New here - just purchased '95 Disco

[AKDisco]

Hello everyone,

I'm new to the Land Rover world. Last week, I bought or "rescued" a red '95 Discovery from someone who was ready to go ballistic on it. It was the victim of the so-called auto mechanics in this little town in Alaska.

The body is in great shape, but it was running very poorly. It was running on maybe 6 of the 8 cylinders, and it was running excessively rich. I found that the fuel injectors were leaking fuel when off, and some of the spark plugs were cracked! After swapping in some good used injectors and new spark plugs: the engine no longer floods itself, and it runs very smoothly.

I'm quite happy with the vehicle so far, and I'm sure I'll be posting on here as I make progress on my new little project.

Just thought I'd say "hi!"

 

[MUSKYMAN]

welcome!!

95's are great trucks you will have fun with it.

search sea-foam here the older trucks love a good dose of it and will help clean the thing out.

once again welcome!!

Thom

 

[AKDisco]

Hey thanks. I forgot to mention that I ran Seafoam through one of the vacuum lines after getting the new injectors on, to help remove carbon deposits from the engine. I let it sit like that for about an hour or so, then drove it hard - the smoke screen was amusing, and the engine ran buttery smooth after that!

 

[MUSKYMAN]

well there you go!!

oh...and great location by the way

 

[AKDisco]

Here's some pics!

 

[Disco Jo]

Ya dont see a red DI too often.

I like it

 

[AKDisco]

You're right. I've only personally seen red Discos in brochures - it doesn't seem to be all that popular of a color.

Thanks for the welcome everyone! I'm looking forward to getting the Disco in tip top shape!

 

[benlittle]

Ya dont see a red DI too often.

I like it

Nor do you see red DII's

Welcome

 

[Justin_Sherfy]

Darren,

It sounds like you're willing to work on your own truck. I think that will go a long way in helping you to enjoy the Disco, as long as you like doing mechanic work. I have a 95 D1 and I love it.

 

[Lake_Bueller]

Ya dont see a red DI too often.

I like it

This funny because I thought red was a popular color. At almost the exact same time I purchased my '97 DI, a member at the country club I was managing also bought a red DI.

But I've seen very few red DII's. I really wanted another red one when I bought my DII. I had to settle for Grey instead.

 

[AKDisco]

Darren,

It sounds like you're willing to work on your own truck. I think that will go a long way in helping you to enjoy the Disco, as long as you like doing mechanic work. I have a 95 D1 and I love it.

Well, I am currently a "Microcomputer/Network Tech II". I was formerly an Automotive and Heavy Equipment Mechanic at the USCG Motorpool here in Kodiak. So yeah, you can say I like to work on my own vehicles - I just don't like working on vehicles for a living.

As far as 4x4s are concerned, I've always been partial to Jeeps, as I've wheeled them for many years. LRs have always interested me, especially the solid axle ones like the Disco I/II. So when a friend of mine told me about my Disco, I looked at it as an opportunity to experience a different sort of 4x4. :cheers: So far I'm pleased with my new project!

 

[Justin_Sherfy]

I use to have a DII. It was nice but the electronics frustrated me sometimes. I like the simplicity (when compared to the DII) of the DI. Granted, it still has its faulty electric parts like the cruise control ecu.

I've never wheeled in or owned a jeep so I can't compare.

 

[dnester@mac.com]

I was a Jeep owner for 7 years and I kept getting that thing stuck in some sad places. After paying out too much in towing costs I finally decided to give the disco a try. I have a 96' And the 4x4 on the disco is way better. It's almost like I'm driving a 4x4 for the first time.

 

[AKDisco]

I was a Jeep owner for 7 years and I kept getting that thing stuck in some sad places. After paying out too much in towing costs I finally decided to give the disco a try. I have a 96' And the 4x4 on the disco is way better. It's almost like I'm driving a 4x4 for the first time.

Funny you mention that. What sort of Jeep did you have? I was never too impressed with how the Wranglers wheeled, but have been quite pleased with my '94 Cherokee (XJ).

Not trying to start a flame war - but after wheelin' the Disco for the first time, my impression was that it is a lot more top heavy than my Cherokee was stock. Perhaps I just need to get used to the balance of the Disco, as I've personally seen them do some crazy off-camber stuff. The Disco also seems to get hung up on stuff that a stock Cherokee does not (approach/departure/breakover angles all seem slightly worse on the Disco). BUT - it does ride a heck of a lot better, has a lot more cargo room, and not everyone has one (unlike a Jeep). I also like the ability to use Low range and keep the center diff unlocked...this has proven to be quite handy already. I do wish I could select a 2wd mode though.

I bought my Disco as more of a tinker toy than an offroader (my Jeep is already set up for that). It's nice to work on something different for a change! I like my Disco and my Cherokee, but in my mind - they complement each other.

I put a lift kit on my Cherokee years back, and it made a huge world of difference in how it wheeled. I'm half tempted to put a small lift (2"?) on the Disco - I have a strong feeling that it will make the Disco much more fun on the trail.

 

[MUSKYMAN]

equal lift heights the disco will out wheel the Cherokee in the tough stuff, the lower gears is the biggest difference.

the other thing you will see is that after years of beating up a cherokee in the tough stuff the unibody will get tweaked and the doors and tailgate wont work as well where as a disco with it full boxed frame will still be going strong.

Add into the mix 800-1000 lbs of people and camping gear and then the disco will really show you what a back country truck is all about.

The cherokee's are great trucks for sure but the farther you plan to go the more the disco will shine.

 

[AKDisco]

Well the full-frame is definitely one of the things that made the Disco attractive to me, that - and the simplicity of solid axles.

I've wheeled my Cherokee for 10 years in very technical stuff, and have yet to have the doors or tailgate become misaligned (scratched and dented, yes). But yes, I've seen this happen to other unibody Jeeps - but those were always (in my eyes) really abused vehicles. About the only positive thing about the unibody - it's super light and makes my Cherokee (even w/ 5" of lift) feel like a nimble sports car compared to the Disco.

I am seeing the utility of the Disco though. It is a very well rounded package, and is so much more convenient for hauling people and cargo into the backcountry. That is yet another reason why I bought one, and not another Jeep.

Glad you pointed out the gearing thing because it reminded me of a question I've had issues finding the answer to: What gear ratios are common in the diffs and transfer case on a '95 Disco with an automatic??

 

[MUSKYMAN]

3:54 to 1

only ratio they came with...but they have a 1.22 high range so the actual road ratio is the same as a truck with 4:32 gears

the low range is 3.321 so the low range is much lower then the common 2.72 of the stock cherokee's

 

[AKDisco]

3:54 to 1

only ratio they came with...but they have a 1.22 high range so the actual road ratio is the same as a truck with 4:32 gears

the low range is 3.321 so the low range is much lower then the common 2.72 of the stock cherokee's

Sweet! This means I shouldn't have any real issues with a lift and bigger tires, aside from fender clearance.

Another thing I like about my Disco - the throttle tip-in isn't so extreme. When I've got my Cherokee in low range, the throttle is just downright annoying. Rock crawling becomes rock jumping if you're not careful. There have been a few times in the Jeep that I've just kept it in high and strained the transmission (automatic) just so I could have better control. I suppose I could just put a heftier spring on the throttle, lol...

 

[MUSKYMAN]

tons of people have run 32" tires on stock gears with no issues at all...infact I feel that 235/85/16 on stock gears is about the best choice in setting up a disco...2" lift and longer shocks and away you go!

 

[AKDisco]

tons of people have run 32" tires on stock gears with no issues at all...infact I feel that 235/85/16 on stock gears is about the best choice in setting up a disco...2" lift and longer shocks and away you go!

I'm at 5" of lift on my Cherokee, and I run those 235/85R16s in the winter. Even prior to owning the Disco, I referred to those pizza cutters as "Land Rover tires".

Great setup on the Jeep, especially in the winter. Stock gearing on the Jeep too, but it's an automatic with 3.55 gears, so quite a bit more forgiving than the manual tranny/3.07 combo.

If I can fit those same tires on my Disco with 2" of lift, I think that's what I'll do. WIth the sort of wheeling I do these days, I don't think I'd need much over 2-3" of lift. I don't think I'd want much beyond that, being that the Discos are a bit more top heavy than a Cherokee. The 5" on the Cherokee was a case of "inchitis" on my part - it was previously at 3" when the lift bug bit me. Funny thing, despite the lift on the Cherokee, the roofline of the Disco is still higher than the Jeep!