My First Rig - '95 Disco Project

C

CodeCode

Well-known member
Jan 15, 2010
126
0
I hope this is the proper place for such a thread.. If not I apologize to the mods.

First and foremost I would like to thank everyone who has made / continues to make this community so enjoyable and a true learning experience.

I bought my ?95 disco after months of lurking and reading here. The amount of information I would have otherwise never known has been tremendous. That being said I am still very much a noob.

This is my first ?off road? rig and I am truly excited to get out and progress in the hobby we all seem to share.

I bought my rover from its original owner with 116k miles on it. I spent several months looking for my truck to be ? and found her in fair condition.

I paid 2,500 for the truck and began to deal with some minor alterations and adjustments as they became needed. I had to swap out the water pump, alternator, ignition and replace some lights. All relatively minor work ? but they did raise the total cost of the project.

I then went ahead and cut (trimmed) the factory bumper ? a relatively easy process although I took my time.

At this point I am fairly comfortable with the reliability of the truck. No overheating, no leaks etc.

I am now at the point where I would like advance the ?trail readiness? of the truck with another series of modification. I would like to provide the list of modifications to come within the prioritized list I have created. I am hoping opening it up will provide a forum of advice / criticism etc from others who know more than me.

The plan for this truck is: A daily driver that will allow me to explore the great outdoors here in the northeast. I can not lift the truck more than ~four inches total because of the limitations of my garage. What I consider trails, most will scoff at but I am a beginner offroader and will be using this rig for light to moderate trails. I hike, ski, camp, surf and shoot so the destination will dictate the trail.

Thus far I have created an emergency roadside assistance kit ? complete with first aid, jumper cables, basic tools, flares, flashlights, foul weather gear, tapes / ties and food rations. Yes I am a prepper.

I have also begun to prepare an emergency offroad assistance kit that will accompany my primary emergency kit in the event of offroad travel. I would like to complete this before any vehicle modification. What I have so far is:

  • Local area topographical maps
  • 12,000lb tow strap
    • 550 Cord
    • Rope
    • Zipties
  • Foldable shovel
  • 10g Water reserve
  • Handheld GPS
    • Standard Compass
  • Highpower handheld DC spotlight
  • Handheld WalkieT/ Scanner w/ NOAA
  • CLP Breakfree

To be added:
  • Fire extinguisher
  • HiLift Jack
  • Fuel reserve ? I will have to be clever about this one
  • Trunk webbing
  • Tarp & Pegs


Vehicle Modification: This is what I believe should be the prioritized list of modifications to my stock discovery.

  • New tires ? open to recommendations here.
    • Road noise is not an issue, will mainly be an on road tire but I would like a nice tread, the ability to air down safely and rubber that will last. Stock rims. No lift.
    • So far I am thinking about the 235/70R16 BF Goodrich BFGoodrich All Terrain T/A KO
  • Underbody Protection
    • Diff Guard
    • Skid Plate
    • Relocation of steering arms?
  • Rear white light
  • CB Radio
Please feel free to let me know if I am headed in the right / wrong direction. I will post pictures as the build develops.

Take care,

Code
 
M

mainerova

Well-known member
Mar 12, 2005
635
0
43
Poland, Maine
Code! looks like the start to a fun rig! Im sure you will find tons of info on here, as i have, people are knowledgable and opinionated!

Good luck with the rover toy!

you wrote
At this point I am fairly comfortable with the reliability of the truck. No overheating, no leaks etc.

thats beyond most of us on here;)

Mark
 
C

CodeCode

Well-known member
Jan 15, 2010
126
0
mainerova said:
you wrote
At this point I am fairly comfortable with the reliability of the truck. No overheating, no leaks etc.

thats beyond most of us on here;)

Mark
Click to expand...

I should have qualified that! But i think fairly is an accurate depicition of the faith i have in the old girl.. Fingers crossed!
 
NikeCheck246

NikeCheck246

Well-known member
Jun 29, 2008
797
0
Asheville, NC
I would definitely reconsider doing a lift, for multiple reasons. Ground clearance can be helpful, with more fender space, allowing you to run a larger, more aggressive, and more puncture resistant tire, as well as being able to clear obstacles of varying sizes. My guess is at some point, you will want to lift it, and why not go ahead and do it so you can also go ahead and run the appropriate sized tire? Also, a slightly larger tire may actually be less expensive, such as a 235/85R16 or a 265/75R16.

Just my .02, but I would for definitely suggest a lift, even if it is mild.
 
C

CodeCode

Well-known member
Jan 15, 2010
126
0
Thanks for the well wishes - Im open to the idea of a lift but i dont really see the need at the moment.
 
jmonsrvr

jmonsrvr

Well-known member
Apr 20, 2004
819
0
montara, ca & newport beach, ca
Priorities- (depends on what kind of trips you want to do, but for starters/basics and off of the top of my head)

1. lift (if you dont want a lift then skip to two)-you dont really see the need, but once you hit the trails you will. for most a two inch suffices, it all depends on what and where you wheel-the kind of trips you want to do
A. TIRES- figure out if you want a lift or not and what you want to do-rock crawling, overlanding, a little of that a little of this..etc etc (again i highly recommend at least a two inch lift) 245-75-16 or 235-85-16 will fit with a two inch lift and some minor adjustments
2. recovery points- front and rear
3. recovery bag-tow strap(s), D-rings at least two, jate rings for the front, gloves, etc etc (learn the proper use of this equipment, safety first!)
4. decent trail/road trip tool kit
5. decent shovel-not a folding one-some like wood, i prefer a solid contractor grade fiberglass shovel..ask me why? I broke a wood one out in the middle of nowhere in southern baja back in 94..never again.
6. Jerry can(s)
7. a good fire extinguisher that you know how to use ( i have never had to use mine and I have owned rovers since 91, but when you do you gotta know how to use it)
7. differntial guards- front and rear
8. you can do a skid plate, but hold off until you figure out what you want to do with your truck..heavy duty rods are another option.
9. good heavy grade jumper cables
10. take your truck off pavement and learn how it handles (you may want to move this to number one)

11. Re: the boot area of your truck- if you lift the carpet up you will see 4 plastic round tabs in the corners. these can be removed and you can attach tie down rings. you can get them at various places like expedition exchange. I believe its a 10mm hole. you will have to cut a small slit in the carpet/padding to have the rings stick out.

you can then decide if you want rock sliders, a new winch bumper, roof rack with pretty lights, etc etc

first and foremost make sure the truck is running solid. if its not put your money there first! 95 is a great year for discoverys. one of my favorites, have owned mine since 95 and its running strong. have fun and learn to use the SEARCH FUNCTION on this site.
 
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C

CodeCode

Well-known member
Jan 15, 2010
126
0
jmonsrvr said:
Priorities- (depends on what kind of trips you want to do, but for starters/basics and off of the top of my head)

1. lift (if you dont want a lift then skip to two)-you dont really see the need, but once you hit the trails you will. for most a two inch suffices, it all depends on what and where you wheel-the kind of trips you want to do
A. TIRES- figure out if you want a lift or not and what you want to do-rock crawling, overlanding, a little of that a little of this..etc etc (again i highly recommend at least a two inch lift) 245-75-16 or 235-85-16 will fit with a two inch lift and some minor adjustments
2. recovery points- front and rear
Click to expand...

Thank you for your extensive reply - i appreciate the insight.

While i would like to put a lift on the truck - i dont see it as a possibility at the moment. My garage space is vertically challenging to say the least and my funds are rather limited for the time being as well..

So yes I will be addressing the tire issue without lift and see how far i can take the truck on stock springs and better tires. I am also working on the cargo space of the vehicle and appreciate the tie down points you mentioned.

I have narrowed down the tires that I am considering.. some are 'All Terrains' others are 'Mud Terrains' all are priced between 105-160 USD per.

I did as much searching on these tires as I could - and am working on figuring out the sites search engine as best I can - If there is a thread to be recommended please do so.

Please feel free to comment on the selection - personal feedback / experience is appreciated.

Tire choices:

BF Goodrich All Terrain T/A KO 225/75R16 - $130
BF Goodrich Mud Terrain T/A KM2 225/75R16 -$160

Cooper Discoverer S/T 225/75R16 $160
Cooper Discoverer S/T 235/70R16 $130
Cooper Discoverer STT 225/75R16 $160

Kuhmo Road Venture ATKL 78 235/70R16 - $108

Dunlop Radial Rover A/T 235/70R16 $120
Dunlop Radial Rover A/T 225/75R16 $108
 
mgreenspan

mgreenspan

Well-known member
Feb 28, 2005
4,723
130
Briggs's Back Yard
If you're trying to do it the cheapest way, I'd get a second set of wheels and cheapo retread tires. http://www.treadwright.com/p-21-225-75r16-mud-e.aspx $80 per tire. Saves you about $125 for wheels or if you're going one set saves you enough to buy diff guards and call it a day. Swap the second set of tires on for wheeling. You'll get quick at doing it and be happier with whatever street treads you have on now. Make sure your truck doesn't turn into a beater POS that is beaten to shit. You'll regret it three or four years down the line.
 
Tugela

Tugela

Well-known member
May 21, 2007
4,767
567
Seattle
I have crappy aftermarket stock size tires that the cheapskate previous owner put on the truck. I'm in a similar situation, not looking to lift my Disco but interested in other improvements to its capabilities. If your truck is like mine, the stock springs make it handle like a waterbed. Replacement springs that don't lift the truck (much) can be found reasonably priced. I put heavy duty genuine LR springs on my Range Rover. That lifted the body about one inch and stiffened up the ride significantly and they were a fair sight cheaper than other aftermarket springs.

As for tires, one option you might want to consider is the General Grabber AT2 in the 225/75/16 size. They are not quite as beefy as the BFGs (in terms of load rating), but I've found them online for about $108 each and they have a tread pattern that is not drastically different from the BFG AT/KO.

I agree with the comment that your money is best spent on making the truck mechanically sound before you start upgrades. There's no point in having aggressive new tires on your truck if you're stuck in the woods because of a mechanical problem.

Good luck with your new Disco. Keep asking questions. Don't go too fast with your changes, otherwise you'll run out of stuff to do and decide to sell the truck. Working on it and thinking about it is half the fun.
 
adriatic04

adriatic04

Well-known member
Mar 22, 2007
2,506
2
cleveland, oh
add these common items to your list:

2 gallon antifreeze
2 gallon 15w40
1 oil filter
1 starter
1 battery
1 fuel pump
1 water pump
1 set coolant hoses
1 set headbolt and related gaskets
1 AAA card
1 Hertz Gold account card

In the event you cant get the last two you should add:

1 rear mounted bike rack
1 bike
 
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