What are the minimum modifications for off road shenaningans?

[Mongrel]

Evening all and hello!

As you can no doubt see this is a first post, and to be honest is a feeler as to whether I can/will get further into the joys of Land Rover ownership!

I have a Discovery 200 Tdi, bit tatty round the edges, lacquers beginning to look like a discarded snake skin, but, on a rock solid chassis, with a decent engine. I have a bit of slack in the gearboxes/props/uj's etc, but they've not bothered me enough yet to really go hunting them down!

It's road legal with a new MOT but is mainly used for getting me to and around a couple of local farms that I have cause to access.

I quite fancy doing some more off road work with her and getting a bit more challenging terrain under her.

So, what would the professionals say are the bare requirements for getting out there and finding out whether it's for me? Am I best off looking toward pay and play days or trying to finding some relatively local green laners to tag along with? I must admit it's the green laning and social side of that that appeals more.

Many thanks.

[bushwhacker]

I would go for tires 1st 80/20 offroad/road.

2nd Strong front recovery points.

3rd rear recovery (I have found the tow hitch if all mounts are attached to sound material.

It would be advisable if possible to have all 3 points ready together.

Then take it from there.

Do not offroad alone if you are going to off the beaten track so to speak.

[Dave W]

Find a good local trials club that offers trials for road going vehicles and go along to watch and/or compete. They will give you all the advice you need and you get to see what your vehicle is capable of in a controlled environment with advice on hand. You can then start to think about any modifications you can make to improve the vehicle off road.

A standard Disco is a good base for trials and you really don't need to bolt half a ton of carp on it before you take it off road. For trials a decent set of tyres will certainly be your first option.

Filling in your location on your profile will give people a better chance to recommend suitable clubs/locations/options

[ejparrott]

I would first attend to the slop you say you have in the drivetrain. It might not bother you now, but offroading will find any weak points in the transmission. The last thing you want to do is drive onto a site, shock a CV (for example) in the first five minutes, and then need recovery home.

Then perhaps look at tyres, although I'm a firm believer in learning to use it as it left the factory

[FridgeFreezer]

#1 - Maintain it, fix the problems, clean the mud off the oily bits

#2 - Recovery points + a tow rope, it's minimum courtesy to at least have some method for getting yourself out of whatever you've got into

#3 - Tyres will make the single biggest difference

#4 - Raised breathers are a sensible precaution.

#5 - Learn to drive it.

In the current weather, a snorkel could be a worthwhile investment (£20 worth of drainpipe & fittings does the job!)

All mods come with compromises, and there's an awful lot of un-necessary mods people do because they think they need it or it looks cool. Also a strong tendency to tell yourself "I would've made it through if I had X" where a bit of careful driving would also have worked (and costs nothing).

[Michele]

Go buying good tyres.

[Bowie69]

You don't "need" anything to be honest, but recovery points are a sensible starter.

[Mongrel]

Find a good local trials club that offers trials for road going vehicles and go along to watch and/or compete. They will give you all the advice you need and you get to see what your vehicle is capable of in a controlled environment with advice on hand. You can then start to think about any modifications you can make to improve the vehicle off road.

A standard Disco is a good base for trials and you really don't need to bolt half a ton of carp on it before you take it off road. For trials a decent set of tyres will certainly be your first option.

Filling in your location on your profile will give people a better chance to recommend suitable clubs/locations/options

Awww MAN! Proper newbie mistake!

Rectified now thanks.

I'll take a look at at local Trials clubs but was looking more toward doing a bit of lightish laning intially just to see how much I enjoyed it. Most posts are advocating tow points which seems sensible, will the tow bar suffice intially, it's just a ball type but the bracketry and mounting is rock solid?

She already sits on Hankook Dynapro MT's which have made a world of difference on the chalk and clay around the farms, not got stuck yet...but not really tried that hard either! I'm assuming things like snorkels and winches are in the 'nice to have but not really needed to start with' bracket?

Many thanks for all of your responses.

[VLZ7286]

A tow ball isnt ideal for recovery, but will normally do the trick, if you can get hold of a pin type, that would be safer, get it as high as poss, or it will make a nice anchor for you.

Fit a ' jate ring' or two to the front for recovery, pretty cheap on ebay, and a strong tow rope.

The dynapro tyres should be fine until you get more extreme.

personally my next mods would be;

~A front diff guard

~Heavy duty steering arms.... Oe arm are supprisingly easy to bend when trying to steer out of ruts!!

~c.b radio for calling for help!

Otherwise just get out in it, you'll soon find out what you need, and what you dont

Enjoy!

[Mongrel]

A tow ball isnt ideal for recovery, but will normally do the trick, if you can get hold of a pin type, that would be safer, get it as high as poss, or it will make a nice anchor for you.

Fit a ' jate ring' or two to the front for recovery, pretty cheap on ebay, and a strong tow rope.

The dynapro tyres should be fine until you get more extreme.

personally my next mods would be;

~A front diff guard

~Heavy duty steering arms.... Oe arm are supprisingly easy to bend when trying to steer out of ruts!!

~c.b radio for calling for help!

Otherwise just get out in it, you'll soon find out what you need, and what you dont

Enjoy!

From the top....

Tow ball and pins are rated, is 4 ton adequate, or maybe 3.5 is enough?

I'm thinking of fitting a steering guard, is it a better idea to use separately mounted jate rings or are you ok using the mounts on a steering guard?

I did see the heavy duty arms, they don't come up cheap though do they! Any particularly decent suppliers.

As for C.B., welll....that only works if you have someone to radio to!

Also been looking at tow strops. What length and rating should I be looking at for these?

Sorry to be so full of questions, but the more I read the more questions I get!

[missingsid]

As. most of above,

Maintence

Recovey points

Tyres (not extreme just not slicks), even road tyres can get by with one person pushing some times!

Have fun and learn, my LR is still far more capable than me and always amazes/supprises me.

Marc

[FridgeFreezer]

Standard tow kit is fine for the rear, JATE rings for the front (with a small strop+shackles to bridge the two so you spread the load & don't have to fish round under the bumper for a tow).

Tow ropes/strops/kerrs are a more complicated subject than they should be, the short version is:

- Normal strops / straps (as seen on lifting/lashing kit) have NO stretch in them, which is not a good thing

- A decent tow rope has a bit of give, which makes thing muchh nicer when snatching (giving it a yank)

- a KERR (Kinetic rope) acts like a big elastic band, makes heavier recoveries possible BUT a giant elastic band with a towball on the end is a hell of a dangerous thing, a lot of people won't use them.

These days winches are common enough, especially when out with a club or group, that anything a normal tow rope can't manage can be solved with a winch in a much more controlled manner than a KERR. However, you've got to be trying quite hard to get a standard Disco stuck enough that the tow rope won't do it.

[mickeyw]

Agree with what most have said above.

Maintenance. - Recovering a stuck AND broken motor is a complete pain in the rear for all involved.

Recovery points, and your own rope. You want a minimum 24mm diameter, and 4.5m is a popular length. polypropylene is OK, nylon is better. Many clubs don't allow kinetic ropes due to safety issues FF mentions above. JATE rings at the front, and a standard towing hook at the back are a great start.

Tyres - sounds like what you have already will be fine to get started with.

Clubs - plenty to choose from. Mud Monsters is based in West Sussex and runs pay and play days throughout the year. We also have a Winch Challenge event on this Sunday at Slindon (not too far from you ). This is an extreme level of competition, not for beginners, but is a great event for spectating.

Just to reiterate - you don't need half a tonne of bolt on stuff to drive off road. Driving skill, gained over time is your greatest advantage. You will learn the limits of your vehicle's ability far better without loads of toys interferring. You will be surprised how capable a standard Discovery is.

[Tanuki]

As others have said: maintenance is #1. Nothing good has been written about breaking down on a muddy lane miles from anywhere at 23:00 on a Sunday night in the middle of a hailstorm.

Simple things - is the battery a good'un? [i replace every 3 years as a matter of course].

Is the alt/PAS/water-pump drivebelt recent?

When was the cambelt replaced?

Are all the breathers working properly? Do you know where your wading-plugs are?

Do the swivel-hubs leak?

Do all the lights work?

Shock-absorbers? How many thousand miles have they done?

Are the discs and brake=pads OK [mud causes accelerated wear!]

Handbrake OK [and I don't mean 'it only just passes the MoT'].

Screenwipers in good condition? You won't go anywhere fast if they're old and juddery/smeary.

Then, as others have said, basic recovery kit: JATE rings at the front, standard towhitch at the rear [it's a lot stronger than many of the 'off-road recovery' fitments you see advertised!], a couple of strops, a ground-anchor and a Tirfor winch.

(Yes, a Tirfor. It's entirely human-powered so doesn't depend on you having a runnable engine. It's also a hell of a pain to use - which gives accelerated learning as to the wisdom of not-getting-stuck-in-the-first-place).

Finally, a telescopic poking-stick with which to test the depth of any water-filled hole/river_before_ you drive into it.

After that, the #1 thing is to get experience of the standard vehicle and improve your skills at the same time. Which means driving, and getting stuck, and getting out of the stuckness.

Only when you've found out what you can't get your vehicle to do can you then put in place a program to improve both the vehicle and your own skills so you can then achieve what you want to be able to do.

[Mongrel]

Agree with what most have said above.

Maintenance. - Recovering a stuck AND broken motor is a complete pain in the rear for all involved.

Recovery points, and your own rope. You want a minimum 24mm diameter, and 4.5m is a popular length. polypropylene is OK, nylon is better. Many clubs don't allow kinetic ropes due to safety issues FF mentions above. JATE rings at the front, and a standard towing hook at the back are a great start.

Tyres - sounds like what you have already will be fine to get started with.

Clubs - plenty to choose from. Mud Monsters is based in West Sussex and runs pay and play days throughout the year. We also have a Winch Challenge event on this Sunday at Slindon (not too far from you ). This is an extreme level of competition, not for beginners, but is a great event for spectating.

Just to reiterate - you don't need half a tonne of bolt on stuff to drive off road. Driving skill, gained over time is your greatest advantage. You will learn the limits of your vehicle's ability far better without loads of toys interferring. You will be surprised how capable a standard Discovery is.

Oh my word! Just been looking through the Mud Monsters website and pics! Now I Know how little I can do!

Ref: Slindon, can non-members spectate? I'd love to come and see what its all about. It will also give me a chance to see first hand how and where things need attaching!

[Mongrel]

Once again, thank you everyone again for all the posts and suggestions, I'm sure you get 'reet tired of answering the same old newb questions but it has given me the impetus to go n find out more!

[FridgeFreezer]

Is the alt/PAS/water-pump drivebelt recent?

If not, when replacing them, chuck the old one in the boot as a spare. It may just get you (or someone else) out of trouble, and takes up almost zero space.

[mickeyw]

Ref: Slindon, can non-members spectate?

Certainly can

[Bowie69]

Once again, thank you everyone again for all the posts and suggestions, I'm sure you get 'reet tired of answering the same old newb questions but it has given me the impetus to go n find out more!

I expect people wold rather answer them occasionally than your first post being "Help I was stuck in a field and the tractor came to pull me out, tore the back axle off, and then charged me £200 for the privilege" . Granted it would be funny, but hardly a good introductory statement

[qwakers]

i've relatively recently done the new to offroading thing. ive learned a thing or two in the process

listed in order of importance:

1) get a steering guard and diff guards. if you need to drive the truck home they're invaluable.

2) get good recovery points. mine is a tow bar and the steering guard, but i also have a winch.

after that the 'optional but nice' stuff comes in

3) winch. means you can get yourself out of trouble (or in my case, further in before you need help. lol)

4) mud terrain tyres. better on the road than you'd think.

and of course a jack, tyre pump and simple tool kit for when you break something...

[honitonhobbit]

I wouldn't bother with a steering guard - but I would invest in a track rod guard (the one that runs along the back of the axle). It takes a fair bit of driving like a complete fool to damage the drag link or the drop arm. Front diff guard is useful

Best thing you can invest in is a bit of training.

There will be a local BORDA registered off road driving centre near you I expect. But make sure it's not some numpty who claims to be the greatest off roader ever. Look for NPTC/City & Guild competence and/or LANTRA tickets. Avoid the Land Rover Experience as it's flipping pricey and will give you little of what you need....

You need to understand how the vehicle responds in certain situations and what NOT to do

Failed hill climbs

Side slopes

Hill Descents

Are the big three

If you stuff up the rest you'll learn not to do it again.

Stay out of water - especially gritty/muddy water - unless you want a crash course of vehicle mechanics

Basic recovery techniques are useful

[qwakers]

I wouldn't bother with a steering guard - but I would invest in a track rod guard (the one that runs along the back of the axle). It takes a fair bit of driving like a complete fool to damage the drag link or the drop arm.

tell that to my drag link. clouted it on a tree stump i missed seeing on my 1st ever go at offroad within 5 mins of starting. these things happen offroad.

[Mongrel]

I wouldn't bother with a steering guard - but I would invest in a track rod guard (the one that runs along the back of the axle). It takes a fair bit of driving like a complete fool to damage the drag link or the drop arm. Front diff guard is useful

Best thing you can invest in is a bit of training.

There will be a local BORDA registered off road driving centre near you I expect. But make sure it's not some numpty who claims to be the greatest off roader ever. Look for NPTC/City & Guild competence and/or LANTRA tickets. Avoid the Land Rover Experience as it's flipping pricey and will give you little of what you need....

You need to understand how the vehicle responds in certain situations and what NOT to do

Failed hill climbs

Side slopes

Hill Descents

Are the big three

If you stuff up the rest you'll learn not to do it again.

Stay out of water - especially gritty/muddy water - unless you want a crash course of vehicle mechanics

Basic recovery techniques are usefulI

I am looking at training at the moment but have only really found John Morgan at 4x4 driving, Sussex at the moment, there are others but they are further out and to be honest, until I get an idea of the going rate, and not knowing of any of them, I'm flying a little blind. I will do a lot more digging before parting with any cash though! Point taken about steering/diff/track rods, thanks.

[honitonhobbit]

John is good

Go on to the NPTC/C&G website and look for the assessment centres in your area. Ring then up and ask for details of local NPTC instructors. If that doesn't work let me know and I'll ask HQ (I'm an Assessor for them).

I don't know your area well - sorry

If you are down in Somerset, once we have dried out, give me a shout and I'll sort out a days training for the cost of the TPL (£15) and a pub lunch

[honitonhobbit]

Drag Link , Tree Stump interface - bet you didn't do it again! And wouldn't have done it with prior training