New Disco setup, need advice

[R_Lefebvre]

The downshift is more so you don't overheat the brakes, than saving wear. I don't have many hills like that around here.

Luckily we don't have hardly any trucks doing 80 around here. They pretty much plod along at 65. And trailer brakes are mandatory here.

Heck, I thought I needed an RTE bumper to go on dirt roads? At least that was the impression I got from everybody getting flamed for doing anything other than that.

 

[antichrist]

Hence my recommendation to go with 4.11 gears esp if you went to 265/75/16s. You said you wanted moderate upgrades for offroad....

I was just suggesting maybe tires since he didn't want the 18 inchers, but still standing by my suggestion of no mods for a year. Tires are a consumable, so even if you don't like a set, they'll be gone soon enough. Besides a stock Discovery (with decent tires) is plenty good for "moderate" off-roading. Depending of course on your definition of "moderate".

 

[deadbeat son]

...an 18-wheeler blowing by you at 80MPG...

Damn, that's a fuel efficient big rig!

-JP

 

[DSP74]

I have a 96 D1. I'm planning to use it for EXACTLY what you are doing. Daily driving, family vacations, fishing trips, camping, and towing an E30 BMW setup for SM autox.

I'm throwing the POS 4.0L right into the trash. It's all it's good for. At 190hp stock, minus drivetrain losses you are putting MAX 140 to the wheels in a 4,400lb vehicle. Which can barely tow it's self. Swapping in a 5.0l GM vortech engine, and should be done in a couple months, (should only take a few weekends doing all the work myself).

Then I'm leaving the ride height close to where it is. Where I end up after a new front spring swap (for the extra engien weight) I will even the rear out. Add new Bilstein HD's, and a Bill steering stabalizer and a set of 235/85/16 AT's. What ever rubs gets trimmed and flared. I'll tow exactly the same weight most likely and I'm going to use a sway control and L/D hitch.......It won't be the Duramax I had but it won't be the payment either. And I was towing a 3300lb Camaro, and a 3000lb trailer then among all the other extra 'stuff'.

Since your truck is so new sell and get an older one and go the same route or buy a Cherokee XJ and stroke the 4.0l to have WAY more power and torque than this garbage LR engine. And the Cherokee is a bit lighter to boot. It's the route I would go but I like to have something different. XJ's are EVERYWHERE, and I hardly ever see the D's

 

[DSP74]

BTW a GM engine into this truck with a 33" tire gets you into the rev range a GM truck operates at approximately 2000-2200 at 70mph. And a vortech powered GM truck gets MUCH better mileage than the boat anchor POS these trucks are powered by.

 

[spcassell]

I usually never chime in on any of these chats. But I tow with my Disco all the time. It sucks. I have a 6'-4" x 10' trailer that barely maintain 60 MPH with two 300 lb. motorcycles on it. I have 31" BFG A/T's (awesome quiet tires) with 2" spacers and SLS. The brakes suck. It would never cross my mind to tow a car trailer more than 20 miles from my house. The horsepower and torque suck. But get that bad baby off road and that's exactly what I bought it for. I used to have a F350 dually with a diesel. Now that's towing capacity.

:seeya:

 

[ArmyRover]

not trying to piss on your parade but why bother with a 305 if your going through all the work and expense why not put in a 5.7.

 

[DSP74]

The marine engines are rated at 300hp for a 5.7 and a bit more tq. I don't want to 'really break' things. Plus with a closer to square bore and stroke the 305 puts out plenty of tq with fewer cubes and better fuel economy, especially highway.

 

[flyfisher11]

not trying to piss on your parade but why bother with a 305 if your going through all the work and expense why not put in a 5.7.

...or an interceptor 5.2?

http://www.eastcoastrover.com/RoverV8.html

 

[DSP74]

god knows the cost of that. But for the built 4.6 with the same HP they want over 10K! Or I can get the same power more tq, more reliability and better mileage for about 1/10th the cost.

 

[discoandaboat]

in regards to towing...

I pull my 21' Super Air Nautique on tandem axle Galv trailer which total weight is around 5000-5500 lbs. I dont really have any problems towing it. Yes it a heavy boat with a not so powerful motor but I dont have any issues. Ive towed it from MD to Smith Mountain Lake, VA and accidently took Blue Ridge Parkway(hell for towing) at 2:00am and made it with no issues.
My truck has about 60K on it and prob needs new coils and shocks, but honestly its not that bad as some people are making it sound.

 

[DSP74]

just watched a replay of the bassmaster elite series on smith mountain today...They drug in some decent fish there....

 

[discoandaboat]

SML is awesome. if you have boat its a must go place.

 

[Roving Beetle]

I will not chime in on the towing, just be careful - it's not going to tow all that well...... but whatever.

That said, I'd keep the 18 inch wheels for the simple reason of the towing. They will have a much lower sidewall and therefor better stability and a flatter tread contact area for towing/braking.

Go for the AT's you'll be pleased with them. There are a lot of good AT's out there, check out www.tirerack.com and read all the reviews of different ones if you have not already. You might consider a tire like a Goodyear Tripple-Tread or something if you need a decent snow, very light off road as well as road tire.

 

[DSP74]

yeah gotta agree there. I'd keep the 18's and buy a second set of 16's for AT's for your mild trail/vacation use. 18's will be better for daily driving (pavement)

 

[Roving Beetle]

Yup, even better a second set as said above ^^^^^^^^^^ Get some good rugged trail tires and save the 18's for street/towing. Get a good quality highway tread that has a high load rating as well as excellent handling tread pattern for stability and braking.

As the original posted stated already - tires are the NUMBER 1 thing to consider when thinking about how your car/truck handles, be it cornering, braking, highway stability, towing, off road on mud or sand or rocks .............. blah blah blah. There is NO perfect all around tire. This is exactly why I have a set of Nokian studded Hakk-up-a-loogies on my Disco now for the winter and a 1961 International all wheel drive BC176 18K GVW truck for towing. It will tow. Of course i do own a boatyard and the boats I tow are kinda, well, a lot bigger.......

 

[R_Lefebvre]

Took the family for a little drive in the woods today. These tires definitely aren't going to cut it.

I have done a lot of looking at tires... looks like the price differential between a given 18" tire and a 16" tire is enough to pay for a set of steel rims. So, the "second set" option makes a lot of sense.

If I went that route, would "MT" tires make sense? Or is that just getting silly? Just thinking, if you're gonna have a second set, why not go all the way?