Fender cutting to allow taller tires

[jwest]

Please pardon if this seems silly:

So, my experience this winter and in past times in the D1 was that the clearance underneath is one of the biggest limitations on the LR3. At least one that is not readily changed without some in depth planning and permanent mods.

Even with installing shorter suspension height managing rods, you still only get another 2" and that's while loosing some of the function of the suspension - not a bad mod and not permanent but cutting of the wheel arch, relocation of the rear AC line (driver side rear wheel well) and fuel tube (fuel side), cutting out/rebuilding whatever the part is in the tightest front wheel area just the rear where the frame begins under the door hinge and some other littls spots....

ought to allow for tires at least in the range of 32.5" or one size more. The above cutting plus the shortened rods ought to both allow larger tires while also preserving the articulation needed in rough trails but also providing a few inches more clearance under the very low rear diff/exhaust area.

It occurred to me that when inducing the "extended" off orad heigh by eother getting hung up or using jack stands, only the rear seems to rise much more, not the front. Possibly due to the front having less overall articulation but also knowing that it's the rear that is lowest by a couple inches than anywhere else under the front axle area.
Am I right or just hoping for something that is cost/technically prohibitive or will create a dangerous/less reliable vehcile for 7000 mile road trips.

One advantage of this would also be to allow snow chain use on the tires I have now, ~31.5" bfg AT 265/65x18, without grinding into the various close points.

Now I know why the guys in the last place I visited were driving a huge 3500 Cummins towing the off road toy.

There should be a way to do this and still have it look decent. Seeing the D90 rubber fender flares gave me the idea recently at the shop.

 

[D Chapman]

Just buy a Jeep

 

[jwest]

well that's really funny, and simpler, but why not suggest a Disco? I don;t really care as much about larger tires but mainly clearance but tire size is the only way to get it under the axle and overall under the independant air suspended lr3.

I guess you don't have any solutions.

I have completed shortening the front 2 height sensor arms and am on to the rear set, both by 10mm as tested to be best all around by several people. However, I am trying a different method than any I've heard of, tapping the inside of the plastic shaft and shortening/die cutting the existing plastic shaft to thread inside. This seems to be very strong as is and could easily be glue bonded as well.

 

[D Chapman]

The LR3 is what it is. Nothing more.

 

[jwest]

oh come on - that's like saying people shoudl have left the older range rovers alone with the weird air suspension and all or the acs on the latest disco II's....while it may be what "it is" form the factory, it's not my fault you can't lower it for better hwy driving or raise it to max height without having to fool it. I think any way to allow the user to "use" more of the range is better.

There is a kit in Germany that allows +/- 1" from all settings thus allowing -1" for hwy/speedier cornering or +1" such that the "normal" setting which is for all speeds, can be a little higher as well as the "off road" setting going 1" higher, before even tapping into the "extended" mode which as I verified again today, only really raises the rear significantly and not the front and is only available if you really sink onto something or use jack stands to fool it.

The plus of the wiring kit would be to allow permanent use of shorter rods while also being able ot put the thing back to near normal for hey use. Then the best of both are there without cutting into wheel wells yet. Allowing more space by the means above will allow snow chains and 265/65x18 tires.

---

I have installed the shorter rods as of today. As per one lr3 off roader in Colorado, they should be fine for all driving - I may have a trusted land rover tech look at it to make sure camber and such aren't too whacky for long term because it was kind of a pain in the butt to remove the ends that go onto the plastic "arm". the end on the metal stationary arm were easy.

 

[jwest]

If anyone is interested, the test drive suggests that the height is awesome for offroading but not so great for hwy. I'm not sure what some people that I read about were smoking to think it was "just fine". I mean it would be ok for an hour or so up to local trails or very slow unless on very straight roads but other wise the lean is severe on curves that normalls would be fine at 60 - 40 is more appropriate and even then doesn't seem entirely safe if something else happened or you had to dodge an animal or child in town.

It will be totally cool slow on trails though. I am 5-11 and literally have to "hop up" into the seat with the change.

 

[nwoods]

There is a highly modified LR3 with 35" tires, trimed wheel wells, and no ac lines or gas feeder tubes (It has a racing fuel cell installed instead). The wheel wells look good. he took the plastic trim off, cut the sheet metal, then screwed the plastic trims back on. Cosemetically, I don't think you can see the difference, but he is running 35" BFG tires. Of course, he has also replaced the shocks with 18" long travel King's and a 3" body lift to get everything to clear....

I think the Jeep reference from Dan was a shot at my wife, who recently bought a Jeep.

 

[traveltoad]

I think the Jeep reference from Dan was a shot at my wife, who recently bought a Jeep.

It's not always about you.

 

[jwest]

With longer sensor arm rods installed, the minimum clearance (under the exhaust in the rear) ended up at 14", not bad really and only took 15 minutes to swithc back to stock rods. I am guessing a lifted Disco with 34" tires would have this or less under the diffs.

Front clearance was about 15" and under the belly a little more as usual. The belly is where Discos really get a LOT more but I am mainly looking for snow and rutt clearance.

 

[jwest]

Just buy a Jeep

Not my thing - and you should know that seeing as I've put 200k on a Disco 1, a disco 2 that I am letting my mom borrow for some trips and this lr3.

I'm sorry but I love Rovers so a Jeep won't do.

 

[gordonwh]

Jwest,

Not sure what you're trying to achieve, and perhaps the HSE is not the platform to start with, but I approached it a little differently.

I made up a second set of rods (12mm shorter) and have BOTH these and the std ones fitted to the sensor arm at the same time. In normal circumstances, I have the std one connected to the top chassis hook, the shorter one just sits unattached. When I want the extra lift, it takes 10 secs or so to flip the std one off and affix the shorter one - a bit of dry lube spray on the metal hook helps.

So I don't drive on-road with the shorter rods, and don't recommend that anyone does. I also run 32.5" tyres (for off-road) and get no rubbing, although I have the ARB bull-bar, so maybe clearance at the front is a little greater than the std car.

With regards to articulation, with the short rods on, you can still have full articulation by keeping the car at 'normal' height (which will be equivalent to the std 'off-road' height). You then only select 'off-road' when needed. However, even then, I don't notice _that_ much difference in articulation.

And if your front is not lifting as much as the rear, you probably need the sensors re-calibrated - they should raise by approx the same amount.

I'm upgrading to 34" LTBs for comp-work, which will require some cutting in the wheel-well, but I don't anticipate needing to cut the fenders.

Cheers,

Gordon

 

[jwest]

Gordon, you have any photos with those tires on while using the shorter rods?

 

[gordonwh]

Check the photos in the "mud drags" thread I put up a couple of months ago.

Another at:

http://www.disco3.co.uk/gallery/displayimage.php?album=1616&pos=4

Cheers,

Gordon

 

[jwest]

There is a highly modified LR3 with 35" tires, trimed wheel wells, and no ac lines or gas feeder tubes (It has a racing fuel cell installed instead). The wheel wells look good. he took the plastic trim off, cut the sheet metal, then screwed the plastic trims back on. Cosemetically, I don't think you can see the difference, but he is running 35" BFG tires. Of course, he has also replaced the shocks with 18" long travel King's and a 3" body lift to get everything to clear....

Got a link to photos of that one? I'd be fine with 32.5" bfg's

 

[LR3invancouver]

If anyone is interested, the test drive suggests that the height is awesome for offroading but not so great for hwy. I'm not sure what some people that I read about were smoking to think it was "just fine". I mean it would be ok for an hour or so up to local trails or very slow unless on very straight roads but other wise the lean is severe on curves that normalls would be fine at 60 - 40 is more appropriate and even then doesn't seem entirely safe if something else happened or you had to dodge an animal or child in town.

It will be totally cool slow on trails though. I am 5-11 and literally have to "hop up" into the seat with the change.

Have you thought of spacers to widen the track?

 

[jwest]

without going into too much detail, that would make taller tires run into the tight points in the front wheel well sooner unless turn radius is decreased. pushed out the tires would more likely hit the fender flare in full articulation as well.

 

[jwest]

"off road" height with shorter "arms" installed.

 

[nwoods]

Got a link to photos of that one? I'd be fine with 32.5" bfg's

No sorry. Many of the mods to that truck were handled as "trade secret" modifications because its intended to be a competition rig, so I was never allowed to shoot any photos.

I'm not sure what the status of the truck is these days. I know the project changed hands, but I don't know if it was ever finished.

 

[jwest]

Well, unless mine goes into cutting and welding of frame and relocation of tubes and pipes, it is at the end of mods. I would like to consider the RTE bumper at some point just because of the clean looks and simple design and ease of access to winch controls.

I have found one nice aspect of the sliders with uoutboard rails though, they provide an easy high lift point similar to how the front and rear bumpers do.

 

[nwoods]

I have found one nice aspect of the sliders with uoutboard rails though, they provide an easy high lift point similar to how the front and rear bumpers do.

That was one of the design objectives, but having used them with a Hi-Lift, I will caution you to be really careful and watch the end of that jack. I have not had any issues, but it's easy to imagine a Hi-Lift taking out a door panel.