Introducing myself! - Alex + '94 Discovery

[discoalex]

Hey everyone!

I'm Alex. Figured I should stop by and introduce myself. I've been a longtime part-time 4wder (as in, hanging out in other people's trucks)....but a lucky twist of fate meant that I'm recently the proud owner of a 1994 Land Rover Discovery.

The short story is.....a drunk guy crashed into my Mazda Demio. I didn't want to replace demio with equally lame car.....wifey wouldn't let me get 4x4. I sold my motorbike as a gesture of good faith.....wifey (just) allows me to buy Discovery.

Then the mods started. haha....but I'm trying to keep those quiet. Although, she did notice that she could barely get in the other day - so i came clean with the lift.

Anyways. Just wanted to say hi. I've been out in the truck at every spare moment i have. Keen to get involved....tear up some mud....learn some new things....do on some cruises etc.

Here's a few phone photos of the truck over the past few weeks...

Rad

Alex

[ice4x4]

Hi, welcome Alex where are you in NZ?

Disco looks sweet! Great to see you're having fun with it.

What mods have you got on your list?

[discoalex]

Aha. Figured out how to add my location to the profile

Mods....let's see.

I got the truck stock two months or so ago.
I had looked at a bunch of slightly newer discoveries....but this old girl was just in the best condition (rust-wise) of them all.

I threw on a set of 245/75r16 KL71s the day i got the truck. And raised it with 2" springs all around. Did a small camel cut to accomodate the larger tires.....but still shredded them pretty good on my first time out.

SO, I cut WAY more off the back guard and then all was good. Which got me thinking....BIGGER tires. haha. So I got 265/75r16 KL71s. By my calculations thats the biggest (32") i can go without really messing with guards and flares etc.

So now she's running an HD Old Man Emu lift - springs and shocks all around. She sits high and firm and the rubbing isn't too bad. I just need to extend the bumpstops now (and maybe brakelines) to stop the tires hitting the top of the guards.

PLayed around with the air intake - adding a K&N and a custom splash guard to keep the mud out. I don't think I'll go down the snorkel route. Well, not just yet.

Routed the exhaust out the side panel and popped in a more free flowing muffler and now she sounds like a V8 too

I've been doing lots of little things - mounting radio and antenna etc. But there's not too much else on my list now......until you guys inevitably start encouraging me. haha.

Definitely with the truck lifted as it is now I'm being tempted by 33"s.

She's gotta be my daily driver too....so I'm trying to keep things functional - just change the necessary.

with that said......i really do want a winch

[discoalex]

That's her on the weekend I bought her - off on a Waiheke mission.
Here's a few under construction images as I've been giving her a bit of TLC...

[lincooln]

Awesome, Welcome aboard, and yes no doubt you will be encouraged into doing more mods, Once that bug has bitten...

Also I love the enthusiasm. Its intoxicating

[coxsy]

may need some sliders on the side to help the mrs climb on board

[discoalex]

The factory ones were actually the first thing I hacked off in my quest for clearance

[andy3542]

you could buy or get made some heavy duty ones made to protect your sills and help the missus get in. kill 2 birds with one stone as it were.

[ice4x4]

Looks

I wouldnt go bigger than the 32's just yet. Rover diffs are made of cheese and you will pop them very easily (dont ask me how I know ). Wait till you get a locker and then just get 35's

[discoalex]

Lockers! Now you're talking! Haha. Although. Realistically, I can't see myself getting them anytime soon!

[ice4x4]

I know the feeling...

[Mudhog]

Hi Alex,

You still thinking of coming along to the LROCA meeting on Monday night?

Cheers
Brett

[ant-neil]

Yeah I've gone down a pretty similar track with my 96 disco on 2" lift and 32 simexs had it out around a dozen times and yeah just feed it a lot of jandle ( love the v8 roar) blew cv last weekend and then nursing it home blew dif head and just jammed up completely. Bugger. But awesome truck super comfy for the family and really capable .yea so I'd avoid bigger tyres if it was a daily driver . Dif heads aren't big so 32/33's do well . Good pics to bud nice exhaust

[waza4x4toy]

Hey Alex
met you at park couple a weeks back was in Red Jeep
good luck with mods, (and fall out wife as know what thats like with me jeep)

will look out for you again if up there

cheers

waza

[discoalex]

Hey Waza!
That was a good day!
I managed to get stuck in the mud.....but I also recovered someone else - so it was full circle

My job means I work on the weekends (my wife and I are wedding photographers)...so I'm itching to head up again next free day i have. Actually, this Sunday is looking like a possibility. I''ve been getting my fix on Muriwai whenever I can during the weekdays.....its rad on weekdays out there....hardly anyone about!

[89pajero]

Hey, I also work most weekends if you ever want some company during the week.

[discoalex]

Figured it was about time I posted a little update on the disco.

Removed my 25mm Polyurethane spacers as they weren't sitting right. The front ones were squishing out. Instead, I installed some metal spacers below the springs. Totally not necessary....but I am pretty happy with the height she's sitting at.

Have some extended brake lines - but haven't installed yet - when I'm out offroad I'm paranoid of the back one especially at stock length. I check it after every decent flex!

Also added some 30mm alloy spacers to widen the stance a bit. I like it...but I've yet to test whether I'm going to have to trim my guards anymore.

Installed a winch bumper in anticipation of my Runva winch - should be here any day now! I was pretty close to just having a tray and bumper fabricated...but I liked the simplicity of a bumper where everything just bolts on....cost twice as much that way though!

So here's a few images of adventures lately...chopping holes to make a snorkel fit...and finally as she sits on my driveway right now - wider, snorkel and new bumper!

Im currently working on modifying the airbox and plumbing all the snorkel pipes etc...so more pictures to come when that's done.....doing some serious DIY with plumbing pipes

Alex

[phraza]

think i saw you park on Onewa road a few weeks back (near the church or something). Looks sweet! Should hit some tracks sometime

Loving the multiple drill holes for the snorkel

[mike]

awesome! loving the pics. love the LR porn

not sure if you know about Rex but he is great to deal with for anything LR related. http://www.landroverspares.co.nz

[discoalex]

think i saw you park on Onewa road a few weeks back (near the church or something). Looks sweet! Should hit some tracks sometime

Loving the multiple drill holes for the snorkel

haha. I probably was outside the church.....my wife and I are wedding photographers...so that would make sense

Definitely keen to hit the tracks anytime! Just weekends are out for me basically all summer long due to photographing weddings!! everynow and then I take off on weekday missions solo...always keen for some company

awesome! loving the pics. love the LR porn

not sure if you know about Rex but he is great to deal with for anything LR related. http://www.landroverspares.co.nz

Definitely have heard of Rex...haven't had a chance to visit yet though. I'm trying NOT to do stuff to the truck and spend money. haha..but it's tough....I got the snorkel for cheap as on Trademe. But the winch and bumper are gonna kill me. Haven't told wifey about those ones....just hoping they'll go unnoticed! Not sure how long that will work for though

[discoalex]

Loving the multiple drill holes for the snorkel

I couldn't quite bring myself to splurge on the correct hole saw bit. I had to recharge my warehouse cordless drill halfway through all those holes there was so many! haha

[discoalex]

glamour shot post onewhero - pre clean...

[discoalex]

A little present for the disco.....some new winter shoes!

[datsunsafari]

[discoalex]

The continued adventures of Alex and his disco...

So, I came home from the LROCA Bethell's Beach run two weeks ago with an occasional clunking noise. It happened when I came off the gas....and was louder when turning.

I went through all the obvious simple things it couldve been...removed my wheel spacers....flushed the transmission (I'd been playing with it relocating the trans cooler)...checked the prop shafts.

Not finding the cause was killing me. I spent a week off the road repairing a stripped transmission sump plug before I could finally drive again to figure out what the heck it was.

First drive - i decided it was coming from the back. I was going to take out the half-shafts from the axle - but I decided to drain the axle gear oil first just to check......sure enough...out with the silver colored oil came big chunks of my diff.

I was stoked to have found the problem....

Off to see Tim at Bramble Downs who kindly helped me install a new diff head even though he had been feeling sick for the past few days.

The truck drives like a dream now! So smooth and way less clunky! My diff must have been on it's way out for months. I feel like it's kind of a 4x4 right of passage to break a diff. haha. now I'm finally one of the crew.....some pics of the broken bits...and tim helping me put the new one on...

[Pedro]

if you drive it hard get used to it, look at the hilux diff head conversion..... front and rear

Pedro

[mike]

or get some salsbry diffs, seems most disco owners go down the weak diff path

[Pedro]

or get some salsbry diffs, seems most disco owners go down the weak diff path

Do Not cruiser diffs not strong enough?


Pedro

[Cleary]

or get some salsbry diffs, seems most disco owners go down the weak diff path

Do Not cruiser diffs not strong enough?


Pedro

Not everyone has the money or skills to put 80 series under their disco. Agree that a cheaper option is to modify the housing to fit hilux diff heads and get axles made. Cheaper again is to fit Chinese diff locks - as they replace the carrier which is really weak on a disco.

[discoalex]

I definitely see some Chinese lockers in my near future :–)