Outer Limits 4x4 Board

G'day All,
I have just purchased a 1995 Series 1 V8 Auto Disco with 130,000 K on the clock. My first job is to get some decent rubber and suspension under it. I would like to run 33 inch Goodyear MTR's or Coopers STT. I am not a keen fan on exceptionally tall lift kits, and I dont like body lifts either. I also intend on getting an ARB winch bar and I would like long range tanks, as I know this will have to be taken into consideration when I make my decision. Does any body have any experience with Safari Gard products? Any advice is appreciated.

Check out the thread "FAQ Tech Info" at the start of this forum; it has a section on D1's and tyre sizes and what you need to do to make them fit....Cheers Chris.

Hi we put 33s Muddies on S1 Disco Dave and had to do a fair amount of guard chop to get clearance, even though we lifted the body 2.5 inches and the suspension 2 inches. The tyres also hit on the control arms on full lock. Otherwise a piece of cake!

reddo, you going to get your dad to put in maxi drive portals on it next? should fit your simexs then

....portals - he would love to get them. Dad going to look at them in the UK, eg, portal boxes off MOG or Volvo, and fit locally........

Maxidrive are just toooooo expensive, worth 5x what the car cost originally!

How much are portals ? compared to rretro fitting Volvo ones ?

How does it go legality wise /engineering certs ect ??
Any web links ? I ran a google and only got 4wd accessories guide on the Maxi-Drive Company .

thanx

Reddo wrote:....portals - he would love to get them. Dad going to look at them in the UK, eg, portal boxes off MOG or Volvo, and fit locally........

Maxidrive are just toooooo expensive, worth 5x what the car cost originally!

If you want it to be road legal, I think you will need disc brakes (because the disco has discs).

So by the time you convert the volvo or mog portals to disc and all the rest, you would have been better off with the maxi-drive portals IMHO.

I have no personal experience with safari gard or discos, but from years on the forums (here and USA), the concensus seems to be that they are expensive and their service is unreliable (late with deliveries and ship incorrect parts etc).

Have you tried Les Richmond Automotive? I would be surprised if they don't have what you need. And they would be easier to deal with - I have only had good service and been please with their products.

Bush65 wrote:

Reddo wrote:....portals - he would love to get them. Dad going to look at them in the UK, eg, portal boxes off MOG or Volvo, and fit locally........

Maxidrive are just toooooo expensive, worth 5x what the car cost originally!

If you want it to be road legal, I think you will need disc brakes (because the disco has discs).

So by the time you convert the volvo or mog portals to disc and all the rest, you would have been better off with the maxi-drive portals IMHO.

Wooder's who is putting Mogs onto his Jeep was told by the engineer to leave the drums on there. If they stop a Mog, then they will stop his heep. The other issue was maintaining the track of the axle which the regulations permit only a minimal amount of.

yeh, lots to think about. Drums work OK by all accounts, but can be converted to discs without too much trouble and expense. Would be lots cheaper than Maxidrive, probably.

See what the bits and pieces cost in the UK and then decide. Engineering will be big trouble given the new laws. Apparently engineering is difficult near impossible in most States now, and those that have fitted portals allegedly just keep quiet and hope the law thinks its miltary or something special coming!

Bush65 wrote:I

Have you tried Les Richmond Automotive? I would be surprised if they don't have what you need. And they would be easier to deal with - I have only had good service and been please with their products.

I rang Andrew last week after sending him an email about springs /sizes and rates ...
I called and spoke with him , found him aggressive and full on "He claimed to be passionate but i wont deal with him now
Rude Unhelpful Arrogant and never returned any emails

i have just ordered springs from andrew at LRA and found him to be helpfull and knowledgeable.

he didn't push all there products on me and gave advice on related problems due to fittting longer springs.

he may be a little bit conservitive compared to others but is trying to maintain a well handling road safe vehicle.

cheers, Serg

oildripa wrote: I rang Andrew last week after sending him an email about springs /sizes and rates ...
I called and spoke with him , found him aggressive and full on "He claimed to be passionate but i wont deal with him now
Rude Unhelpful Arrogant and never returned any emails

Funny you say that. Everyone keeps telling me how great the sevice is down there. Now I love there products and have dealt with them a few times but I have found the younger guy down there (I assume this is Andrew) to be very arrogant and unhelpfull but have dealt with an older guy there as well who is fantastic.

he didn't push all there products on me and gave advice on related problems due to fittting longer springs.

he may be a little bit conservitive compared to others but is trying to maintain a well handling road safe vehicle

The amount of work these guys have put into Rovers is amazing, Serg is right, they are mainly concerned about a well handling road safe vehicle. as for arrogant, Andrew knows more about legally modifying Rovers than any of those other so called Rover experts.

Walker, there is about 8 people who work there, and Andrew isn't there as much, but he is the one to speak to, very helpful and full of good advice

Reddo wrote:....portals - he would love to get them. Dad going to look at them in the UK, eg, portal boxes off MOG or Volvo, and fit locally........

Maxidrive are just toooooo expensive, worth 5x what the car cost originally!

yeah, but ....

if you get a cheapie disco or rangie (anything up to 10k max maybe) , few basic mods then the portals (i think 12k but havent checked yet, job for this week) then will have an awesome vehicle that should do everything. don't forget different

reading latest 4wd monthly with the portaled disco got me thinking about my next car. mmmmmm much to think about

A few real issue with most f the portals (esp the mogs):
1. Changing from drums to discs does change the diff track - and it's not a cheap mod........But it does save some weigtht as the Std Mog drums ain't light.
2. Width - I go no idea how wide a DLR is - but a TJ is 60" WMS-2-WMS....where as the mogs are 69" (without disc conersion which adds about andther 2")....Cutting an shorening is also an expensive exercise - of you need to be prepared for some pretty seious guards.
3. Pinion lnegth - probably not as much as an issue with the longer LR Wheel bas compared to the Jeep - but that pinion is bloody long,
4. Ratio. Start thinking 7.54 as a diff ratio.....That's either some bloody big tyres or big rpm or some clever gearing to get that to an acceptable range or you'll be screaming the tits of the engine at 100km/h.