Just finished!!! Tricked out D4. You be the judge.

[Noel's D4]

Hi guys,
Just finished all the work on the D4 before leaving for Fraser Island tomorrow.
Kaymar rear bar and wheel carrier
ECB Bar and 10000 lb winch
HID driving lights and HID daytime running lamps/fog lights
Invertor
UHF Radio
High Lift Jack and shovel holder
Rear LED work/revers lamp
Tunit Diesel Module
Dual Battery
Anderson plugs front and rear
Additional 12v supplies to rear wagon area
Safari snorkel, long range tank and MTR's on the waiting list.

I have added some photos for your comment as I know there was quite some debate over the ECB bar vs the ARB bar. Personally I think the car looks fantastic and I will keep you posted how it all performs when I return.
Cheers for now Noel

[slug_burner]

Very nice.

Looks the goods

[mowog]

How much did the Kaymar rear bar cost. Including the paint?

I am about to get a Longranger tank and a rear bar.

[Owl]

Mmmmmmm
Nice.

[sniegy]

Very Nice Noel,
Neat looking truck.

Just a hint, you dont need the tow tongue recovery point. You have one built in on the chassis & sits beteen the two tow plugs & it is rated to approx 6T.

Just saves a little weight.;)

[big guy]

That looks great.
I always wondered where people would fit a high lift jack on new cars in term of lifting. Would you put one under the shiny bars for recovery?
Looks absolutely brilliant mate.

You could probably do all of Fraser in a stock Landy though;););)
Especially a D4.
Enjoy

[WhiteD3]

Looks great Noel.

Re the highlift - I assume the front and rear bars have anchor points for it? Hard to tell in the pics.

Re the front bar - There appears to be a large gap between the bottom of the head light and the top of the bar????

Re the battery - I haven't looked under the bonnet of a D4 but is there an existing tray in that location or did you have to add one?

Any chance of some pics showing the radio install in the cabin?

Cheers.

[p38arover]

It looks the goods - except for the wheels.


I think you need ones like these: :p

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2010/09/1271.jpg

[Graeme]

Just a hint, you dont need the tow tongue recovery point. You have one built in on the chassis & sits beteen the two tow plugs & it is rated to approx 6T.

Just saves a little weight.;)
Also allows the tow-bar bracket to be removed to improve the departure angle, especially if reversing.

[Graeme]

Is there an air compressor in the kit? Its probably the most important item overall.

[CaverD3]

Welcome noel, very comprehensive set up for touring.
Agree with others about the recovery point though.
The spare battery box in the D4 is full of bits. It can be moved out of the way though.
Interesting to see how long the battery lasts in that position, it can get very hot under the bonnet. Maybe a heat shield to at least protect it fro radiant heat?

[Chucaro]

Very neat, just add an air compressor, fridge and GPS and it is a beauty.

[Duck's Guts]

Mmmmmmm
Nice.

ditto!

[NomadicD3]

Hmmm gone a little oval green with envy. Nice work:D. Oh and congratulations on having enough patience to deal with landrover dealerships to buy the car in the first place , something that is beyond me LOL

[awabbit6]

That looks awesome! I'm sure you'll have a fantastic trip in such a well setup rig.

Take good care of the Disco ... it may just be my next car when you decide to part with it.;)

[camoo]

OOoooo man......

She is beautiful! I have been searching for a front bar that both my wife and I agree upon. (I want it workable....she wants it pretty!!! Apparently I cant use a railway sleeper as I did with the old 75 series cruiser 20years back).

Anyway she likes the bar....and so do I.

Overkill for Fraser but a great starting point. Thanks for the photos hope to have some similar in the coming months... Rhino Rack goes on next week!

David

[mickyd24969]

Hey Big Guy,

The Disco looks outstanding. The ECB bar looks great - enough for me to maybe give the ARB wait list a miss! Any chance of you posting more photos?

Also, what roof rack have you got and can you post some more pics of it?

One last question, did the bull bar and winch affect the handling?

Thanks

MickyD

[Dorko]

I would be happy with this Rig... screams TUFF!

You mention a snorkel?, but you already have one?

Also how did the Tunit chip feel after? I just had a Steinbaurer done. Are you happy?

Dorko

[Watpub]

Great lookin' vehicle Noel - it looks like it might have cost a few bob though.

And that ECB bar looks MUCH better than the prototype one we've seen before. It's amazing how much difference colour-matching, driving lights, and winch make to the look of the bar. And I agree with other comments - it might be time to look at ECB again given that ARB aren't exactly lightning fast! I reckon on your vehicle it's every bit as good looking as an ARB bar and you don't have to hack the guards.

Do you have the surround camera system on the HSE? If so, how do the front cameras work with the bar?

Regards, Ron

[Duck's Guts]

I agree with Watpub re ARB vs ECB.
Having now seen how great the colour coded ECB bar is, and if I hadn't already placed a deposit on the ARB bar, I would now be looking at ECB.

[Noel's D4]

Great lookin' vehicle Noel - it looks like it might have cost a few bob though.

And that ECB bar looks MUCH better than the prototype one we've seen before. It's amazing how much difference colour-matching, driving lights, and winch make to the look of the bar. And I agree with other comments - it might be time to look at ECB again given that ARB aren't exactly lightning fast! I reckon on your vehicle it's every bit as good looking as an ARB bar and you don't have to hack the guards.

Do you have the surround camera system on the HSE? If so, how do the front cameras work with the bar?

Regards, Ron



Hi Ron,

Thanks for the feedback on the car. To answer your query, no - my car doesn't have the suround camera system therefor it has no effect on the bar fittment. They weren't able to supply me a car with the surround camera system when i bought it due to supply issues??

Cheers
Noel

[Noel's D4]

I would be happy with this Rig... screams TUFF!

You mention a snorkel?, but you already have one?

Also how did the Tunit chip feel after? I just had a Steinbaurer done. Are you happy?

Dorko

Hi Dorko,
Thanks for the feedback.

I have the standard "assisted air intake" which is not a proper snorkel. Even though I had the dealer water proof all external pieces, the problem lies with the flexible ducting which runs between the snorkel and the air box. The hose duct has the abilty to let in water under certain extreme circumstances, which could spell disaster. I will be fitting a Safari snorkel to aviod any possible water ingress.

Safari do not make a snorkel for the D4 at the moment. I have arranged with them to lend them my car for all the measuring and trial fit up. The car goes to them in 2 weeks, so hopefully they will be on the market in about 4 - 6 weeks.

The Tunit system has made a great difference to power and torque since i fitted it. The guys at Tunit had one on the dyno and gave me the best settings for power or economy etc. I am hoping to get a full 3 inch exhaust system made in the next coming months and then have the whole package dyno'. I will keep you posted when this happens.

I have heard great things about the steinbauer though!!

Cheers
Noel

[Noel's D4]

Hey Big Guy,

The Disco looks outstanding. The ECB bar looks great - enough for me to maybe give the ARB wait list a miss! Any chance of you posting more photos?

Also, what roof rack have you got and can you post some more pics of it?

One last question, did the bull bar and winch affect the handling?

Thanks

MickyD


Hi Micky,
Thanks for the feedback on the car.

The roor rack on my car is the L/Rover expedition rack which is all alloy. It hugs to the contours of the roof and i think it suits well. I have fitted a 900x1500 rack sac to the top and some mounts for the shovel.

I have just done 1500km with the ECB bar and winch fitted. I haven't noticed any dramatic effect on the handling or braking of the car. This may be due to the fact the bar is alloy and not steel.

Hope this assists (more photos attached)
Cheers Noel

[Noel's D4]

Looks great Noel.

Re the highlift - I assume the front and rear bars have anchor points for it? Hard to tell in the pics.

Re the front bar - There appears to be a large gap between the bottom of the head light and the top of the bar????

Re the battery - I haven't looked under the bonnet of a D4 but is there an existing tray in that location or did you have to add one?

Any chance of some pics showing the radio install in the cabin?

Cheers.

Hi White D3,
Thanks for your feedback on the car.

Both of the bars have allocated points for the highlift jack. (see photos)

In relation to the gap between the top of the bar and the bottom of the headlight there is a black trim which is mounted between the two. This may be hard to see in the photos but in means that there is only approx 2cm between the both.

There is no aux tray for another battery in the D4. The one in the photos is made by Pirahna to go in front of the existing battery. I have mounted my dual batt controller next to the aux batt behind the headlight which can be seen in the photos attached.

I have also included some photos of the UHF install. As I only have it in when I'm touring, I put in in a spot where it is easily removed (above the top glovebox). The unit has a remote head unit and all the display and controls are on the hand piece. The system is 5 watt and works very well with the 5.5db aerial.

Hope this assists you
Cheers
Noel

[Noel's D4]

Is there an air compressor in the kit? Its probably the most important item overall.


Hi Graeme,
I have a compressor which stays in the back with the rcovery gear when I'm touring. I'm thinking about trying to mount it in the engine bay but finding room is an issue.

Cheers
Noel

[Noel's D4]

How much did the Kaymar rear bar cost. Including the paint?

I am about to get a Longranger tank and a rear bar.

Hi Mowog,

I got the Kaymar rear bar at a reduced rate due to the fact Kaymar used my car for the measuring and pre production fitting. In the current set up (colour coding, single wheel carrier, rear work light and high lift jack holder) you could expect to pay approx $3500.

Cheers
Noel

[ozscott]

Noel - nice set up mate. Do you notice any noise from the roof rack at any speeds?

Cheers

[stig0000]

that is one set up d4, very nice, can i ask why you dident you get a plasma rope for the winch, realy helps to save wate

[Duck's Guts]

Safari do not make a snorkel for the D4 at the moment. I have arranged with them to lend them my car for all the measuring and trial fit up. The car goes to them in 2 weeks, so hopefully they will be on the market in about 4 - 6 weeks.

At last! Safari has been waiting for a volunteer for months... well, at least that's what they have been telling me since June. It was too far for me to have been the test mule (1100kms each way).
Thank you Noel, for being the 'one'. We will all benefit from this.



I have also included some photos of the UHF install. As I only have it in when I'm touring, I put in in a spot where it is easily removed (above the top glovebox). The unit has a remote head unit and all the display and controls are on the hand piece.

I like the neat installation location and method. Good idea.

[Duck's Guts]

that is one set up d4, very nice, can i ask why you dident you get a plasma rope for the winch, realy helps to save wate

Please excuse me for jumping in with my personal opinion, but...

For infrequent use & low maintenance, steel cable is the way to go. Zero maintenance, but this is offset by the difficulties during cable handling.

If plasma gets wet (river crossing etc) you must run it out, allow it to dry & respool it. Otherwise you risk mold & rot damage (actually, not 'risk', damage WILL occur).
If plasma gets dirty (during winch use, playing in mud, bulldust/road grime build-up, & eventual penetration into the deeper layers on the spool and into the plasma rope fibres, etc), it causes abrasion and/or chemical decay of the fibres and reduces rope strength. Each time it gets dirty you should run the rope out, clean it in soapy water, allow it to dry, then respool it back on the winch.

Easy to handle, plasma rope is great IF you use your winch alot &/or prepared to spend time maintaining it or replacing it frequently.
But for the majority of 4WDers who have a winch as 'a-just-in-case' risk mitigation control, the low maintenance & reliability offered by steel cable is the way to go.
In my opinion...-_-

[rmp]

DG

Totally disagree! First of all Plasma is a brand name. The correct term is synthetic rope.

Secondly modern synth ropes aren't prone to rot, UV damage or other similar problems. Yes, they should be cleaned, and so should all other straps and strops. Wire rope is not maintenance-free either, that needs careful use, inspection and the problem with wire is that once kinked or damaged, that's it, must be replaced, whereas synth can be cut and spliced, retaining 95%+ of its strength. Everything needs maintenance, and if my winches aren't used for say 5-6 weeks I take the time to fully spool and unspool them to run the motors at least. I'd do that regardless of wire or synth rope, it's just standard recovery gear maintenance.

However, the single biggest argument for synth rope, and why I've used nothing else on both my winches for years, and why all the comp boys use it and many comps mandate it, is when it breaks. Watch wire rope break under stress, then synth rope, and you'll open the wallet for synth immediately. It's far, far safer. And it saves weight.

[SloMoBro]

Mate, nice looking vehicle. If my wife sees it she'll want to trade in the Defender.

[kero]

[QUOTE=Noel's D4;1331726]Hi White D3,


Noel

Car looks good. Does the spare affect the cameras vision, if you have one fitted. How do you see right hand brake light & blinker?
Getting bull bar fitted, long range tank maybe,depends on how it effects camera after fitting spare carrier.

Thanks. KERO

[CaverD3]

There are indicators in the bar.

[Owl]

DG

Totally disagree! First of all Plasma is a brand name. The correct term is synthetic rope.

Secondly modern synth ropes aren't prone to rot, UV damage or other similar problems. Yes, they should be cleaned, and so should all other straps and strops. Wire rope is not maintenance-free either, that needs careful use, inspection and the problem with wire is that once kinked or damaged, that's it, must be replaced, whereas synth can be cut and spliced, retaining 95%+ of its strength. Everything needs maintenance, and if my winches aren't used for say 5-6 weeks I take the time to fully spool and unspool them to run the motors at least. I'd do that regardless of wire or synth rope, it's just standard recovery gear maintenance.

However, the single biggest argument for synth rope, and why I've used nothing else on both my winches for years, and why all the comp boys use it and many comps mandate it, is when it breaks. Watch wire rope break under stress, then synth rope, and you'll open the wallet for synth immediately. It's far, far safer. And it saves weight.

Fully agree.
I had synthetic rope on my previous vehicle for 15 years. I'd spool it out and respool once a year to make sure the system was still working and use it maybe once or twice in earnest until the next year (when I go 4WDing I don't plan to use the winch - it's there as a backup only (and more often than not to rescue someone else!)). I've never dried out wet rope after use (it also gets wet when it rains or when I wash the car) and never had any issues.
I now have synthetic rope on the D3 - wouldn't have anything else. Even if synthetic rope didn't have the life of steel rope, the safety aspect makes it far more worthwhile in my book.

[WhiteD3]

I now have synthetic rope on the D3 - wouldn't have anything else.

How about a few pics Owl?:)

[GeorgeK]

Hi Dorko,
Thanks for the feedback.

I have the standard "assisted air intake" which is not a proper snorkel. Even though I had the dealer water proof all external pieces, the problem lies with the flexible ducting which runs between the snorkel and the air box. The hose duct has the abilty to let in water under certain extreme circumstances, which could spell disaster. I will be fitting a Safari snorkel to aviod any possible water ingress.

Safari do not make a snorkel for the D4 at the moment. I have arranged with them to lend them my car for all the measuring and trial fit up. The car goes to them in 2 weeks, so hopefully they will be on the market in about 4 - 6 weeks.

The Tunit system has made a great difference to power and torque since i fitted it. The guys at Tunit had one on the dyno and gave me the best settings for power or economy etc. I am hoping to get a full 3 inch exhaust system made in the next coming months and then have the whole package dyno'. I will keep you posted when this happens.

I have heard great things about the steinbauer though!!

Cheers
Noel

I have had a safari snorkel fitted to my D4 for about 4 weeks (see separate thread). It is a D3 snorkel with some very minor mods or so I'm told. I have since done the Sydney - Melbourne trek twice with no problems albeit with a little extra wind noise. It looks the goods and works well.

Cheers

GeorgeK

[stig0000]

Please excuse me for jumping in with my personal opinion, but...

For infrequent use & low maintenance, steel cable is the way to go. Zero maintenance, but this is offset by the difficulties during cable handling.

If plasma gets wet (river crossing etc) you must run it out, allow it to dry & respool it. Otherwise you risk mold & rot damage (actually, not 'risk', damage WILL occur).
If plasma gets dirty (during winch use, playing in mud, bulldust/road grime build-up, & eventual penetration into the deeper layers on the spool and into the plasma rope fibres, etc), it causes abrasion and/or chemical decay of the fibres and reduces rope strength. Each time it gets dirty you should run the rope out, clean it in soapy water, allow it to dry, then respool it back on the winch.

Easy to handle, plasma rope is great IF you use your winch alot &/or prepared to spend time maintaining it or replacing it frequently.
But for the majority of 4WDers who have a winch as 'a-just-in-case' risk mitigation control, the low maintenance & reliability offered by steel cable is the way to go.
In my opinion...-_-


i agree that is probly less maintenance, and you have air sus so thats realy no problem having over hanging weight,

[rmp]

It is important to reduce weight regardless of air suspension or not, and especially weight that is a long way from the CoG such as over the front axle.

[ADMIRAL]

Quote - Safari do not make a snorkel for the D4 at the moment. I have arranged with them to lend them my car for all the measuring and trial fit up. The car goes to them in 2 weeks, so hopefully they will be on the market in about 4 - 6 weeks.

Love your optimism. Safari are notoriously slow at product development, even for the high profile models. I think it comes back to their perchant for 'doing it right the first time', and you can't blame them for that. Just frustrating to deal with them. Really not sure what R & D they are doing. 4wd shops around the country have been fitting the D3 snorkel without issue to D4's for 6 months at least.

[Owl]

How about a few pics Owl?:)

I don't have any recent pics - when I get back home I'll rectify that and post.

[smac]

that is awesome !

[Graeme]

What are people's thoughts on the winch being mounted low compared with ARB bars? I'm considering swapping to the ECB bar for presumeably a bit less weight and to avoid cutting the wheel-arch flares.

[bobzed57]

Noel

Looks great especially colour coding the bar-work. I was looking at the front bar and it looks like you managed to integrate the front parking sensors. Is that right?

Cheers and thanks for the ideas

Bob Z

[Graeme]

ECB wont normally colour match, only supplying 4 finishes. I think silver hammertone would most likely blend in the best on my Nara Bronze vehicle.

[Jesse B]

I've just got a quote on getting the polished ECB bar two-pack painted white (as per Noel's rig): $300. Makes this a fairly exxy option, given the price I got on supply and fit being $3280. I wonder how much more than this the LR bar might be, when it eventuates?

[that_kid]

wow i wish i had your job!

Looks great i love seeing well setup up brandnew cars

[Noel's D4]

Noel

Looks great especially colour coding the bar-work. I was looking at the front bar and it looks like you managed to integrate the front parking sensors. Is that right?

Cheers and thanks for the ideas

Bob Z

Thanks for the feedback Bob,
The ECB Bar has positions for all the original front parking sensors as well as the headlight washers.

Cheers
Noel :)

[Noel's D4]

[QUOTE=Noel's D4;1331726]Hi White D3,


Noel

Car looks good. Does the spare affect the cameras vision, if you have one fitted. How do you see right hand brake light & blinker?
Getting bull bar fitted, long range tank maybe,depends on how it effects camera after fitting spare carrier.

Thanks. KERO

Thanks for the feedback Kero,
I have found that the rear spare carrier has had little effect on the rear vision camera and it's performance. Apart from the edge of the spare being visible when reversing (which I have now gotten used to) it's field of vision is great. The spare does have a slight effect on the reverse sensors, which have to be rotated slightly when fitted to the rear bar to stop them beeping all the time. Mine work just as the did originally.

As far as the rear r/hand tail light assembly is concerned, you are correct. The original can't be seen due to the spare which is why the Kaymar bar has built in combination LED tail/stop/reverse/indicator lights for both sides (refer original pictures) to maintain it's compliance with all ADR'S and Laws etc

Cheers
Noel :)

[Noel's D4]

Noel - nice set up mate. Do you notice any noise from the roof rack at any speeds?

Cheers

Hi Scott,
I have noticed wind noise at highway speeds, but as I had the rack fitted when I picked the car up I don't have anything to compare it to. It's not too bad but I'm sure it would be quieter without it.

Cheers
Noel :)

[ozscott]

Cheers Noel. Yep they look good in white mate. I reckon you are going to have a whole lot of fun touring around with her. The extra storage space you have will be a boon.

Happy Rovering.

Oz

[Graeme]

I rejoined the Club ECB today after cancelling my order for the still non-existant ARB bar - I had an ECB bar on my 1st D2. It was pointed-out that black will match the black pillars whereas silver hammertone wont match anything, so black it will be. My D4 will be the 3rd in the area to have an ECB bar - I didn't know there were that many D4s around here. Someone's getting a long range tank in a few days but its not me.

[drowell]

Hi guys,
New to the club and the wonderful world of LRs. Bought my D4HSE last August after a 4 month wait to get the active rear diff. I too had the ordeal of waiting for the ARB bar. Finally got it fitted in Jan after 4 months. Great bar, got the Warn winch, IPF lights, Kaymar dual wheel bar, 104L Longranger tank, Front Runner roof rack with ladder, Black Widow drawers, fridge slide and barrier/shelf, Black Widow dual battery system, GME micro UHF, Hannibal tent, ARB awning, LED striplights for tent and awning. Struggled with the tyres though - wanted muddies for off road, but the GY MTR are the only 19" around. Wanted to use the highway tyres on road though so then had the trouble of a second set of wheels!! Got a second hand set (of 6) 19" RRS ones for $1000 from AGR at Sefton. Bargain. Fitted them with Sensa Tyre TPMS with internal senders.
I'm keen to pass this on as it was a leap of faith buying the car - no guarantee some of the stuff would be available or would fit.
Off to do Lake Eyre - Oodnadata track - Kigs Canyon - Uluru - Alice - Finke - Dalhousie - French Line - Birdsville in June/July - 6 weeks.

Does anyone know about wiring for the reverse camera? It will be fouled by the LHS spare when I fit it. I only run the RHS normally. Thinking I might be able to relocate it to the high brake light above the tailgate window...

[TerryO]

Hi Drowell,

Sounds like a very nice bit of gear ...How about a couple of happy snaps to show us your pride and joy with all the goodies fitted?

cheers,
Terry

[gghaggis]

Got a second hand set (of 6) 19" RRS ones for $1000 from AGR at Sefton. Bargain.

??? Didn't think the RRS rims were load-rated for the D4?

Cheers,

Gordon

[But 'n' Ben]

Hi Drowell, looks like you have been hard at it, kitting out your D4 for the big trip. Not much left to add? I too am in the process of doing all the necessary additions, for it is a sad fact that our beloved vehicles are not 'Plug and Play', and have to be worked on first.
An important point of interest, now that you are all loaded up for your big trip, have you taken it on a 'Weigh bridge', and got some GVM, and axle load figures? We throw all this stuff on, and I wonder how it eats into the 'Payload' of the vehicle.
Happy travels.
Don.

[Graeme]

Hi guys,
Off to do Lake Eyre - Oodnadata track - Kigs Canyon - Uluru - Alice - Finke - Dalhousie - French Line - Birdsville in June/July - 6 weeks.

Your D4 is well kitted but have you considered being able to get some extra ground clearance when required?

[bbyer]

Your D4 is well kitted but have you considered being able to get some extra ground clearance when required? The problem with having an extra 50 mm of height over the standard off road setting, or the fact that it would stay up regardless of the "mood" of the D4, (well the 3 seems that way), then probably the winch would either seem like mere decoration or just for hauling others out.:o

Also an extra couple of inches could keep a vehicle from drowning, and where would the fun be in that?

[drowell]

Your D4 is well kitted but have you considered being able to get some extra ground clearance when required?
What can you tell me about mods to the air suspension?

[drowell]

??? Didn't think the RRS rims were load-rated for the D4?

Cheers,

Gordon

900 kg vs 940 kg.

[gghaggis]

What can you tell me about mods to the air suspension?

There was a fair bit of discussion about the various accessories available to raise the EAS cars here:

http://www.aulro.com/afvb/d3-d4-rrs/118349-d4-llams-height-adjustor-mtr-19s-8.html

Cheers,

Gordon

[gghaggis]

900 kg vs 940 kg.

Not sure on NSW regs (Graeme?), but in most states I don't think you can fit rims of a lower load rating than the OEM rims.

Cheers,

Gordon

[Graeme]

Not sure on NSW regs (Graeme?)..
I have no info on the NSW regs and the ADR RVD1 record does not show rim load ratings.

[drowell]

Only using them off road...and there's nothing on the data plate that staes the load rating. Upon inspection, they are LR rims...

[101RRS]

Max GVM on a D4 is 3240kg vs the RRS of 3175. Not much in it for the wheels.

[unseenone]

Tried to join Club ECB, or at least get some information. Inspired by your post. I inquired at ECB, as well as two sellers there in Aus. No response, I guess it must be a private club.

I inquired as to the weight, price range, etc. as these are not offered in the US only ARB, it would be a great option if it was priced comparably.

The silence is deafening.