How important are the various underbody protection offerings for the LR4?

[stuartr]

I have searched and searched and got the impression that most people running these trucks off road on a regular basis are using some underbody protection. But most of the topics I have found are more often for people who have already decided to buy them, not an evaluation of importance. I believe I found Scott Brady talking about it in one thread, but I cannot find it again!

My situation is that I am a photographer living in Iceland. I travel on the highland roads on a regular basis in my Freelander 2. I made it through the majority of trails, but there are certain routes I don't take, or cannot take in certain conditions (earlier in the spring/summer etc) Generally these conditions would be too much mud and ruts or too much residual snow. I just switched to a Discovery 4 and I am looking to set it up better for overland travel. I use my D4 as a daily driver and on long trips, so I have some concerns about weight, noise and aerodynamics.

So far, I have ordered compomotive wheels and am looking at 265/65/R18 tires. I am leaning towards the Cooper AT3, as they are much cheaper here than the BFG AT KO2's...tires are eye-wateringly expensive here, so 5 At3's (114T rated) come in at around 1700 USD with mounting and balancing, while the K02's are 2500 USD. Are the KO2's 800 dollars better? I am guessing not for my use, which is around 80% town and then 20% fairly heavy off road...lots of gravel roads here and then volcanic rocks on the trails. Any thoughts on how much better (or not!) the new KO2's are would be helpful.

Right now I am looking at adding Prospeed Rock and Tree sliders from the UK. They are very well regarded there, and it seems most people think they are quite important. I live downtown, and my Freelander 2 has also taken a beating from people opening car doors into it...I am hoping it might help a bit with that as well.

My main questions is how important are other underbody protection components on the LR4? Prospeed has packages for underbody protection, and I would rather order it now than do it again, as the cost of shipping here is very high, and the fewer times I do it, the better. I was considering their "essentials" kit which is basically a front guard and compressor cover. Would that be enough? Or put the other way, are even the rock and tree sliders enough?

I get the impression that a front guard might be enough in that if I run to the point that I hit something, I will likely turn around, rather than trying to scrape my way over it. I am more interested in accessing beautiful places and getting further from the ever multiplying tourists than I am in wheeling for its own sake. In any case, I would love to get some advice. I know it can be a bit tedious helping out beginners, but maybe the information can help some others as well.

I am attaching a photo of the car as it is now, and a spring shot of the road out to my refuge...a secret farm at the end of the world where I go to get away...about 8 hours over tarmac and another hour and a half over gravel and dirt to get there.

 

[Ray_G]

Beautiful place to enjoy your truck!

I'd say you probably know already that it would be worth it to bite the bullet and do the essentials kit + the tree sliders (and if you're going there...why not the rack too, right?)
I think your thought process is solid-use the front as the metric for if you want to continue on the path you're on. You probably don't need full underbody armor given your application-but something stout up front is a good plan.

 

[harbinger808]

I would agree with RayG about the Prospeed equipment. Their roof rack can become a great tool for photographer too!

Beautiful place to enjoy your truck!

I'd say you probably know already that it would be worth it to bite the bullet and do the essentials kit + the tree sliders (and if you're going there...why not the rack too, right?)
I think your thought process is solid-use the front as the metric for if you want to continue on the path you're on. You probably don't need full underbody armor given your application-but something stout up front is a good plan.

 

[A.J.M]

On another thread I've shown the Prospeed armour I have waiting to be fitted to mine.

I think it comes down to needs.

Compressor guard. Essential imho. Having off roaded before and came down HARD on the old compressor, I broke all 3 mounts and had it hanging by its pipe work till I got new bolts. The guard will stop that ever happening.

Sliders act as both side steps to aid getting in/out but also help protect the sills of the car and the sides to an extent.
I would make sure you have the door side trims and mount them higher than where LR fit them.

Guards, front is worth it. Gives protection to the lower bumper but also gives easy access to front recovery mount.

The stock engine guard is decent. You can upgrade if you want.

Centre guard protects gearbox, transfer box, fuel tank, air reservoir and everything inside of the chassis rails.
It's big and heavy but could be worth it for keeping bits safe.

Diff guard. I've got it as I got mine cheap. Will I need it... Debatable really. I'll fit it and see.

Rear ladder from them is great, the extra stirrup step is very handy to help get up to the roof.

The lower arm guards. Pass. May get them in time. Not on the current wanted list.

The roof rack is very smart. On my wanted list for the future funds allowing.

 

[stuartr]

Thanks everyone. I think I am going to pass on the roof rack for the moment. I realize it could be a good shooting platform, but I do not think I will need the space...I am mostly on my own or with my girlfriend, and generally everything seems to fit. I am also not as keen on adding the noise and drag on the fuel economy, or losing the airiness of the sunroof. I certainly would not rule it out one day though, if I find like I am lacking space.

It seems like everyone agrees on the front guard and compressor guard though, so I will get a quote from them for the essentials kit.

Do any of you have thoughts on the tires? Overland Journal's review of the tires before seemed excellent, but unfortunately the KO2's were not ready in time for the review. At the moment I am leaning towards the Coopers still because of the cost savings and their overall performance in the test...

 

[nwoods]

You have consistently said you'll be driving on roads of some type, not trails. I don't you'll need the underbody protection for that. It's only when you start taking the LR4 off "roads" and start exploring remote areas accessible only by high clearance 4x4 vehicles on "trails" where underbody protection from rocks comes into play. The LR3/4 has phenomenal traction control, so much so that it's capable of going into and through large rock fields that also exceed its lift and ride height. It will literally drag itself over rocks, scraping along, thanks to its traction systems. If you regularly start traversing trails with soccer ball sized rocks, or larger, the underbody armor will become essential. Until then, not so much.


As for tires, I have no experience with the AT3, though generally the Coopers have been excellent tires with modern silicone compounds with good traction and durability. Howeve, given the volcanic rock types you have in Iceland, and deep snow, sidewall performance will be very important. I trust the 3-ply sidewalls of the KO2. What tires do you see on the other 4wd's in your area?

 

[stuartr]

Hi Nwoods. I am sorry for the confusion. All off-road driving in Iceland is illegal, so the driving I will be doing is all on "roads", but some of those roads are trails. I don't intend to drag myself along the underbody of the car, but here are some photos of trails that I have gone on with the Freelander 2. I have seen worse conditions, but it is also hard to show in the photos, as I don't really make a habit of photographing the road itself when I go out. Also, now that I have a more capable car, I am more likely to go further into the highlands.

As for the tires, I see a number of BFG tires, but I also see Toyo, ******** Cepek, Mickey Thompson and Cooper. I don't think so many people are taking their Discovery 4's on the hard stuff, as they are very expensive here and the off road folks are more into modified Land Cruisers from Arctic Trucks. But I was interested in a more comfortable vehicle that could do all the highland roads in summer and many of them in the shoulder seasons. Not interested in driving on the glaciers myself. The pictures below are somewhat typical, but I could not find any pictures of rutted muddy roads. In any case, I say "road", but in most cases it is more about trails. They can be good for many sections, but have parts where clearance and traction are important.

 

[nwoods]

My opinion is unchanged. If you can get through in a low rider Freelander, the added height and articulation available via air suspension on the LR4 will clear most everything you'll likely encounter. If available, obtaining training on how best to use your Terran control and traction control will be much better use of money than buying bash plates.

I suggest taking your LR4 out on a typical run prior to buying all the added steel to see what actually happens. As long as you take your time and keep speed low you should get deep enough in the back country to decide if you really need to invest in more underbody protection.

I'll tell you from my experiences that water crossings tend to be where protection issues makes itself known. That rear bumper, while much better than the Disco II, still hangs out pretty far and drags on ledges such as those dropping into and out of river banks. Plus, with sharp volcanic rocks threatening your sidewalls, I'd suggest investing in a steel rear bumper with swing out tire carrier.

As for tires, get what's available, or regularly stocked. If you puncture a tire, you don't want a replacement to take forever and cost a fortune to be shipped in. It may not be the best possible tire, but as one of our military leaders once said, "A good plan, executed today is better than the perfect plan, executed too late." Having access to a decent tire may be more useful than waiting for the perfect tire.

Also, I strongly suggest messaging Christophe, Scott Brady, or Bruce Elmstrum (sp?), all of whom have actual practical knowledge of your local environment.

 

[stuartr]

Thanks for the advice. I think it is all quite sensible. I should make it clear though, that I couldn't make it through everything in a Freelander 2...there are a number of trails I had to turn around on, and particularly river crossings where I did not feel comfortable, or trails that I could make in August or September, which were too rutted and wet in May and June. There are also trails where I have bottomed out the Freelander and not been too happy about it. I agree with you that the best course would be to test it first and try, but unfortunately it is a little more complicated since the main trails that would be best to test on will not open until late May or early June, and since shipping and taxes are so high here that it makes more sense to order the sliders (which I do want for access and city protection as much as for their offroad abilities) at the same time. I have not heard back on the quote yet though, so it still may wind up being impractically expensive to add them.

I definitely have plans for training. I wrote to Bruce earlier in the winter and am planning on following up with for some training next time he is here.

Thanks for the suggestions regarding the rear overhangs and bumper. I will keep that in mind!

As for the tires, the AT3's, KO2's and Toyo AT's are all regularly stocked, but there is a large price gap between them. It seems the only Coopers 114T rated, not LT, unfortunately...not sure if that is enough.

 

[aek50]

Agree with Nwoods, you would likely be fine stock due to better clearance than the freelancer. To be safe if you are worried , get sliders for the step as much as the protection, compressor and sump guard and you will be fine. You will be amazed how much better the Lr4 is over the 2

 

[A.J.M]

Have you got an iid tool?
My hat can be used to lift the car higher than the off road height setting.
You can make 3 saves for profiles for the car.

1 can be street use.
2 can be off road use with a higher lift than factory.
3 can be a spare setting for whatever you want.

 

[stuartr]

I do! I have not actually done it yet, however, as I want to be very sure I have read the instructions fully before I start messing about! I have used it to check faults and live values, however. I certainly plan on implementing it before I tackle anything difficult.

 

[zelatore]

I think NWoods has nailed it. From the photos shown it looks like the roads and trails you'll be on are fairly modest, no rock crawling; no big boulders or ledges, etc. I would definitely give the truck a chance stock before adding the extra armor. While the extra protection is good, the weight doesn't do it any favors on road and it sounds like the majority of your use will be pavement or gravel road. BTW - perfect truck for what you've described.

For trail work the first thing I would look at would be sliders. These trucks have minimal clearance at the rockers even in off-road height so if you're going to be playing in large rocks or ledges then this is a vulnerable point. I haven't looked at the ProSpeed stuff, but in the states I'd recommend the Tactical Rovers sliders since they also act as skid plates to an extent as well, running in all the way to the frame rails and protecting the compressor as well as helping give a smooth surface to slide over a rock on.

On tires, I have a friend running the AT/3 on her LR4 and she's been nothing but pleased with them. I think they would be an excellent option for your intended use. I'm running a full 33" MT tire (STT Pro) and sort of regretting it as it's making the truck much less enjoyable on the highway. I may actually go back to an AT once I have my RRC finished to take over the rock crawling duties.

 

[SHS14]

I think you should over engineer the tires based on the roads you included.

Taking a hit on your compressor has too high a consequence.


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[Avslash]

Based on what the bottom of my sliders look like after some talus slope crossings in CO, I wouldn't be without them, at this point.