Safari Gard 3 Link

[Anderzander]

I recently bought crwoody's 3 link set up via Hybrid_from_Hell ..... thread here..

And I got to fitting it yesterday with the help of friend. This is crwoody's picture of the set up:

The kit comes with a model specific cross member - and this one was the V8. The cross member's centre sits as low as on my TD5 - but the ends kick up for the twin pipes of the V8. The standard cross member for the TD5 has the pipe routed above it and looks like this of course:

So I expected to have to re-route the pipe under the V8 cross member - and bought a flexi link as a temporary solution. Here's the pipe on ebay.

It was fantastic quality when it turned up though - really substantial and with a smooth interior and exterior - good enough to use as a permanent solution

This is the new cross member sat directly below where it will be. The standard pipe is above it and the flexi link is in shot too. The rusty square on the inside of the chassis beams is where the old cross member was and where this one will fit too.

What became apparent was that with the link I could still run the pipe over the top and end up with much better ground clearance even than the stock set up.

Here's the new cross member mounted in place and a section of the original exhaust cut out. Also visible is the diesel leak from the FPR up above ...

The front pipe and flange end was removed and welded to the flexi link:

Here's a couple of photo's of it fitted. We kept the original hanger bracket and rubber but moved it. We made up a new mount from the old one ground off the pipe and a D clamp. It turned out really neat and I'm really pleased with it.

Then it was time to tackle the 3 link, its laid out here ready to start.

The photos kind of stopped for a while here - lol - as the fitting turned into a bit of a nightmare. Not sure how much was down to Land Rover tolerances or Safari Gard tolerances.

Suffice to say after hours of filing, drilling, levering, sweating and becoming stressed etc it was on. The 'Rock Guard' and its associated bushes was the nightmare. Its basically a cover / guard for the track rod, not dissimilar to the one Gwyn (Lewis) makes, except that this one picks up the radius arm mounts and the ARB mount and the two threaded bolt holes on the underside of the diff pinion. It then serves as the mount for the 3rd link.

The centre link is adjustable in length so you can set the castor. I don't have an inclinometer or the like so we took 3 measurements to and from various points and used these to set it up. The Diff had dropped quite a bit so we jacked it up bit by bit until all the measurements were as close as possible and then fitted the centre link. We erred on the side of dropping it a little to increase castor rather than decrease it.

Here you can see where the Rock Guard uses the two bolt holes in the diff to mount:

Here you can see the front radius arm, and the axle ARB mount, taken by the Rock Guard:

No action shots yet and I've not yet tried it off road - but on road it drives very well. I don't know how much the standard springs and OME shocks I have help with that. I can feel its more compliant but it doesn't roll or wander any more than it did before.

[Hybrid_From_Hell]

Excellent

Truly I think the heavy weight of a cast diesel block, lower horses and harder spring and OME Shocks

will all play a vast difference in handling

Looking forward th the next installment

Nige

[crwoody]

Great looking job there, nice solution with the flexible exhaust section.

To be honest, that was one of the reasons I never got around to fitting it myself, I could see that mods to the exhaust were needed and just thought - "I'll sort it tomorrow" and inevitably - tomorrow never came.

Beginning to wish I'd just got my backside in gear now

[T1G UP]

When my safari guard as fitted to my TD5 90 there was no need to mod the exhaust. THat x member you have look a bit of a home brew as the standard 200/300/ td5 x memeber is just like a standard one but with the lugs welded on!

[Anderzander]

T1G UP, That cross member is the one Safari Gard sell for the V8:

Anyhow - I got to time to drive it today. Possibly a small bit of vibration around 40 mph? But really driving very well.

[crwoody]

Looking good - nice to see it in action, amazing how level the car sits with both axles crossed like that.

[Michele]

and the two threaded bolt holes on the underside of the diff pinion

Did you drill and tap the holes in the diff to fit bigger bolts as per instructions?

I don't know how this might be crucial for safety or not...

Also, any chance you took a pic of all the hardware?

I got mine and I think some spacers and other bits are missing...

[Anderzander]

Hi Michelle

I haven't re-drilled the diff for bigger bolts - though I have used longer ones of the same thread as those that came out.

Before installing it I hadn't realised that the new bolts were larger and didn't have a tap that size. Looking at those bolts though, in relation to the main forces acting on them (ie through the links) they are in shear ... and so are all the other bolts on the Rock Guard, and the rest of the bolts are massive. So I feel pretty comfortable with the old bolt diameter. I may drill and tap them out later or perhaps buy bolts in a stronger material with a higher shear strength.

The pic at the top of this thread is everything in the kit - what do you think is missing from yours?

One thing I'm not sure on is the position of those thin tubes on the control arms. The instructions say for a 90 they should be on top, whereas on a 110 they should be underneath. Though it doesn't specify if they should point in or out? The picture on the instructions 'appears' to show them pointing in - but I can't be sure.

[Michele]

Good evening!

I "guess" I miss maybe a spacer and...uhm really I can't remember as I got my kit 2 weeks ago or more and it's still on the floor, I haven't had the chance/time to check the hardware.

I gave the SG crossmember a look (mine is the one for the Tdi), and it looks it's a vvvery tight fit (read: a pain to squeeze between the chassis rails...), either I'm getting old fast or it's scary heavy!

Looks well built though.

I want to be sure to have all the bits (still have to get half of the center link) before start.

As to the thin tubes, they're supposed to have ARB line running in, so I guess up is better...

P.S.

Great place there, where did you take the photos??

Might put it on my list.

[Anderzander]

I posted a couple of videos onto youtube that I thought I'd put here.

First one is of getting a Discovery that is standard except for its wheels through a rock cutting, second one is mine with the 3 link, std height, but long travel shocks.

[landroversforever]

Great videos!

I thought the Walna Scar was closed permanently?

[Anderzander]

The exceptions to the NERC have been invoked! ... Though it may only be a narrow window before a TRO.

The 3 link, x springs and gwyn kit was a kind experiment to see how far I could get by trying to keep an even weight balance and all 4 wheels on the floor.

Going out that day kind of pointed out how far it had come.

[foggy3061]

Great place there, where did you take the photos??

Might put it on my list.

It's a good track that one, runs over the tops from low nibthwaite (on the road round the east side of lake Coniston) to Ickentwaite in the rusland valley.

Open this document and scroll to the bottom of the page, its lane number U5064.

Lake district national park UCRs