Grasshopper's DII Build

[grasshopper104]

This project started off a little more than a year ago. After some initial heartache in dealing with a transfer gear box that needed fixin' and fighting w/ the dealership I bought it from - I got it on the road in pretty good shape. 24,000 miles on a 2004, so I wasn't complaining. Completely stock Discovery S - bare bones. Here's what I've done so far:

-EBC Brake Kit w/ Green Stuff pads
-Safari Gard extended brake lines
-Safari Gard Stage 3 suspension - Bilstein 7100s custom valved
-Safari Gard rock sliders
-Safety Devices rack
-Rockstar Fab rear door panel - table coming soon
-Springtail Solutions cargo system
-16" AB steelies w/ 265 75 16 Treadwright mudders
-Hella Euro Beam and Pencil Beams for the rack - just got them today

Here's what's coming:
-BFG AT's
-Safari Gard front bumper/skid plate
-QT diff guards
-Drive shafts - haven't made up my mind here yet - any advice would be appreciated
-Rear bumper/swing out tire carrier perhaps???

First picture is of when I got it.

 

[grasshopper104]

This was the first upgrade - new tires and wheels thanks to Desert Outpost. A couple shots in there of various camping trips while it was still stock.

 

[jham]

nice truck. what do you plan on doing with it? camping, heavy wheeling?

 

[grasshopper104]

camping, overlanding, and some light wheeling - nothing too crazy.

 

[kellymoe]

This was the first upgrade - new tires and wheels thanks to Desert Outpost. A couple shots in there of various camping trips while it was still stock.

Desert Outpost carries Treadwright tires?

 

[peter]

I remember you grass hopper. Why are you switching to BFG ATs? Not liking the M/Ts?

 

[michaels]

get safari gard to box in the bumper...no sense in paying $1500 for a bumper that is open...

rear door picture? close up on the edges if you will...been wondering how good the rockstar panel is.

 

[grasshopper104]

Desert Outpost carries Treadwright tires?

No - Desert Outpost and I did a little trade back in the fall. He was looking for stock tires and I was looking for an upgrade. They only had 3k on them so a 1 for 1 trade just made sense at the time.

 

[grasshopper104]

I remember you grass hopper. Why are you switching to BFG ATs? Not liking the M/Ts?

I'm not liking the noise and the fact I have to rotate at every oil change. I've been running BFG AT on my CJ7 for the last 10 years and I love them. Those tires are quite a ways off for me.

 

[grasshopper104]

get safari gard to box in the bumper...no sense in paying $1500 for a bumper that is open...

rear door picture? close up on the edges if you will...been wondering how good the rockstar panel is.

I'll have to get a close up of the actual edge. They do supply a rubber gasket that goes all the way around the edge of the panel. So - any irregularities are covered up. I hear Columbia Rovers is making panels too for about the same price.

http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=21360

 

[grasshopper104]

I ordered farmtek kennel flooring for the roof rack today. Now - I need a ladder. What are peoples thoughts - LR Genuine, Urban Offroad, or Rover Racks?

 

[pnorvell]

I personally don't like the tubing that urban and rover racks use, I just don't like the aesthetics. From a structure point of view they do look beefier! I went with a LR genuine one and have been smitten! I really like the classic look of them. The square tubing used for the rungs makes it much more stable getting up and down the ladder. Rounded tubing I would would be much more prone to slip. I had mine lineX'd because the powder coating is terrible on these ladders, and is also added traction.

Not the greatest picture of the ladder, but it gives you an idea of the structural differences.

 

[grasshopper104]

Damn! Did you line-x the roof rack too?

 

[grasshopper104]

I ended up getting the windows done a few weeks back. Big difference in heat reduction.

 

[pnorvell]

Damn! Did you line-x the roof rack too?

The roof rack is Rhino lined... Not the same. That stuff is terrible. If you do anything involving bedliner-type material, only do LineX. I regret doing the roof rack 100%. If I could do it again I would have just spray painted the rack, and kept an eye on it for rust. I will eventually get it sand blasted and spray paint sometime down the road.