Disco make over

[Redback]

have finished some work Discowhite and i have been doing to the Disco this is what we have done https://www.aulro.com/afvb/

A big thanks to Phil for his expertise and help https://www.aulro.com/afvb/

Well the Disco is getting a make over, with new Lovell Springs, and new front shocks, a Maxi Drive Locker which comes with Maxi axles, flanges and end caps, and a new rear bumper bar, made by me and Discowhite.

The rear bar is a slightly diferant version of this bar;

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/

We started it about 2 weeks ago and it has almost been done just a few finishing touchs and it's done.
http://www.4wdlinks.com.au/albums/bazzar/Duckmaloi_018.sized.jpg
http://www.4wdlinks.com.au/albums/bazzar/Duckmaloi_020.sized.jpg
http://www.4wdlinks.com.au/albums/bazzar/Rear_Bar_011.sized.jpg
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/
http://www.4wdlinks.com.au/albums/bazzar/rear_bar_070.sized.jpg
http://www.4wdlinks.com.au/albums/bazzar/rear_bar_069.sized.jpg

More progress on the bar, we decided against the lights that these holes are made for and we are going to use the originals in the bar, so these holes will be filled and new holes cut out.

http://www.4wdlinks.com.au/albums/bazzar/rear_bar_025.sized.jpg
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/
http://www.4wdlinks.com.au/albums/bazzar/rear_bar_026.sized.jpg

Baz.

[Redback]

Here's more on the rear bar;

Hammertone charcoal was chosen as the colour and the new holes were cut for the Pajero bumper lights

http://www.4wdlinks.com.au/albums/bazzar/rear_bar_002.sized.jpg

http://www.4wdlinks.com.au/albums/bazzar/rear_bar_007.sized.jpg

http://www.4wdlinks.com.au/albums/bazzar/rear_bar_008.sized.jpg

http://www.d2au.com/modules/Gallery/albums/album69/Disco_mods_010.sized.jpg

Yesterday we finished the mods for my Disco, bar's painted, the lights are in and we fitted it and it looks really good, i am very impressed with how it turned out better than i expected.

We also fitted the Lovell springs and Rancho ES5000 shocks not what i wanted but for now will have to do.

Before we fitted the shocks and springs we tested the travel by fitted the shocks on their own and lowered the it to it's max travel and lifted it to it's closed travel then measured the gap from the bump stop, the gap from the standard bump stop was 50mm so 55mm will be how much i extend them by.

I would like to thank Phil (Discowhite) again for all his help in this as he did most of the work, without him some shortcuts might have been done too, Phil your a legend.

http://www.d2au.com/modules/Gallery/albums/album69/Disco_mods_032.sized.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/

http://www.d2au.com/modules/Gallery/albums/album69/Disco_mods_027.sized.jpg

http://www.d2au.com/modules/Gallery/albums/album69/Disco_mods_024.sized.jpg

http://www.d2au.com/modules/Gallery/albums/album69/Disco_mods_023.sized.jpg

Finished and now to test out the shocks and springs https://www.aulro.com/afvb/

Baz.

[rangieman]

wow thats one nice looking bar could be a market for those .
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/

[RichardK]

Congratulations guys, that is one mighty good job, looking at the pics you have obviously got a lot of expertise

[Maggot4x4]

Looks sweet, can't wait to get my sliders https://www.aulro.com/afvb/

[MacMan]

That looks very close to what I want to build for our D1, but I want to add some side protection for the rear end.

Nicely done guys.

BTW discowhite, I haven't forgotten the damper relocation kit we dicussed by email, just been to busy. Will be in touch in due course.

Cheers,

Mike

[LandyAndy]

Excellent work Redback/Discowhite. 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8)
That is very much what I have in mind for Blackbetty,except I want to take the side "wings" to the wheelarch and remove the bottom section of the gaurd.
Obviously the Pajahero lights were used because you cant re-use the Disco items easily,I guess its easy enough to replace them.
Is it possible to use a highlift jack on the corners??
Andrew

[Redback]

Originally posted by LandyAndy
Excellent work Redback/Discowhite. 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8)
That is very much what I have in mind for Blackbetty,except I want to take the side "wings" to the wheelarch and remove the bottom section of the gaurd.
Obviously the Pajahero lights were used because you cant re-use the Disco items easily,I guess its easy enough to replace them.
Is it possible to use a highlift jack on the corners??
Andrew

Thanks guys :oops:

Yeah the Disco lights would have been too much of a pain, as an outer bracket would have to be made so you could take them in and out to replace bulbs, with the Pajero lights they just screw on and off with just 2 screws, really simple and fast.

It should be strong enough to put a high lift on, but you would have to beef up the mounting brackets first, as they are not strong and would bend.

We toyed with the idea of bringing the side skirts further forward but changed our minds and went with what you see.
We went to Appin today to test out the suspension, bar and locker and all went brilliant and the bar was knocked about and came up good, lost some paint but she didn't bend at all, the mounting brackets on the car bent https://www.aulro.com/afvb/ but not the bar https://www.aulro.com/afvb/

This is where i bent the bracket.


http://www.d2au.com/modules/Gallery/albums/album69/Appin_test_001.sized.jpg

Baz.

[LandyAndy]

Thanks Baz
You would have pulled the plastic bumper off on that one https://www.aulro.com/afvb/ https://www.aulro.com/afvb/ https://www.aulro.com/afvb/
You have inspired me to make mine.
I will look at fairly strong mounts.
Andrew

[Redback]

Originally posted by LandyAndy
Thanks Baz
You would have pulled the plastic bumper off on that one https://www.aulro.com/afvb/ https://www.aulro.com/afvb/ https://www.aulro.com/afvb/
You have inspired me to make mine.
I will look at fairly strong mounts.
Andrew

Yep the mounts are pretty **** weak i think the only reason i haven't bent them before is because of the pastic bumper absorbs most of the force.

Baz.

[Redback]

Originally posted by MacMan
That looks very close to what I want to build for our D1, but I want to add some side protection for the rear end.

Nicely done guys.

BTW discowhite, I haven't forgotten the damper relocation kit we dicussed by email, just been to busy. Will be in touch in due course.

Cheers,

Mike

Hi Mike if you need to contact Phil (Discowhite) email or PM me as Phils computer is down at the moment.

Anyone else that needs to contact Phil can do so through me.

Baz.

[one_iota]

That is a top job.... well done guys. https://www.aulro.com/afvb/ (and applause icon)

I noticed that you hedged your bets with the lights (two holes each side)...what was the thinking there?

[Andrewpv01]

Looks good https://www.aulro.com/afvb/ https://www.aulro.com/afvb/

Andrew

[seqfisho]

Hi Baz,

Looks fantastic, great job with the bar.

What height lift did you get with the springs, or P/Ns did you use and how was the articulation?


Makes the tyres look awfull small, might have to go up a size or two https://www.aulro.com/afvb/ https://www.aulro.com/afvb/ https://www.aulro.com/afvb/ https://www.aulro.com/afvb/ https://www.aulro.com/afvb/

[Steinzy]

Great jobs guys - looks fantastic

[CraigE]

Great Job boys. Now I will have to get motivated and make one for the fender. Would be nice to have a step on the back. Maybe a water tank step??
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/ https://www.aulro.com/afvb/

[Redback]

Originally posted by seqfisho
Hi Baz,

Looks fantastic, great job with the bar.

What height lift did you get with the springs, or P/Ns did you use and how was the articulation?


Makes the tyres look awfull small, might have to go up a size or two https://www.aulro.com/afvb/ https://www.aulro.com/afvb/ https://www.aulro.com/afvb/ https://www.aulro.com/afvb/ https://www.aulro.com/afvb/

I'd like to go up in tyres but as i'm towing a camper 99% of the time it would drag too much power from the car, if the 3" exhaust helps with this, then it may happen, but for now the 31s will have to do.

Mahn, those holes were cut to fit HQ Kingswood lights, but we didn't like the way they looked so they were filled in and new holes were made to suit the Pajero lights.

Baz.

[crash]

That is a sweet looking rear bar. Gives me Ideas about what i would like to do with my disco. Where did you get the lights from and part number? Any thoughts of putting a protector around the lights or are they recessed in far enough to prevent damage?

[Redback]

Originally posted by crash
That is a sweet looking rear bar. Gives me Ideas about what i would like to do with my disco. Where did you get the lights from and part number? Any thoughts of putting a protector around the lights or are they recessed in far enough to prevent damage?

I got them from a wrecker, they are new aftermarket $80ea a tad more than Disco lights but fit much better and easier to remove as well, as for protection they do recess into the bar only the surrounds are on the outside.

The bar being 100mm box restricts the use of some lights and recessing them as access from the back is not possible, this is why the Pajero lights were chosen, they can be fixed to the bar from the outside by 2 screws and they were the cheapest of a similar type, Jackaroo lights which are almost identical were $165ea 8O , Disco1 lights were only $63 but are attached from the inside of the rear bar, which is a shame but thats life and these look good anyway.

Baz.

[seqfisho]

Hey Baz,

Are your Lovells the raised units or the raised Heavy Duty :?:


Or did you get them to custom make them :?:

[Redback]

Originally posted by seqfisho
Hey Baz,

Are your Lovells the raised units or the raised Heavy Duty :?:


Or did you get them to custom make them :?:

Same as Slunnie and Gidgets, a 4" lift but they are more like 3" i think.

From wheel centre to bottom of guard front 525mm and 520mm rear with a OME 2" lift over standard, this is what i had before the Lovells went in,
i measured before and after, and it went up 60mm at the front and 55mm at the rear.

Baz.

[drivesafe]

Hi baz, you should post that, with all the details, in the Projects and Tutorials.

It’s a great job and obviously of interest to quite a few.

Cheers

[Redback]

I will, soon as i get it all together,remembering stuff i haven't posted is the hard part https://www.aulro.com/afvb/ :roll:

Baz.

[Ace]

I wasnt sure to start with Baz, but the end product looks nothing short of awsome. What are you wasting you tallents at Coates for Phil? Matt

[cal415]

Looks great, do you have any pics of the otherside of the bar with the mounts etc on it?

[Redback]

Originally posted by cal415
Looks great, do you have any pics of the otherside of the bar with the mounts etc on it?

Yep i took some when we were making the bar, my mounting brackets have 2 holes each side, one has a welded nut for the original bar mounts too and a second hole that was not used, but when we made the brackets for the new bar we utilised the second hole.

Before tacking them into place;
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/

Tacked into place;
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/

Baz.

[cal415]

Looks really good, do you think it would be strong enough to put recovery points directly onto the bar?

I destroyed my back bar over the weekend on the beach... wouldnt think sand could damage my bar as much as it did, so i have to do something like this ASAP.

[Redback]

Originally posted by cal415
Looks really good, do you think it would be strong enough to put recovery points directly onto the bar?

I destroyed my back bar over the weekend on the beach... wouldnt think sand could damage my bar as much as it did, so i have to do something like this ASAP.

The main reason for the bar we made was because i was destroying the rear bumper, it's only plastic and not very robust and acts like a scoop in sand and gets hung up on rocks and all sorts of stuff, mine was on it's last legs.

The mounts on the car would have to be strenghtened as they are pretty flimsey, i'd be more inclined to use the towbar as a recovery point, i do, as it is much stronger and easy to use.

Baz.