Offroading the D3

[toger]

I am thinking about buying a D3 but would have to get rid of my D1 so the D3 would have to be my roader and greenlaner.

I also fancy doing France/Spain and N.Africa.

I know people do greenlane/expedition their D3's but is it a viable longer term financial proposition or should I buy a D2 and throw five grands worth of goodies on it???

Your thoughts dear friends

T

[BogMonster]

D2 and five grands worth of goodies would be my vote. I have no intention of parting with my D2 and it isn't because I can't afford a D3 because I could if I really wanted one, but I don't.

Seem to recall seeing an article somewhere about two D3s going to Morocco and both of them had problems!

Bing bong shhhhhhhh air suspension flat on the bump stops in the middle of the Sahara wouldn't be my idea of fun. Get a late coil spring non ACE D2 with the centre diff lock fitted, or fit a CDL, and if the warning lights all come on it doesn't really matter as long as the engine still runs

[toger]

Get a late coil spring non ACE D2 with the centre diff lock fitted, or fit a CDL, and if the warning lights all come on it doesn't really matter as long as the engine still runs

What year was that then mate?

I note you dodnt rule out the D3 Coiler....interesting

[BogMonster]

From 2003 model year (those with the four eyed headlights) the CDL became a factory option and will be fitted to some vehicles, but most other D2's can have it easily retro-fitted, just be wary of some around 2002 (like mine grrrrr) which don't have the bits inside the transfer box, because the ETC just by itself is bluddy b*****cks!

You can retro fit it on any of them but you need to get in to the transfer box to fit the selector on ones like mine, better to find one with the spigot on top of the t/box if you can, having said that if you found a really nice D2 at the right price then Ashcrofts will do the job at a reasonable cost I think.

I'd go for an 03/04 (better front bumper design, quite a bit more clearance) fit a tank guard and steering guard maybe diff guards if you like, centre diff lock, decent set of tyres (make sure it has 16" rims not 18s) and then spend the rest of the 5 grand on anything else that takes your fancy - depends on exactly what/where you are going to be doing with it I guess

Edited to add a reply to your edited comment forget the D3 coiler it has about as much suspension travel as a wheelbarrow. I have a photo somewhere of one that I crossaxled and you wouldn't even know it was twisted up just by looking at the wheels, but it wouldn't move!

Swings and roundabouts: with a coiler you don't get terrain interference fitted and less suspension travel, but you do get 17" wheels which you can get MT's for.... and less to go wrong!

[BogMonster]

OK here is the impressive wheel travel of a coil spring D3 in action

Opposite corner wheels spinning in fact I got out for a look and left the engine idling in gear in 1st low range with wheels spinning

Impressed? I was barely able to contain my indifference

Can't see too many competing in winch challenges. Go anywhere a Defender will? My @r%e!!!

[toger]

D00d,

I have photo manipulation software as well.

[BogMonster]

D00d,

I have photo manipulation software as well.

Eh?

Nothing manipulated about that apart from the pixelated bits.

It genuinely failed to proceed on something a Fiat Panda could probably have got across! So could this with a run at it but the point is still valid - the suspension travel is cr*p. And so is the ground clearance.

[Ivan]

Seem to recall seeing an article somewhere about two D3s going to Morocco and both of them had problems!

Read something similar in one of the mags ages ago. Vince Cobbly (sp?) took a D3 to Morroco and had to return early because of faults. It didn't stop the mag raving on about how good it was though

I did find it rather odd that they reckoned it was the best LR yet but it failed in Moroco and had to come home early. Imagine if that was you on holiday.

Like Bogmonster says stick with something you know works well and can cope with a bit of dust and sand.

Rgds

Ivan

[toger]

Eh?

Nothing manipulated about that apart from the pixelated bits.

Who changed the gorse from it's natural fluffy white to that green then

[BogMonster]

Who changed the gorse from it's natural fluffy white to that green then

if you can see any gorse in that photo I think you should lay off the hallucinogenic substances

The "green gorse" is actually called diddle-dee

[toger]

Thanks for that

Now olut of interest, why couldn't you lift the D3 coiler?

I imagine in a couple of years time it will be as common as lifting the D2 by 2 to 4 inches.

[BogMonster]

Now olut of interest, why couldn't you lift the D3 coiler?

I imagine in a couple of years time it will be as common as lifting the D2 by 2 to 4 inches.

You could but if you look underneath a D3 you want about a foot in most places, not 2 to 4 inches

I guess the main issue might be for on-road use, because I think the suspension geometry changes on independent suspension as you lift it though I must admit I am not sure whether this specifically affects the D3 as it probably depends on the exact design of the independent suspension setup. But the reason I think it would be a problem is.....

There are a lot of "lifted" Mitsubishis here - people wind up the torsion bar tension on the front suspension of those to give a higher setting to fit bigger tyres - and they usually have a "pin toed" look i.e. the wheels are no longer parallel, being closer at the bottom than at the top due to the suspension geometry (i.e. tilted out at the top) when you wind it up by a few inches. Hate to think what it does for tyre wear too.....

There might also be problems with running the CVs at high speeds in an offset geometry but that is just guessing - maybe they would be perfectly ok.

One of my other reservations about independent is that with a beam axle you can belt it on a rock and it will just chip the paint. I haven't direct experience of this but I suspect that if you belt independent suspension arms fairly hard on a rock (not difficult as they are quite low to the ground) you would probably end up needing a visit to a laser wheel alignment doodah. Having said that Jules has a Freelander that spends a fair bit of its life off the ground, not sure if he has any problems with this or not. Could be me just being a Luddite

[toger]

Get a late coil spring non ACE D2 with the centre diff lock fitted, or fit a CDL, and if the warning lights all come on it doesn't really matter as long as the engine still runs

Put me right here please BogMonster,

I thought the D2 was coils on the front and Air suspension on the back?

[freeagent]

some are, but the base model ones had coils all round.....

[toger]

Base model , as in the "GS"

What, no essential toys like leather seats

[BogMonster]

Put me right here please BogMonster,

I thought the D2 was coils on the front and Air suspension on the back?

Don't know about other parts of the world but here the base and S have proper springs all round while the XS and ES have air on the back.

Mine is an S with poverty seats because I didn't want either ACE or SLS both of which I decided were something else to go wrong and so far mine has yet to be found flat on the bump stops first thing in the morning

I have driven an ACE equipped vehicle and it does improve the handling but 1) I have never found the handling of mine a problem in any way and 2) having driven a vehicle with ACE it seems to make the ride quite fidgety on bumpy roads.

[toger]

Well I have learnt something there as I thought the models in series 11 went

GS, XS, ES

[BogMonster]

The models are different from market to market. There isn't a "GS" here it is a "nothing", S, XS, ES. I think maybe for those places like the UK where people aren't happy without a badge on their tailgate it is GS S XS ES or something, not sure. A badge is just something else to clean in this part of the world

[MJIbex]

UK spec Disco 2's are as follows:-

Earlier cars:- E, S, GS, XS, ES. (5 & 7 seat option on all).

Last Run:- Pursuit, Landmark, ES Premium (5 & 7 seat option on Pursuit only).

All 7 seaters have air at the rear.

All 5 seat will have ACE as standard bar the E (and possibley pursuit 5 seat).

All XS and ES 5 seats have ACE standard.

ES Premium has centre diff lock and ACE as standard.

Hope it helps

Mark

[toger]

Thanks for that MArk.

Much appreciated

[nwoods]

Hello, this is my first post in this forum. I'm from the United States, and own a coil spring LR3 (Disco 3). I off road mine frequently. I followed this discussion with interest, due to the discussion of articulation in the D3. The coil springer has very little drop in the wheels. About 7.5" (190mm) per wheel. The front is limited by the sway bars. The rear is limited by sway bars and what appears to be a torsion bar (I think?). Yet the air bag version has all these still, and claims 13" (330mm) of articulation per wheel. Not sure how the cross linked air suspension works, but clearly it does work!

Here is a photo of my coil spring LR3 in action:

Here is a shot of the air suspended version in the same spot:

Lift Options

I am also looking for lift options for my coil springer. I'm dragging the rear end over everything. I have not found much out there yet. Hoping your industry in Australia figures something out soon. There are only a handful (fewer than 30) coil springers here in the US. So there is no demand to trigger some of our inventors to tinkering with it.

King Coils has a 1.5" (35mm) replacement coil lift, but that's not enough for my purposes.

The major factor in lifting the coil spring version is the CV joints. The air D3 lowers itself back down above 30mph, to prevent vibration in the CV's, which would then destroy themselves. This is my theory anyway. There is a famous thread on www.discoweb.com ("Save Darby") where a chap lifted his Freelander 3" and had his CV's shed themselves. IFS suspension has it's drawbacks for sure!

I am working on something right now, with a company in the US that sells replacement air suspension bits for 938's and Range Rover Classics. The challenge is the shock itself. The LR part is a combined air bag with the shock through it. All the aftermarket replacement bits are two components, seperate shocks and seperate air bags. I only have one mount! I am considering buying the LR origional parts for the shocks. It's nearly $500 USD per wheel. Not a casual consideration at that price.

[toger]

Hello, this is my first post in this forum. I'm from the United States, and own a coil spring LR3 (Disco 3). I off road mine frequently. I followed this discussion with interest, due to the discussion of articulation in the D3. The coil springer has very little drop in the wheels. About 7.5" (190mm) per wheel. The front is limited by the sway bars. The rear is limited by sway bars and what appears to be a torsion bar (I think?). Yet the air bag version has all these still, and claims 13" (330mm) of articulation per wheel. Not sure how the cross linked air suspension works, but clearly it does work!

Here is a photo of my coil spring LR3 in action:

Here is a shot of the air suspended version in the same spot:

Lift Options

I am also looking for lift options for my coil springer. I'm dragging the rear end over everything. I have not found much out there yet. Hoping your industry in Australia figures something out soon. There are only a handful (fewer than 30) coil springers here in the US. So there is no demand to trigger some of our inventors to tinkering with it.

King Coils has a 1.5" (35mm) replacement coil lift, but that's not enough for my purposes.

Hi NWoods,

I heard just today from Ed Cobly of LRE that OME are bringing out or have brought out a 2" lift for the LR/D3

[nwoods]

Hi NWoods,

I heard just today from Ed Cobly of LRE that OME are bringing out or have brought out a 2" lift for the LR/D3

What is LRE? I have sent half a dozen emails to ARB specifically asking them that question (OME's for the D3) and they have not responded any of them. This is ARB USA and ARB headquarters in AUS.

Companies that are so unresponsive are useless companies.

[toger]

LRE is Land Rover Experience.

I too am emailing Old MAn Emu. Will let you know the reply

[nwoods]

LRE is Land Rover Experience.

I too am emailing Old MAn Emu. Will let you know the reply

Thanks Toger!