New Member, don't know where to start.
- Thread starter OldTomTom
- Start date
David.gamble
Member
D2 is a good vehicle. The first thing to do is drain and replace all fluids and filters. Check when the timing belt was changed. Go through the engine bay and check all the pipes and replace as required. Check UJs for wear and replace if needed, do the same with the wheel bearings. After that you can look into split charge systems to run aux power stuff (very useful esp if your going with a young lady - is she the hair straighter type?).
Roof rack is helpful on a disco but remember to keep the centre of gravity low.
Dave
Roof rack is helpful on a disco but remember to keep the centre of gravity low.
Dave
rcharrette
Adventurer
You can usually find a stock "safari" type rack on ebay, etc or what I did when I had mine was use a Yakima with 1A highrise towers then add basket, bike mounts, etc.
David.gamble
Member
Good spot. Do you have V8's or TD5's in the disco's out there?
Last edited:
XJLI
Adventurer
Only petrol V8s from the factory, so the 3.9/4.0/4.6 are all you can get in a disco without swapping something different.
David.gamble
Member
Different world to here in Blighty. Bet they sound good!
UnfrozenCaveman
Explorer
And don't ignore the rotoflex coupling at the back of the rear driveshaft!
spikemd
Explorer
Basic maintenance and vigilant inspection of all parts is the key to disco ownership.
What year and mileage is your vehicle?
As mentioned, all fluids need to be changed, flush radiator, brake lines, tranny, etc. Check and replace all vacuum lines and rubber hoses if questionable. These vehicles are 10-20 years old now and rubber/plastic deteriorates even more so in harsh climates. Try to track down leaks (I know you have some) and determine if they need gaskets need replacing. Check suspension bushings, shocks, etc.
Track down a rack on Craigslist.
Give it a 2-3 inch lift and larger tires for immediate increase in trail readiness. Find some sliders and diff guards for protection. Think about beefy front bumper with wench. There are tons of builds on the site. Grab a beer and pad of paper and start reading... Good luck.
What year and mileage is your vehicle?
As mentioned, all fluids need to be changed, flush radiator, brake lines, tranny, etc. Check and replace all vacuum lines and rubber hoses if questionable. These vehicles are 10-20 years old now and rubber/plastic deteriorates even more so in harsh climates. Try to track down leaks (I know you have some) and determine if they need gaskets need replacing. Check suspension bushings, shocks, etc.
Track down a rack on Craigslist.
Give it a 2-3 inch lift and larger tires for immediate increase in trail readiness. Find some sliders and diff guards for protection. Think about beefy front bumper with wench. There are tons of builds on the site. Grab a beer and pad of paper and start reading... Good luck.
getlost4x4
Expedition Leader
I'm located in Layton Utah. I have a D2 as well. I've been through all the fluids on mine. Its a good truck. This week I'm replacing the valve cover gaskets, oil pan gasket and front main seal. Then I should have a leak free truck.
They are pretty easy to work on.
If you check out KSL.com in the classifieds, there are always parts for Disco's for sale on there. I bought my safari rack on there for $100. Its generic, but fits a D1 or D2.
here is my current progress.
http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/129486-My-Disco2-Build
I've been to Moab once with mine so far. Its been a great truck. I've had it for 6 months and already put 10K miles on it.
They are pretty easy to work on.
If you check out KSL.com in the classifieds, there are always parts for Disco's for sale on there. I bought my safari rack on there for $100. Its generic, but fits a D1 or D2.
here is my current progress.
http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/129486-My-Disco2-Build
I've been to Moab once with mine so far. Its been a great truck. I've had it for 6 months and already put 10K miles on it.
roverandom
Adventurer
Don't do anything to it. Just make sure it's in good mechanical condition and learn to drive off road properly.
Drive it stock for a while before you start spending a small fortune on crap that other folks tell you can't live without.
With a DII, unless you take more stuff with you than you should there is no way two people "need" the extra cargo capacity of a roof rack.
Save your money. Gain experience. Make sure you 100% love this particular vehicle and build it based on how YOU are going to use it. One size definitely does not fit all when it comes to vehicle mods.
I wish someone had shared this insight with me when I started recreational off roading twenty years ago. Would have saved me untold buckets of cash.
My 2c
Drive it stock for a while before you start spending a small fortune on crap that other folks tell you can't live without.
With a DII, unless you take more stuff with you than you should there is no way two people "need" the extra cargo capacity of a roof rack.
Save your money. Gain experience. Make sure you 100% love this particular vehicle and build it based on how YOU are going to use it. One size definitely does not fit all when it comes to vehicle mods.
I wish someone had shared this insight with me when I started recreational off roading twenty years ago. Would have saved me untold buckets of cash.
My 2c
PhD_Polymath
Observer
Welcome to Land Rover Disco ownership,
I can't agree more with the others about maintenance and fluid refreshing on these rigs. The disco is easy to work on and all procedures can be easily learned from the service manual we all know as the "RAVE" manual. It is available all over the internet in PDF form for free. I would suggest getting a copy of it for working on the truck. If the front driveshaft has not been replaced with a unit with all greaseable u-joints, it would be important to replace the driveshaft. Supposedly many Discovery 2s end up in the scrap yard after the non-serviceable u-joints fail and the end of the front driveshaft plows into the transmission and catalytic converter. The catalytic converter is so close, it roasts the factory non-serviceable units until they are dry and when they go, it can be catastrophic. This can be a silent process, so tread cautiously.
Also, the coolant can never be checked frequently enough. I pop the hood every day when driving my D2 to check the coolant reservoir. It may be a little too much to check it that frequently and my significant other makes fun of me for it, but I don't want to roast the engine in the disco. Speaking of that, I will also suggest keeping an eye on the real temperature of the coolant. From what I have read, the gauges only let you know the engine has overheated past the point of no return after the fact. I bought an OBD2 bluetooth interface that communicates with my phone to give the real engine temperature and a lot of other parameters. The interface was a bit over $20 and the app was free, so low price for peace of mind. There are also the ScanGauges for a more permanent solution (may be more thorough, but haven't tried one yet).
I wish you many years of trouble-free Discovery ownership and if you have questions, I am sure a member of the Land Rover community will be able to help you out. As for racks, I am in the search for options myself and hope you find what you want.
I can't agree more with the others about maintenance and fluid refreshing on these rigs. The disco is easy to work on and all procedures can be easily learned from the service manual we all know as the "RAVE" manual. It is available all over the internet in PDF form for free. I would suggest getting a copy of it for working on the truck. If the front driveshaft has not been replaced with a unit with all greaseable u-joints, it would be important to replace the driveshaft. Supposedly many Discovery 2s end up in the scrap yard after the non-serviceable u-joints fail and the end of the front driveshaft plows into the transmission and catalytic converter. The catalytic converter is so close, it roasts the factory non-serviceable units until they are dry and when they go, it can be catastrophic. This can be a silent process, so tread cautiously.
Also, the coolant can never be checked frequently enough. I pop the hood every day when driving my D2 to check the coolant reservoir. It may be a little too much to check it that frequently and my significant other makes fun of me for it, but I don't want to roast the engine in the disco. Speaking of that, I will also suggest keeping an eye on the real temperature of the coolant. From what I have read, the gauges only let you know the engine has overheated past the point of no return after the fact. I bought an OBD2 bluetooth interface that communicates with my phone to give the real engine temperature and a lot of other parameters. The interface was a bit over $20 and the app was free, so low price for peace of mind. There are also the ScanGauges for a more permanent solution (may be more thorough, but haven't tried one yet).
I wish you many years of trouble-free Discovery ownership and if you have questions, I am sure a member of the Land Rover community will be able to help you out. As for racks, I am in the search for options myself and hope you find what you want.
ColoDisco
Explorer
I started with my 95, did not take it offroad for the first year I owned it, purely as I was doing redundant maintenance to ensure all the systems were working properly. Overkill? No, being I am a LR tech now I realize it was a good idea. Do all maintenance, and do it often. If you are 4 wheeling a lot then change out your diff fluids regularly.
What's important is to figure out what type of trails you are comfortable with, then work towards building your rig to what suits you. I have a 95 that is set up primarily for expedition type travel. I also have a 98 that is setup for harder wheeling. I take the 98 to Moab primarily as I camp in the sand flats area and hit all the trails around town.
What's important is to figure out what type of trails you are comfortable with, then work towards building your rig to what suits you. I have a 95 that is set up primarily for expedition type travel. I also have a 98 that is setup for harder wheeling. I take the 98 to Moab primarily as I camp in the sand flats area and hit all the trails around town.
tacr2man
Adventurer
The main thing to have A1 on a V8 discovery is the cooling system , as they dont do overheating , in a survivable way !! Flushing a rad is almost a waste of time. You need to service it ( if it is in a good condition externally ) by having one end tank removed , you then clean it out by rodding whilst flowing water thru it , with occasional air blasting, a good tool to use is an old briggs and stratton starter recoil spring . I used to do loads of these in Australia , as the ali blocks lead to blocking of the fin tubes . with a good cooling system the V8s will handle any ambient temps without problem . HTSH
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