sandancer73 Posted December 17, 2011 Share Posted December 17, 2011 I am in the process of re-building my D90, and was considering improving the rear articulation with a X-Eng kit (springs, arms & ball joint) but reading a few threads I am wondering whether just to fit a diff locker. The truck is currently stock but fitted with a set of Insa Turbo's. The truck must remain at standard height, and I mainly use it for off roading and would like to start green laning. Could you please give your thoughts on the subject. Thanks in advance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vulcan bomber Posted December 17, 2011 Share Posted December 17, 2011 diff lock would be my choice.. Dislocated springs leave no pressure on a wheel, meaning no grip which obviously means your then stuck.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vulcan bomber Posted December 17, 2011 Share Posted December 17, 2011 diff lock would be my choice.. Dislocated springs leave no pressure on a wheel, meaning no grip which obviously means your then stuck.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Off Road Toad Posted December 17, 2011 Share Posted December 17, 2011 They are two completley different things IMHO. suspension travel will give you much more stability on uneven ground and some degree of extra grip. When you lose traction the only way forward really is a difflocker. Obviously if you have both then thats great but i think you'll be much better off with a locker first. Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orgasmic Farmer Posted December 17, 2011 Share Posted December 17, 2011 As Steve said. The locker would be my choice and is more useful in more situations. Remember a fair improvement over stock articulation can be had for a few hundred pounds but to gain a couple more inches over that will cost 5-10 times as much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jai_landrover Posted December 17, 2011 Share Posted December 17, 2011 Locker simples! Locker for go, Articulation for show. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zardos Posted December 17, 2011 Share Posted December 17, 2011 Having built up the toys on my 90 over 6years of competition, I have to say that a rear lockers was the best advancement. My Sig pic shows me seriously cross axled (on 2 wheels on the ground and the other 2 at full articulation and not touching) but I still drove out due to a rear locker Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bishbosh Posted December 17, 2011 Share Posted December 17, 2011 Locker first, improved articulation second. If you are going to start green laning you shouldn't need either though - if the lane needs lockers then you shouldn't be driving it. (generally speaking) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
honitonhobbit Posted December 17, 2011 Share Posted December 17, 2011 Learn to drive the vehicle in standard form first as it's pretty damned impressive, then tweak your suspension, then when you reach the limit of that fit a locker Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
farmerboy_y2k Posted December 17, 2011 Share Posted December 17, 2011 Locker first, improved articulation second. If you are going to start green laning you shouldn't need either though - if the lane needs lockers then you shouldn't be driving it. (generally speaking) shouldn't need tyres as aggresive as insa turbo's for greenlaning either. as for the original question a locker is more use. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Badger Posted December 18, 2011 Share Posted December 18, 2011 Locker, for me it's easier to engage than locking the transfer box. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orgasmic Farmer Posted December 18, 2011 Share Posted December 18, 2011 Locker, for me it's easier to engage than locking the transfer box. then surely you will only have one front wheel spinning when things get a bit tough?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vulcan bomber Posted December 18, 2011 Share Posted December 18, 2011 then surely you will only have one front wheel spinning when things get a bit tough?? he would and i find it really hard to lock the centre diff... No hang on, its childs play. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Off Road Toad Posted December 18, 2011 Share Posted December 18, 2011 Easiest thing to do would be to go to a play day and compare vehicles with suspension travel and those with lockers. those with all the wickedy woo suspension travel will be in the car park comparing genitals articulation and those with lockers will be driving about having fun. Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hybrid_From_Hell Posted December 18, 2011 Share Posted December 18, 2011 Suspension travel is nice if you are of the abiloity to use it. A good driver in a fair std LR can often easily and regulary out perform the "Cheque Book Goddies" Off roader. Bolting suspension mods on won't help unless you also know what you are trying to achieve - ie A lot of peeps ask me how mine flexes so much and what "Lift" I have - Lift Kits do not make for supple suspension and good off road ! They alter the COG and often the lift is via stronger springs so they can end up with less travel and a tripper LR Similarly are you getting to the point of being stuck so often that you need a locker ? and if so is it you or the LR that is the problem ? not being rude, but Lockers help only when you really know whats going on under you / skill driving Lockers do offer a stronger diff centre as a by product too Its a Q really thats 50/50 in answering and the answer would change with some more info ..... Nige Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Badger Posted December 18, 2011 Share Posted December 18, 2011 You are both right of course, however sometimes you lose traction just a little when climbing up steep snowy slopes, then it does help, to flick the switch engage the locker for a mo to keep things moving. But if you know its gonna be rough, of course you engage the central diff. Oh, wait it's child's play Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bowie69 Posted December 18, 2011 Share Posted December 18, 2011 Who drives around off road where you may get stuck without the centre diff locked anyways? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RustyNissanPrairie Posted December 18, 2011 Share Posted December 18, 2011 A friend of mine had a standard Mercedes G wagen 230, it was on standard 205 tyres for ages until he got some Goodyear G90's for it. Always loads of banter between us Landrover owners and him-but to give it its due-it was massively capable but only because of the standard diff lockers front and rear, articulation though was very poor. When he broke the rear locker Jays 90 trounced him It became nearly unstoppable when he put the G90's on it as it (massive weight) helped and it trundled up nearly everything at Cowm Quarry; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYsKR4I4SIs&list=UUE_XfHT2jjkBk3409xYer2g&index=17&feature=plcp only trouble is that the lack of articulation let him down; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMjSiUYTYK8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Badger Posted December 18, 2011 Share Posted December 18, 2011 Well that's just it, I am off road all the time, even when I am on what you could consider a road, it's technically a road I guess... But round here, when you go "off road", it really is, not a road or was a road about 30 year ago? Thats when you engage the central diff and prepare to get the winch out at any given moment. Anyway, my point was that sometime you may need a little help, quickly, a switch flick is quicker than a transfer lock. But back on topic I would get a locker before suspension mod's, and better tires before that. It all helps really. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Off Road Toad Posted December 18, 2011 Share Posted December 18, 2011 Traction control doesn't rely on the centre did flock dose it? I know the badgers set up as I built his axles- front and rear LSD / locker combinations. From experience I know how his set up works and see what he's getting at, sometimes a little flick of the switch is all you need to keep you from trouble. You guys don't realise this as you have different set ups. It seems some may have swallowed the land rover text book of driving too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Off Road Toad Posted December 18, 2011 Share Posted December 18, 2011 Apologies for the spelling, predictive spelling on iPhone - didn't realise - sorry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discomikey Posted December 18, 2011 Share Posted December 18, 2011 what about using a bit more momentum when needed, thats free and usually has the same effect. like when your in this situation... i was maxxed out, and the rear wheel was sat between the two bonnets. if i wasnt worried about my fuel tank, i wouldnt have got stuck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jai_landrover Posted December 18, 2011 Share Posted December 18, 2011 Suspension as already said is a kind of preference. I normally run +3 softer longer springs 175Lbs/inch with +2 shocks on my 90 rear end. The rear also has 2 inch blocks. I am at the limit of how much max droop I can have without binding up my rear propshafts (Salisbury rear axle detroit locker shorter prop higher angle and std UJ's) with a Hard top. Currently its inbetween setups. I had to put it back to ALRC Regs for the nationals earlier in the year so I have lighter duty 145 lbs/inch std height springs with 2 inch blocks with a truck cab and empty back end its not too bad with 33 inch tyres nothing rubs at all. Compression I am at my limit my tyres just and i mean just rub the stiffening strips Mitchelin XL's 900x16 measured height 36 inch in my rear tub because I havent extended my bump stops by 10-15mm. It will go back to red white springs all round when I put the Hard top and fill the back end with kit. Front end is red whites no lifting blocks but the weight with the winch and tdi isn't too bad. Bit more fannying to do to get it better. If you believe you can buy a £200 or even £400 suspension "Kit" and make it great for offroading and great on road your on to a loser. rear suspension took hours of jacking up chalking up measuring max compression max droop wheel offsets and getting a workable combination opposed to many that fit nice looking wheels and a lifty kit. I believe that if you do not know what rate springs you've fitted your just stabbing in the dark. Many Kits as said simply offer std height but stiffer srpings. You can see many motors lifting wheels when out playing because of the stiff setup whereas a nice supple setup will follow the ground nicley. On road you lose. I would never buy a kit but if I was to consider anything I'd want to know: Spring rate and Free height, Shocks compresses length and fully extended length before fitting to my motor. . Still if I had a std motor I'd fit a locker first no questions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hybrid_From_Hell Posted December 18, 2011 Share Posted December 18, 2011 I never understand why there s a fixation on "Drop" but then blocks are added to then limit upward movement ? Droop on articulation is 50% of the game, compression the other 50. Getting front and rear balanced is also key, on one of the past Challenger 4x4 RTI competitions (which I won ) I got a 968 rear and 952 front Blocks under bumps stops is about as daft as things can get IMHO Nige Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jai_landrover Posted December 18, 2011 Share Posted December 18, 2011 hybrid, i agree for a competition motor hack out the rear tub let it flex but and in my case my 90 is retiring slowly from anything serious. Adding 15mm probably more like 5mm spacer behind the bump stop is so that my mitchelins do not rub anywhere on full articulation back only is not going to worry my at all. If somone was adding 2 inch blocks then i'd be slapping myself! As my 90 will be going back to a semi traveling bus then limiting its upward travel by 5 or 10mm isnt great. Its not caged nor willl it ever be. I will be intrested in peoples pics of their series leaf srpung LR's articulation setups that are within alrc regs. I just finished rebuilding a rear axle up to be attached soon and tested for max droop compression making sure brake lines and propshaft are likley to stay in one piece. I'll post up in the series section another day for that. I do fancy giving a punch event a go in a sub 1 ton 80 inch leafer for the crack tho!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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