DIY mods for D1

[jwest]

So, I've decided to let the D1 play more from now on, not having to depend on it all the time for work travel which has brought it past 200k miles this summer.

The enging is very smooth and strong and under the hood is well maintained and has had many things replaced over the years including but not limited to:
front seal, oil pump, water pump, heads removed and reconditioned along with pistons and rings, radiator, swivel joints, exhaust system, drive shaft to get rid of rubber coupler, ome med springs and bilsteins long time ago, gas tank, fuel tubes from filler and overflow tubes, window regulators, window rubber seals in rear section, alternator, and just about every other little pump or moving part under the hood.

So, are the RTE 3" "kit" and associated changes fairly DIY - solo, or is most of this better done by a tech, or some portion? I know springs are not simply drop in without a way to manage the installation/compression, etc. but I've read there are basic ways to do this safely with self made "tool".

Mods considered:

LIFT - RTE 3", mainly to make it more capable but not so much that using the car for a backup for 300 mile work trips via highway will be terrible. I'd plan to use my 2 sets of 16" wheels for dd (245/75 bfg at already on the stock rims) and trail trips (probably 85 series bfg km2 33" or so)

Front & rear bumpers & sliders - RTE, low prof A bar or light bar with winch mount and front skid set-up.

Skids underneath - maybe southdown?

That's LOTS of steel.... obviously the right springs will be in order but what else should be done? I know various things need to be part of a 3" lift like fr rad arms, rear things too but anything from people who have learned from experience what else to not miss?

This can really ad up $ too so saving on labor is good as are doing it in stages. I'd think front bumper, at least cut off the bits in the way or go ahead with bumper and 3" rte kit, then later plating, rails and rear bumper, even later lockers maybe and/or winch.

Lift first if nothing else, seems the first place to start. I've done some fun stuff off road with this one before but it's been a while - I know it's ability and limitations in current form.

 

[RoverArmy]

I would add the extended brake lines as well.

 

[jwest]

Thanks. I actually figured on that type of stuff, just to be safe.

I should probably just defer to a list RTE gives me. If anyone has ideas on what to do that is not the standard, or basic info, that's what I'm loking for with the post.

It appears that the 5" kit would render it considerably less good to use for work, however who's got 3" or 5" to compare?

 

[michaels]

the 3" should get you where ever you need to go.

 

[agbuckle98]

the 3" should get you where ever you need to go.

5" will get you everywhere else!

 

[jwest]

and I figure if you do the 3", then later want the 5", lots of things have to be either re-done or added still because of drivelines and everything coming further up as well as the greater articulation gained or available .?

any way to pre-plan a little for 5" a few years later without compromising the 3" set-up? obviusly springs and shocks are different, what could be done that would later work for 5" or at least not be useless later?

 

[Roving Beetle]

For 5 inch later:

Brake lines, HD axles and extended travel driveshafts.

 

[michaels]

you won't need the HD axles just because you go 5". if you get lockers (and big tires), then you will need them.

 

[jwest]

you won't need the HD axles just because you go 5". if you get lockers (and big tires), then you will need them.

I figure you'd do the axles when/if doing lockers, but not otherwise even if tires are bigger? By bigger I only mean 33" or so, not 37, etc.

 

[varova87]

I figure you'd do the axles when/if doing lockers, but not otherwise even if tires are bigger? By bigger I only mean 33" or so, not 37, etc.

eh, do you research on this. even if you aren't locking, you might need HD parts depending on your wheeling style.

i rode in a D1 yesterday with 35's, stock gearing, and HD axles in the rear only, and it was truckin along just fine. Detroit rear and TT front.

 

[jwest]

thanks, I 'll look into HD axles at least. Not even going to get into TT vs air lockers yet except wold either use the same HD axles?

 

[97Rover]

RTE springs will net about 4"

 

[Lutzgaterr]

Here is an option that you seem to think is not as important as suspension... Traction brother, TRACTION.
If I were you, spend your money on traction first. I think your mod $ will take you further down the trail on traction versus suspension.
But hey, that's crazy talk I guess.
I see all these big-lifted rigs on trails and the first little off-camber issue they face, it's over, but damn they look like they could do it.
Better yet, lock-it-up, tell no one, and impress everyone with your awesome driving skills in a 'stock' rover. Yea, that's the ticket.

 

[mgreenspan]

Personally, I think RTE 3" lifts look goofy with anything smaller than a 33 inch tire. I had my 235/85s on for about a week before my new tires came and I was so ashamed to drive my truck that I took the bus everywhere.

A few things that I would do right off the bat with the 3" RTE though would be driveshafts and just go ahead and get radius arms and trailing links. Ride improvement with all these parts is noticeably better. I replaced all these parts over the course of like a year as I realized slowly that I should have just gotten them all upfront.

 

[BaldEagle]

Here is an option that you seem to think is not as important as suspension... Traction brother, TRACTION.
If I were you, spend your money on traction first. I think your mod $ will take you further down the trail on traction versus suspension.
But hey, that's crazy talk I guess.
I see all these big-lifted rigs on trails and the first little off-camber issue they face, it's over, but damn they look like they could do it.
Better yet, lock-it-up, tell no one, and impress everyone with your awesome driving skills in a 'stock' rover. Yea, that's the ticket.

glad someone agrees with me. a rover with a little lift, and mud tires, coupled with SKILL will go pretty far. the hardest recovery i've had to make/watch involved uber-built discos. i think there's alot to say about skill in offroad driving vs. simply dumping money into them. but this is coming from a poor person so who knows.

 

[mgreenspan]

glad someone agrees with me. a rover with a little lift, and mud tires, coupled with SKILL will go pretty far. the hardest recovery i've had to make/watch involved uber-built discos. i think there's alot to say about skill in offroad driving vs. simply dumping money into them. but this is coming from a poor person so who knows.

I agree that skill is necessary. There's nothing wrong with going from no lift to small lift to bigger lift as your skills and experience increase. But don't kid yourself, you cannot be poor. You have a 98 DI as a daily driver. Unless you don't eat!

 

[MUSKYMAN]

I see all these big-lifted rigs on trails and the first little off-camber issue they face, it's over, but damn they look like they could do it.

this disco has 5" springs and its not "over" when off camber...its all in setting it up right

http://youtube.com/watch?v=5EoCIXkNRh0

 

[varova87]

Here is an option that you seem to think is not as important as suspension... Traction brother, TRACTION.
If I were you, spend your money on traction first. I think your mod $ will take you further down the trail on traction versus suspension.

are you saying that suspension does not help with improving traction?

go ahead, spend your money and lock a stock disco. you'll have to dump money into axles, as well. for what? to be able to spin those radial tires that you have becuase you can't fit anything bigger?

as cheap as a 2" lift is, why not add the lift to make room for larger tires with better tread? those lockers sure will get you far when your diffs are dragging across everything and those little radials are burning on rocks and not self-cleaning the mud out.

 

[Lutzgaterr]

Varova87,
Nope! Not saying that at all, thats for sure.
Setting it up right is what my observation was directed towards, them that don't. Oh, should have clarified, other than just Rovers, you know Heeps, Zuks, Fords, etc...

I just simply categorized the mods into one camp or the other, as a way of thinking about where one spends there money and what they want out of it. That is just my way of thinking about upgrades, but not everyone thinks like that.

So, both mod avenues (suspension / traction), both being equal with getting it set-up correctly, my choice is going to be traction first. Just my opinion that I think the traction route alone will get one further down the trail than suspension alone. Course traction mods cost far more, but hey, what is important to you is different to me I guess.

You are taking leaps in your thinking about tires (radials). I can stuff a pair of mean tires under stock D1 that is fully locked and I bet I will cover more ground than a lifted 2 or 3 inch open-diffed D1, regardless of what tire size it has. How do I know, cuase I did this for years before I lifted and I only had TTs, so not truely locked, yet I covered more ground than others sitting up high, big tires and all. Driving skill may have something to do with it... who knows.

So, it was just a suggestion to consider, but I was not saying he or others are wrong in their approach. When I want to pick a fight, challenge an observation, it will be obvious but that is not my intent here.

 

[jwest]

Here is an option that you seem to think is not as important as suspension... Traction brother, TRACTION.
If I were you, spend your money on traction first. I think your mod $ will take you further down the trail on traction versus suspension.
But hey, that's crazy talk I guess.
I see all these big-lifted rigs on trails and the first little off-camber issue they face, it's over, but damn they look like they could do it.
Better yet, lock-it-up, tell no one, and impress everyone with your awesome driving skills in a 'stock' rover. Yea, that's the ticket.

I've done a lot in stock version with stock tires even but have used the mt's with the minor lift it has now. I know about traction, didn't ask which was more important, traction vs clearance but thanls for the ideas.

It has been my experience that more tires touching the ground = more traction first off, then lockers are next level of reliance however the only times I've been badly stuck in silly spots were due to lack of locking ability, once stuck, because the free wheel just loves to spin giving nothing to the touching wheel.

Basically, it seems to make sense to do lockers after lift because the tire size allowed by the lift will help with clearance which allows more traction due to getting hung up on things less often. The lift will also provide articulation which keeps all tires planted moe often, negating need for lockers until in worse situations.