting corners now just for the sake of a few quid. Ta Martin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BogMonster Posted July 4, 2009 Share Posted July 4, 2009 You need a 2 stage bottle jack - the single stage ones aren't long enough, if you adjust the screw for a completely flat 7.50 there isn't enough movement in the ram on a 1 stage jack to get the vehicle high enough to get the inflated tyre on! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Godlykepower Posted July 4, 2009 Author Share Posted July 4, 2009 You need a 2 stage bottle jack - the single stage ones aren't long enough, if you adjust the screw for a completely flat 7.50 there isn't enough movement in the ram on a 1 stage jack to get the vehicle high enough to get the inflated tyre on! Yeah, thats exactly what I was thinking too. Er, actually, I have no idea what your on about! Do you have a link to any product you think is suitable please. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davie Posted July 4, 2009 Share Posted July 4, 2009 the bottle jack you need is also used on discoverys - has a V on the top of the ram for sitting nicely under the axle. I got mine from a scrap discovery but i think sites like equicar will sell you one 2nd hand, werent too expensive and come with the correct handle for working, ie long tube. This also after a beer or 3 - but definetly worth e mailing equicar and asking for one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BogMonster Posted July 4, 2009 Share Posted July 4, 2009 OK in simple terms - if you go and buy a Draper bottle jack or indeed most other Halfords-type cheapies, they have a single stage ram and a foot on the top which screws out till it meets the bottom of the vehicle - you can then jack it up by the length of the ram inside the jack which is about five or six inches on most of them. This is fine for changing one inflated wheel for another, but where you have a completely flat tyre, you screw the thing up till the foot touches the axle casing, then pump it up by its five inches or so, then find you actually need seven or eight inches of lift to be able to get an inflated spare tyre back on... does that make sense? You can get around it by driving the flat tyre up on a rock, bit of wood or similar, jacking it up and then pulling out the wood before you fit the new tyre, but it's a PITA. Genuine Land Rover bottle jacks as supplied with any Discovery Tdi or Discovery 2 has a two-stage ram inside the jack which has a lift of about a foot when fully extended, and this is enough to lift a vehicle high enough when jacking under the axle, to be able to fit the replacement tyre (not sure about 35" tyres - possibly not). Having done a quick Google most of the two stage jacks seem to be 10 ton plus so the best bet would be to get one of the ones as used in Discoverys. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Godlykepower Posted July 4, 2009 Author Share Posted July 4, 2009 Excellently put! I understood that! Soooo.....these ones used in Discovery's were genuine LR parts? They would have a part number that I could order one failing me finding one at Billing? Martin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eightpot Posted July 4, 2009 Share Posted July 4, 2009 definately get a disco/range rover bottle jack - most types available from halfords etc don't have the v-cradle on top and will be too dangerous to use. You'll pick one up easy at any of the shows for a tenner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anderzander Posted July 4, 2009 Share Posted July 4, 2009 I've used the Disco one quite a bit and its an excellent bit of kit. ebay link Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Godlykepower Posted July 4, 2009 Author Share Posted July 4, 2009 I like the sound of £10! This trip is almost literally bankrupting me....its about time I purchased something that didnt cost a thousand pounds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
western Posted July 5, 2009 Share Posted July 5, 2009 only problem with using non-slip rubber matt is fixing it to the bumper, black paint with coarse sand in it if carefully applied won't be noticed until it's used to stop you falling on the floor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BogMonster Posted July 5, 2009 Share Posted July 5, 2009 I seem to remember that they are F expensive if ordered new but yes they are in every Discovery 1 or 2 ever built so there are quite a lot around Me, I prefer to carry a trolley jack but that's largely due to the road conditions here - you don't want to be crawling under a vehicle at this time of year... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GBMUD Posted July 5, 2009 Share Posted July 5, 2009 I second Ralph's suggestion about sand in the paint. Rather than knackering a whole tin of paint with sand, mask off an area on the bumper to treat - you can make a pretty pattern if you wish - liberally apply black paint to the masked area and then sprinkle on the sand while still wet. Allow it to dry till the paint is still soft before removing loose sand. Apply top coat to blacken the sand and then remove the masking while still wet. If you wait till it is fully dry before removing masking you risk damage to the edges of the new surface. I think that using this method one can achieve a really professional finish for minimal money. Go for a walk along the canal/river and look at the gunwales of the narrowboats to see the finish you get. Also 100% on the bottle jacks, they were also used in later RR classics. I have used one for years and they are ace. Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leeds Posted July 5, 2009 Share Posted July 5, 2009 Hi Martin, I carry a 10 or 12 ton bottle jack from Machine Mart and they work fine. Reason for 10/12 ton is the minimum max height. If you look HERE you will find list of specifications. Must admit I have a Disco jack in the lock up but have never used it! Besides a bottle jack you also need a folding axle stand and two pieces of ply as load spreading plates. USE them! Important tip for you. Whatever bottle jack you take put a washer over the rubber bung filler cape and tape it on! It is surprising what corrugations can do. For your bumper you can use self adhesive grit paper. If you have tree sliders put some on the top of the tree sliders but NOT down the outer edge. You will find out why the first time you get out of the LR in shorts. If you are going to Billing and want to see some used overland vehicles come along to the Venture Overland stand and say hi. Dependent on time of day/your luck you might get a beer or a tea. Will mine be clean by then? Regards Brendan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anderzander Posted July 5, 2009 Share Posted July 5, 2009 Any tips on where best to pick up a folding axle stand? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leeds Posted July 5, 2009 Share Posted July 5, 2009 Mine cost me £3 off Mike Gemini. Think he bought a pair of folding axle stands and wheel chocks from Aldi for £6! I would not trust it as a workshop heavy duty axle stand but as a lightweight safety precaution which is sharing the jacked weight of the vehicle it is fine. Regards Brendan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jameslwt Posted July 5, 2009 Share Posted July 5, 2009 If you do want rubber matt/non slip, look up 'treadmaster' then if it's what you want send me a PM and I can do you a good price! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calle-fas Posted July 5, 2009 Share Posted July 5, 2009 ...Genuine Land Rover bottle jacks as supplied with any Discovery Tdi or Discovery 2 has a two-stage ram inside the jack which has a lift of about a foot when fully extended, and this is enough to lift a vehicle high enough when jacking under the axle, to be able to fit the replacement tyre (not sure about 35" tyres - possibly not). ... You will be able to fit 35" with it, but it's at the limit. ...Besides a bottle jack you also need a folding axle stand and two pieces of ply as load spreading plates. USE them! ... Very true. Last time is used my Disco jack it dug into the ground left the car standing on one of my toes. Painful I tell you. Luckily I was able to rip the foot loose and jack the car up again. IIRC the Disco jack is rated 2,5 tonnes. One reason for having a stronger jack is if you need to use it for something else, like a press or so. But 2,5 tonnes will get you quite far. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leeds Posted July 5, 2009 Share Posted July 5, 2009 A quick search on ebay come up with thes Folding Stands They look similar to what I have. They are German made like Aldi/Lidl. Rated at max 2 tonnes but am dubious about that but will be fine for lifting a corner of a laden Defender. Cost £17 for a pair including P & P. Only need to carry one though, so find a friend who needs one and split the costs??? Another thing if ground is suitable and clearance is too low for jack start digging! May save a tyre if you are forced to drive on to a rock etc to get clearance Regards Brendan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike4444244 Posted July 5, 2009 Share Posted July 5, 2009 Mike (mmgemini) has a fantastic tip of screwing ply to the bottom of the battery box cover, thereby making a spreader plate without taking up any space... Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobtail4x4 Posted July 5, 2009 Share Posted July 5, 2009 I was always taught to drive the wheel onto the spare, to avoid having to jack too far, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leeds Posted July 5, 2009 Share Posted July 5, 2009 Found out why the Discovery jack was in the lock up. No oil in it! Now sorted! A couple of photos. Left jack is Discovery jack rated at 2 tons. It has a vee cradle and is a two stage jack. Middle jack is a 10 tonne Machine Mart jack which is a single stage jack with a screw section, minimum height 200 mm. Right jack is a 12 tonne Machine Mart jack which is a single stage jack with a screw section, minimum height 210 mm. The black tape is holding a washer over the rubber filler bung Max height of the 10 and 12 ton jacks are 420 and 435 mm respectively. Showing all three jacks at maximum extension The Discovery jack is only 2 ton, is slightly smaller and does not extend as far as the machine mart 10/12 ton jacks. To the right of the jacks is a plastic load spreader plate used by scaffolders which I noticed down at the lock ups today. Looks like it will make a good jack base plate. Storing a spreader plate under battery box lid depends on your battery set up. Would not fit in my battery box. You could keep them under the seat base however. Personally I carry mine in the overhead wire cage in the back of my 110 so that all the wheel changing gear is available in one place. HTH Regards Brendan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Holyzeus Posted July 5, 2009 Share Posted July 5, 2009 You can also get tape that you can stick on that has a grit surface to it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Holyzeus Posted July 5, 2009 Share Posted July 5, 2009 like this http://www.noskidding.com/safety_tape/safetytape.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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