Terra Firma 2" lift for Disco 1 + tires

p m

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Absolute truth.

The one thing nobody ever considers, though, are body mounts; and they should be replaced on a vehicle of that age before tackling such terrain with any amount of regularity or over a long distance. Not only will every single part on the vehicle appreciate it, but so will your back.

Cheers,

Kennith
I am even afraid to look at the body mounts (body brackets for body mounts) on my D1. I know that two of them are cracked.
But that took many years and many tens of thousands of miles on the washboard.
 
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Knightspirit

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Sep 22, 2019
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Mount Shasta, CA
There isn't anything on through-roads in Death Valley that a stock D1 or Classic could not do.
You may have to be careful not to bend the rear bumper going down Steele Pass, that's about it.
Spur roads to the mines may be more challenging, but you aren't looking for those.

Shocks... shocks break in Death Valley. Everything breaks on washboard.

Oh yes I AM looking for those mine spurs, lol! I love that shit. 😆

Great pics Tugela - I definitely want to do that route! 👍

Also - if the OME springs have a better ride etc. - is anyone using spacers?:

 
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ERover82

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Nov 26, 2011
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Also - if the OME springs have a better ride etc. - is anyone using spacers?:

If vehicle weight increases proportionally with spring rate, the ride should be similar, but in most cases rate will outpace weight when drivers swap to aftermarket coils. In this case, the ride is firmer, but does tend to mask sway if ride height is lifted.

Spacers should be used only to level the vehicle or provide a very small lift. Otherwise, they will over-compress coils and/or reduce travel upon compression.

Speaking of spacers, a 1/2” body lift will buy you true tire clearance, preserve suspension geometry, make some maintenance procedures easier, and keep center of gravity lower. Go too much though and body-bumper gap looks ridiculous, among other problems that emerge.
 
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kennith

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Apr 22, 2004
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North Carolina
The moral of this video: if you have a girl willing to dig out tons of dirt with her bare hands, you don't need a winch.

Really? Allow me to correct that:

If you have a girl willing to dig out tons of dirt with her bare hands, you've already got a wench. :)

Cheers,

Kennith
 
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4Runner

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May 24, 2007
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Boise Idaho
I did the 2” medium duty TF lift with TF shocks. I ordered the better TF shocks but got the bottom end ones. Got charged for the bottom end ones and kept them. The springs are good. Don’t like the shocks. I would add more flex before I went more than 2” of lift. Everyone is right that having your rig mechanically sound with some spare parts is way more important. Great heavy duty tires are a good investment as well. 245/75/16 is a good fit. On the plus side, 2” of lift makes working under the Rover much more pleasant. It’s almost worth it just for that.
 

terryjm1

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Jan 23, 2011
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The moral of this video: if you have a girl willing to dig out tons of dirt with her bare hands, you don't need a winch.
Understanding that, I need a winch... my wife’s idea of getting her hands dirty is loading the dishwasher.
 
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terryjm1

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I did the 2” medium duty TF lift with TF shocks. I ordered the better TF shocks but got the bottom end ones. Got charged for the bottom end ones and kept them. The springs are good. Don’t like the shocks. I would add more flex before I went more than 2” of lift. Everyone is right that having your rig mechanically sound with some spare parts is way more important. Great heavy duty tires are a good investment as well. 245/75/16 is a good fit. On the plus side, 2” of lift makes working under the Rover much more pleasant. It’s almost worth it just for that.
I have the same lift/shocks and tire size. Seems about right for that combo. It’s a 300TDI (a bit heavier than 4.0?) and a 125 pound (from memory) winch bumper but no winch, yet. Seems it is about level but I dont have many miles on the lift. If it sags a little I’ll get some spacers. I wouldn’t try larger tires with that lift. I don’t plan any serious offroading, just some overlanding.
 
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kennith

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Apr 22, 2004
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Also, here are more photos of the Washington Backcountry Discovery Route since the first one appears to be popular. Thread drift but hey, this is DiscoWeb

Nice. That's the sort of place I personally prefer to be instead of stuck in a traffic jam on a trail. I can see why people like events, but if I'm making a point to take an actual vacation that's costing me money instead of the other way around, I'd rather just enjoy nature by myself or with a co-driver at most.

On the point of any kind of overlanding of any kind whatsoever, regardless of how one defines it, I'll provide the absolute best advice I can to anyone:

Step 1:

Close your wallet. Don't be the unfortunate fellow who spends so much on gear and upgrades that he can't afford the trip.

Step 2:

Open it back up just a little bit. Don't be an idiot. You need to be trained, and your vehicle needs to be inspected and serviced properly.

Step 3:

Don't focus on getting out in the middle of nowhere. Focus on getting back from the middle of nowhere. There's a big difference between the two.

Step 4:

Never forget that Land Rover sold you a vehicle that's already capable of going nearly anywhere you want to on this planet, and that everything you do to it makes something worse.

Cheers,

Kennith
 

Tugela

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May 21, 2007
4,754
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Seattle
Kennith, your post about the Vehicle Dependent Expedition Guide reminded me that I had stopped looking for a copy of the book. I have had Tom Sheppard's earlier book, The Land Rover Experience, since it was first published, but prices for the Guide were always higher than I was willing to pay. A fortuitous glance on ebay a couple days ago uncovered a copy of the Guide for a ridiculously low price, so I jumped on it. Looking forward to enjoying another well-written and beautifully illustrated book by Sheppard.
 
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kennith

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Apr 22, 2004
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Kennith, your post about the Vehicle Dependent Expedition Guide reminded me that I had stopped looking for a copy of the book. I have had Tom Sheppard's earlier book, The Land Rover Experience, since it was first published, but prices for the Guide were always higher than I was willing to pay. A fortuitous glance on ebay a couple days ago uncovered a copy of the Guide for a ridiculously low price, so I jumped on it. Looking forward to enjoying another well-written and beautifully illustrated book by Sheppard.

Nice. :)

It's an outstanding book, and certainly worth the cash.

That guy's experience really has saved me a lot of trouble in new environments. It's very well-arranged and written.

People don't think about it too much, but that lifestyle is full of firsts. Every time you're out it's something new eventually, and having the experience of others under your belt to aid in building your own in a new scenario is worth just about anything you have to pay for it.

I'd kind of like to have my copy signed, actually.

Cheers,

Kennith
 

terryjm1

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Jan 23, 2011
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I’m pretty new at off-roading. My off-road adventures have been pretty tame. Mostly just some rough and somewhat remote forestry service routes. I’m early in the learning curve but plan to grow. I’m definitely the guy more concerned about how to get back from wherever I am considering going. I appreciate all the knowledge being shared. I just learned a lot about the variations of what is considered over landing.

For me, the mods/upgrades I did were minor, or perhaps moderate. My stock springs were sagging pretty bad. I figured I may as well give it a little lift, too. I really didn‘t like the chrome bumpers on my LSE, so I went for HD bumpers that I think I got really right priced. I needed new tires, so I went a little bigger and a bit more aggressive. Someone posted some used but top of the line rock sliders for $250 on another forum, so I figured, why not?

If I can get some additional mods/upgrades right priced I will. There is a used gas tank skid guard posted for very reasonable price on another forum I am kicking around the idea of buying. My HD bumper makes my steering stuff up front look pretty naked. I might get a guard for that as well If a deal presents itself.

However, I have gone to way too much expense aimed at reliability. Rebuilt 300TDI, rebuilt R380, new turbo, new injectors, rebuilt injection pump, new alternator, new starter, new brakes (MC, calipers, discs, pads,hoses) all the way around, new radiator, new intercooler, all new hoses (some silicon), new AGM battery, new clutch, new clutch hydraulics, new AC compressor, and much more.

As percentage of what I invested in reliability, the upgrades/mods were a much smaller percentage.
 

kennith

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Apr 22, 2004
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172
North Carolina
I’m pretty new at off-roading. My off-road adventures have been pretty tame. Mostly just some rough and somewhat remote forestry service routes. I’m early in the learning curve but plan to grow. I’m definitely the guy more concerned about how to get back from wherever I am considering going. I appreciate all the knowledge being shared. I just learned a lot about the variations of what is considered over landing.

For me, the mods/upgrades I did were minor, or perhaps moderate. My stock springs were sagging pretty bad. I figured I may as well give it a little lift, too. I really didn‘t like the chrome bumpers on my LSE, so I went for HD bumpers that I think I got really right priced. I needed new tires, so I went a little bigger and a bit more aggressive. Someone posted some used but top of the line rock sliders for $250 on another forum, so I figured, why not?

If I can get some additional mods/upgrades right priced I will. There is a used gas tank skid guard posted for very reasonable price on another forum I am kicking around the idea of buying. My HD bumper makes my steering stuff up front look pretty naked. I might get a guard for that as well If a deal presents itself.

However, I have gone to way too much expense aimed at reliability. Rebuilt 300TDI, rebuilt R380, new turbo, new injectors, rebuilt injection pump, new alternator, new starter, new brakes (MC, calipers, discs, pads,hoses) all the way around, new radiator, new intercooler, all new hoses (some silicon), new AGM battery, new clutch, new clutch hydraulics, new AC compressor, and much more.

As percentage of what I invested in reliability, the upgrades/mods were a much smaller percentage.

Sounds like you're on the right track.

One of the reasons people jump on the "don't mod if you don't have to" wagon so fast is we've all made the mistake at one point or another, and tend to really do our best to make sure someone learns from that mistake and starts enjoying the outdoors without too much delay or headache.

Armor is a good purchase no matter what you do, and getting it used makes a hell of a lot of sense, given it's purpose.

Another valuable point is the relevance of suggestion. If I told you to go the way I did, you'd be wasting your time. My DII is tailored specifically for fast runs over moderate terrain, washboards, cornering, and for light weight.

Similarly, if Mongo showed up and told you to do what he did, you'd end up with a rock crawler that would suck for sightseeing in the middle of nowhere.

So, the best advice is generally going to be if it ain't holding you back, don't change it. Despite popular belief, Land Rover really knows what they're doing.

Sometimes you end up with problem years (like anything), but their platforms and overall performance are second to none; almost unbelievably good.

Once you get a handle on the "relationship" between a Rover and it's driver, you're golden. You don't order them around, you work with them to achieve your goals. You need to have a little faith that what it's doing underneath facilitates your objective. Nothing else I've ever driven has that level of man and machine teamwork.

Cheers,

Kennith
 
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