Overland Journal: Discovery I, 5-speed

[SeaRubi]

Scott: stock is the new elitism

* 215/85's in your choice of tread.

* upgrade the rear trailing links. mandatory upgrade here.

* refresh all the bushings, TRE's with genuine parts.

* use genuine LR 1" lift rear springs. I had these on the front of my RRC and loved them. If you're really interested in following my advice here, I will come up with the part # for you.

* retrofit a new $450 Boge strut + hardware from a RRC. the strut has to be new. it will support nearly 1/2 ton and is self leveling. Mine worked great! After 100k people ditch them, foolishly, and then put on stiff ******** springs and complain about articulation. ask me how i know. This is nonsense! Stick to the stock spring rates and make use of LR's common sense with the strut.

* get new genuine front springs, use 1" aluminum spacer if required to offset bumper/winch.

* leave the stock swaybars connected and be sure you include new bushes for them at the frame mounts.

* as much axle as you can afford from Keith + ARB's on both ends.

* upgraded steering linkages from DAP-INC part# BA222 ($195)

* Use rangie spec Genuine WOODHEAD replacements for the shocks on all 4 corners. I think these old woodheads are just as tough as OME, and they ride great.

You're done. looks stock, rides about like stock, and is plenty capable for what you want.

I built my RRC twice, effectively. If I were starting over again with a D1 or RRC this is the route I'd go.


... bring on the H8rs. :rockon:

edit: SeaRover out.

 

[Scott Brady]

Good to see you around

 

[K2RVR]

Yeah Ike! Lot's of truth in your plan there... simple mods for a very capable rig from stock!

 

[FourByLand]

I need some updates.

 

[MuddyMudskipper]

I need some updates.

Yeah, what he said!

 

[Scott Brady]

Cool parts keep piling up

No time to install them

I do drive it all the time though. A great little machine.

 

[MuddyMudskipper]

Cool parts keep piling up

No time to install them

I do drive it all the time though. A great little machine.

So the truck is virtually built, eh? Just very curious to know what you have going on that's all.

 

[FourByLand]

You won't be installing a rack at all will you? Did you decide what bumpers? How will you configure the rear?

 

[michaelgroves]

I've had a few Discovery 1s which I've used for expeditions to North Africa, but also needed as daily drivers. One cheap and, in my experience, very worthwhile suspension add-on is a pair of air bags in the rear springs.

• Improves on-road handling (reduced body roll) when fully inflated.
• Reduces the rolling, soggy suspension feeling when the vehicle is heavily laden.
• Gives full axle articulation when needed, by deflating.
• Allows you to do away with the anti-sway bars.
• Very tough - only ever had one fail, including 120,000km on the 4 of them fitted to my 6x6 Defender.
• Small volume, so inflating and deflating takes seconds.
• Non critical, so no need for spares or contingency arrangements.
• Cheap.
• Easy to fit (around an hour per side, total).
• Provides a couple of inches of body lift/drop for fine tuned levelling when sleeping in a rooftent!

I've never bothered with plumbing it into the compressor, I just routed the thin little air pipes to a convenient place (on my Disco towbar plate, in fact) to mount a pair of standard shrader valves. Then they can be deflated at will, and inflated using any tyre pump, with your on-board air, or even just at a service station.

I keep them pumped up fairly hard all the time, as they have no noticeable effect for the first few inches of spring travel, which is ideal.

For under $200 total (I'd guess even cheaper in the States), they are one of the most useful bits of kit to have installed. I'd guess there are a couple of brands available - mine were made by Air Lift, IIRC.

 

[Redline]

I agree with your list of positive points. I have air-bag overload springs (Firestone) in the rear coils on my 4Runner. I love the load flexibility and ride.

I've had a few Discovery 1s which I've used for expeditions to North Africa, but also needed as daily drivers. One cheap and, in my experience, very worthwhile suspension add-on is a pair of air bags in the rear springs.

• Improves on-road handling (reduced body roll) when fully inflated.
• Reduces the rolling, soggy suspension feeling when the vehicle is heavily laden.
• Gives full axle articulation when needed, by deflating.
• Allows you to do away with the anti-sway bars.
• Very tough - only ever had one fail, including 120,000km on the 4 of them fitted to my 6x6 Defender.
• Small volume, so inflating and deflating takes seconds.
• Non critical, so no need for spares or contingency arrangements.
• Cheap.
• Easy to fit (around an hour per side, total).
• Provides a couple of inches of body lift/drop for fine tuned levelling when sleeping in a rooftent!

I've never bothered with plumbing it into the compressor, I just routed the thin little air pipes to a convenient place (on my Disco towbar plate, in fact) to mount a pair of standard shrader valves. Then they can be deflated at will, and inflated using any tyre pump, with your on-board air, or even just at a service station.

I keep them pumped up fairly hard all the time, as they have no noticeable effect for the first few inches of spring travel, which is ideal.

For under $200 total (I'd guess even cheaper in the States), they are one of the most useful bits of kit to have installed. I'd guess there are a couple of brands available - mine were made by Air Lift, IIRC.

 

[revor]

Airbags

Just to get a better clue as to this way you guys are using your bags.
Are you mounting them firmly above and letting them "dangle" down onto the rear coil mount on the axle. Even retained I fear the suspension on my Disco would tear an airbag apart while the axle was "drooping"
That said if the bags are not retained at the lower point they must remain firm enough not to get tangled up in the spring and get eaten alive.

Looking into airbags in the past it seems that none that I found ( I really didn't look that hard) would have the kind of travel needed to work if retained on both ends.

 

[Scott Brady]

Michael,

Thank you for the feedback on airbags. With this discovery, we will end up with a pretty consistent load. I suppose my goal is to favor simplicity and balance with this build. Overall, it will be pretty functional and highly roadable and comfortable on long driving trips.

My intentions were somewhat different in the beginning, but now I am so happy with the Discovery, even stock that I want the build to be quite moderate.

I am spoiling a bit here (as this will come in the Summer issue of Overland Journal), but I have the following items scheduled.

ARB Non-SRS Bumper
Winch (undecided, but I have a feeling I will deviate from my M8000 standard)
OME suspension for about 1.5" lift
215/85 BFG AT on NATO steel wheels and 245/75 BFG MT on TX1 aluminum.
ARB side steps
TJM rear bumper, most likely
Rear drawer system (a new, trick design) with a National Luna fridge
ARB rear locker with GBR axles
Several suspension enhancements including spring retainers and HD steering components. Front axle rebuild, etc.
HID lighting on the front bumper (small)
The biggest AGM battery I can fit in the engine compartment
Icom 706
Factory floor mats
Sandstorm seatcovers
GPS (undecided)
Some cool radio integration for my iPod, yet retains the factory radio.

Some things I have decided against:
Swaybar disconnects
Dual batteries
Front locker
Roof rack

This will be the big phase one. Phase two will be the diesel motor and new transmission, which will probably happen after South America.

 

[Green96D1]

wow that list sound great!

That is definitely a expedition setup.:bowdown:

 

[stevenmd]

ARB Non-SRS Bumper

Unless ARB is a sponsor, I'd pass on their front bumper. I have seen them take slight hits and move up/down.

Winch (undecided, but I have a feeling I will deviate from my M8000 standard)

Think 9000+:coffeedrink:

Nice list, though.:friday:

 

[michaelgroves]

Just to get a better clue as to this way you guys are using your bags.
Are you mounting them firmly above and letting them "dangle" down onto the rear coil mount on the axle. Even retained I fear the suspension on my Disco would tear an airbag apart while the axle was "drooping"
That said if the bags are not retained at the lower point they must remain firm enough not to get tangled up in the spring and get eaten alive.

Looking into airbags in the past it seems that none that I found ( I really didn't look that hard) would have the kind of travel needed to work if retained on both ends.

The Air lift ones don't get retained - I put them roughly in the middle of the coil, and then put the whole thing back onto its mount, with the nylon inserts (supplied with the bags) top and bottom. They just seem to find their own position whenever the suspension flexes or extends.

When the suspension droops, of course the bags are nowhere near the ends of the coils - they seem to sit more or less at the top for some reason. It's only when the spring comes under more-than-usual compression, that the bags start working hard.

I was amazed that the coils didn't rub through the bags in short order - my first set was really something of a gamble, but I figured there really wasn't much downside, even if they only lasted a few thousand miles. In point of fact, as I say, I got more like 75K miles of *hard* work out of them on my expedition 6x6.