Overland Journal Project Land Rover Discovery 4 (LR4)

[perkj]

We want to prove out the concept, but it will be a series of tall polyurethane (progressive) bump stops that can be installed between the a-arm and frame, allowing a slow-speed extraction option for the vehicle. The goal is to ensure confidence while traveling, even if the air suspension fails that we can get back to the road and a town for proper repair.

We promise to detail the entire kit and process once proven out.

Sounds promising. Below are a couple pics of my LR3...rear swing arm was custom made by LR forum member and myself. For the LR3/4 platform, what are you looking to do with the rig to actually drive the need for 32.5s or 33.5s? If you're wanting to do some rock crawling or tackle the Rubicon, then it makes sense, if not I think you're wasting your time/money as 31.5s will get you thru just about anything you can throw at it besides rock crawling & the Rubicon.....the combination of 31.5s and the LR traction control system is quite eye opening in terms of what it can tackle. Also, be aware that just going from the stock tire size to 31.5s kills the corrected MPGs on the LR3 from 19-20ish to 14-15ish. So keep this in mind as 33.5s will drive that even lower.

 

[MattScott]

A few behind the scenes images from the Overland Journal facebook page. "Like us" here.

 

[perkj]

if you are planning on adding some driving lights to the LR4 either on the ARB bumper or the roof rack, here is a write up I did on another LR forum that details how you can get the optional factory driving light switch wired up:

Over the weekend I fitted the Factory Lr3 2nd driving light switch to my IPF 960 driving lights. This is the switched used with the factor driving light kit and the good news is that switch and mounting kit available seperately from the $700+ driving light kit. I figured I post a quick How-To since it took me quite a while to figure out the 5 pins coming out for the switch in order to get everything to work (i.e. driving lights on/off, lighting of the switch with dimming, and the orange light illumination when the switch is on) since I wasn't able to find the factory wire diagram for the new switch itself.


Below are the part numbers you need and I purchased mine from parts.com as they are the cheapest place I could find for these factory parts.

VUB502860 - Fitting/Mounting kit for Driving Lght Switch. Includes templates, mount, cover, & instructions to mount the switch
(note: the fittmet instructions can also be found on TOPIX in the "Driving Light Kit" instructions)

XKB500080 - Driving Light Switch

The two parts above should come to just under $50 + shipping and you need both of them.

Below is the wire diagram to make it super simple to wire everything up. (DISCLAIMER: this wire diagram worked on my North American 2008 LR3 HSE, I assume it should work on all LR3s per the Factory wiring diagram I referenced, but you assume all risk if you choose to give it a go):

Pics of the install:

Note: you will need to cut into the dash, just to the left of the Nav screen. Not a big deal to do and the cover that you get with the fitting kit covers the cut to make it pretty as you see in the photos above.

 

[Scott Brady]

All ready for SEMA. I am looking forward to getting the truck (really) dirty and seeing how these new Land Rovers hold-up to real world exploration.

Here is a quick shot of the rear drawer system and sleeping platform. It allows easy use of the two rear side seats (the fridge stays in place), as those boxes remove in just a few minutes. The drawers should hold all of my kit with maybe just a few soft bags of clothes and bedding lashed in the back.

 

[JimBiram]

As an alternative, or a supplement to the Johnson Rods for the lift, you might look into Gap-Diagnostic II-D Controller, which I have been using on my LR3 for quite some time. It gives full control of the suspension, reads and clears faults, and allows you to see live values, all on the center display above the steering wheel. The LR4 version is in development now, and should have some beta units available if you contact Patrick Melleur. I keep my Johnson Rods available in case of problems, but now have the ability to lift the vehicle when I need to before hitting the trail.

 

[nwoods]

As an alternative, or a supplement to the Johnson Rods for the lift, you might look into Gap-Diagnostic II-D Controller, which I have been using on my LR3 for quite some time. It gives full control of the suspension, reads and clears faults, and allows you to see live values, all on the center display above the steering wheel. The LR4 version is in development now, and should have some beta units available if you contact Patrick Melleur. I keep my Johnson Rods available in case of problems, but now have the ability to lift the vehicle when I need to before hitting the trail.

I highly endorse this. I have seen Jim's GAP unit in use and it's fantastic. It's a fraction of the cost of the Faultmate and does everything you need it to do. Super easy to plug into the OBDIII port under the dash, and you control the settings through the steering wheel controls for cruise and volume, and the GUI is the message center right in front of you. I think it's a lot better solution to dial in an inch or so of lift and run 32" tires than to fiddle with a rod and potentially add stress to your CVs if you dont need to. You just have so much more control with the electronic gadget than you do with rods. Plus, you can clear faults, monitor just about everything happening to your vehicle, and change settings and programming on the fly. It is the single best tool you can have in your toolbox if you own and WHEEL in a modern Rover....or get a Faultmate. Those are also awesome, but they are very pricey.

 

[Ryanmb21]

Wow Scott! Truck is looking great and so are those drawers!

 

[draaronr]

I highly endorse this. I have seen Jim's GAP unit in use and it's fantastic. It's a fraction of the cost of the Faultmate and does everything you need it to do. Super easy to plug into the OBDIII port under the dash, and you control the settings through the steering wheel controls for cruise and volume, and the GUI is the message center right in front of you. I think it's a lot better solution to dial in an inch or so of lift and run 32" tires than to fiddle with a rod and potentially add stress to your CVs if you dont need to. You just have so much more control with the electronic gadget than you do with rods. Plus, you can clear faults, monitor just about everything happening to your vehicle, and change settings and programming on the fly. It is the single best tool you can have in your toolbox if you own and WHEEL in a modern Rover....or get a Faultmate. Those are also awesome, but they are very pricey.

Contact info for this?

 

[JimBiram]

Www.gap-diagnostic.com is the mfg. website. They are sold in the US through Atlantic-British. http://www.roverparts.com/Parts/DA6405.cfm is for the LR3. They are still testing units for LR4. Contact Gap through their website.

 

[ChuckB]

As a Cruiser owner, the LR3/4 has caught my eye. What Rover forums would you recommend to learn more about these trucks?

 

[Ronct110]

Very nice! Great job!

 

[nwoods]

As a Cruiser owner, the LR3/4 has caught my eye. What Rover forums would you recommend to learn more about these trucks?

I made a listing of the top forums that have good content on LR3/LR4's on my wiki page:
http://lr3tips.wordpress.com/top-sites/

I hope for the day when ExPo can be on this list. It's getting there!

 

[perkj]

Matt - can you take a picture of the Kaymar swing out from the side like the 1st picture I've posted below? I'd like to see how the spare tire on the Kaymar swing arm sits against the hatch-line. Can you also take one looking straight at the back, like the 2nd picture I've posted below, curious how high the tire sits and how much of the tail light it covers

 

[ZG]

Matt - can you take a picture of the Kaymar swing out from the side like the picture I've posted below? I'd like to see how the spare tire on the Kaymar swing arm sits against the hatch-line:

Haha what are those lamp guards even protecting??? There's almost no guard...

 

[perkj]

Haha what are those lamp guards even protecting??? There's almost no guard...

Got them used on ebay for $30, figured it was worth trying them out since they go for over $300 from Land Rover dealer