How high is to High

[HAK]

Hi all

What’s a good height to lift a disco to make it capable and safe? I still want to go rough but not crazy


Is a 6-inch lift for argument sake out of the question on a disco due to the high dimensions?

[dobbo]

Hi all

What’s a good height to lift a disco to make it capable and safe? I still want to go rough but not crazy


Is a 6-inch lift for argument sake out of the question on a disco due to the high dimensions?


dependant on the state your in, you may be legally restricted to raises.

[DirtyDawg]

Anything over 2" and its uninsured no matter how much you bitch, Nation road rule vehicle height no more than 50mm over than standard and wheels not in excess of 35" No Exception... Engineers cert will help over 50mm lift but not even God can help ya with wheels over 35":D but shouldnt bother Disco owners

[HAK]

Anything over 2" and its uninsured no matter how much you bitch, Nation road rule vehicle height no more than 50mm over than standard and wheels not in excess of 35" No Exception... Engineers cert will help over 50mm lift but not even God can help ya with wheels over 35":D but shouldnt bother Disco owners

What’s it take as a lift to place 35's and still have enough flex on a disco just curious

I know with the GU I had, had a 3-inch lift and 35 where to big and reduced my flex

Also with the patrol any more then 3 inches and more mods needed to be done other then springs and shocks

What would need to be done to go 3 inches and possibly 33-inch tyres?

[discowhite]

best combo would be a 2'' spring lift and a 2''body lift.
fit longer bumpstops and longer stroke shocks to get more articulation.
33's on a disco is enough for the majority of offroad work. fit lockers or lsd's or a combo of both and you will go anywhere a locked 4'' lifted nissan/toyota will go.
can go 35's but is it really worth it? then you have alot of guard cutting/installing EXPENSIVE flares, new rims los of engine power etc etc.


cheers phil

[PeterM]

1" body and 2" spring lift and flares mean that I have no probs with clearance. I'm running 32s atm and it all works well. Am looking at a second set of play rubber, 33-34". This will require offset rims due to width but shouldn't require any stuffing around to gearing as they won't be on all the time.

[RobHay]

Generally being just that little bit older, I try to keep both feet on the floor when at a Disco, even a jump of just 2 inches can tend to upset the stability of the upper torso resulting in said torso making rapid accquintence with the floor, upon which I am attempting to stand.

Jumps of 6 inches are most definately out and execution of these severely frown upon by Da Missus.

[Slunnie]

I have 4" springs and 35's with a guard trim. In NSW it's legal, it complys with all relevant regulations, is engineered and is insured.

With the new DOTAR's that NSW have not adopted yet, I would be limited to 33's so that the total lift is reduced to 6".

[Ace]

you can insure a 4wd with a larger than 50mm suspension lift, you just need to find someone who will do it. TCIS are the best mob to talk to re modified 4wd insurance, they handle all the public liability insurance for clubs.

Have a look at this kit, covers everything, for $2000 its cheap, you might change the shocks over later but wouldnt be bad, i spend a grand nearly on just shocks and springs.

http://www.mailorder4x4.com/acatalog/With_Heavy_Duty_Rear_Arms.html

[muddydigger]

Im going through the same thing, with my Disco,admitadley when I get the thing to run right that is. I have been advised a Disco with a 3 inch lift will run 33s witha slight trim to the guards. Bear in mind any disco with airbags cant have a body lift no engineer can get round that. From what I gather 33s are more than enough for 90 % of off roading.

So a 2 inch lift and 2 inch body( if it doesnt have airbags) or 3 inch and trim guards if you do have airbags. Some say the 3 inch will give vibrations at speed some say it doesnt, I duno yet ill find out when I lift it!

This is the sumary of all the imformation given to me.

[Ace]

Some say the 3 inch will give vibrations at speed some say it doesnt, I duno yet ill find out when I lift it!

is that only if the castor angles arent corrected? I know you can get away without adjusting castor angles with a 2in lift, i didnt need it with mine, but when you do a 3in lift you are pushing it to far from what i a told, this might be the cause of the vibration.

[Landy110]

Another bloke with a defender asked a similar question the other day. As I replied to that one The new Australian Design Rules will only allow a 2inch (50mm) lift over standard. That is the maximum lift of the vehicle regardless of how you achieve it, ie suspension and/or body lift. You will have to find out if the state you are in will be enforcing there regs but in NSW I have been assured by one of the RTA advisory panel that they will be enforced. Max 50mm lift and max 35inch tyres.
Steve.

[Blknight.aus]

My 93 disco copped a 2 inch lift for 2 reasons...

1. after puting on the olympic steel trecks she was rubbing her guards

2. I was getting a sggy back end after exposing her to the normal rigors of what I carry.

Fortunately both reasons came to fruition at about the same time so justifying it past Home command was simple enough.

[tombraider]

Another bloke with a defender asked a similar question the other day. As I replied to that one The new Australian Design Rules will only allow a 2inch (50mm) lift over standard. That is the maximum lift of the vehicle regardless of how you achieve it, ie suspension and/or body lift. You will have to find out if the state you are in will be enforcing there regs but in NSW I have been assured by one of the RTA advisory panel that they will be enforced. Max 50mm lift and max 35inch tyres.
Steve.

New DOTARS allows 4" in any combination of Body and Suspension...
Dont take 1 officials word for it... Check with a few....

Several states have taken to the new regs (which they are entitled to do at their discretion) already...

2+2 is legal in NSW, SA, QLD, VIC, WA

35's only with engineers report, and thats it...
However, Victoria has mandated nothing over 33's.

[Slunnie]

Has DOTARS been revised? It used to be 6" lift max with no exceptions and as a total lift including tyres, suspension and body. Also any suspension over 2" required engineering as does tyres 1" or 2" OD over factory.

[Slunnie]

OK, here is the document from DOTARS
http://www.dotars.gov.au/roads/safety/bulletin/pdf/NCOP11_Section_LS_Suspension_and_steering_3Feb2006 .pdf

Lifting suspension by less than 1/3 travel without approval is fine - Note, this is very different to 50mm.
Raising vehicle from 50 to 150mm combined lift requires approval
Vehicle lifts beyond 150mm are not permitted under this code.
4WD tyres can be 50mm larger max and no more than 25mm smaller than OE without approval and not more than 50% wider
Track to be no more than 25mm wider, or with beam axles F&R 50mm.
Body lifts to a max of 50mm.
Eng approval is required for alternative wheel/tyre spec on vehicle with modified axles or suspension
Headlights for ADR 13/00 complient vehicles must not be more than 1200mm from the ground.

[mcrover]

New DOTARS allows 4" in any combination of Body and Suspension...
Dont take 1 officials word for it... Check with a few....

Several states have taken to the new regs (which they are entitled to do at their discretion) already...

2+2 is legal in NSW, SA, QLD, VIC, WA

35's only with engineers report, and thats it...
However, Victoria has mandated nothing over 33's.


You can pick up a copy at vicroads of the vic rules which I should have kept, which stated clearly 50mm susp + 50mm Body and 33" tyres are the max.

I looked at it and threw it away as I was well within the regs I didnt think I would need it again.

The thing is that if you can proove it was like that before the regs changed, unless it is deemed dangerous then you will get away with it even when the new regs come in.

Insurance is the other issue that is worth thinking about but like someone else said shop around.

And instead of talking to officials go, get a copy in your hand and make your own conclusions as their interpretation may differ from what is really in writting

[Bush65]

Some say the 3 inch will give vibrations at speed some say it doesnt, I duno yet ill find out when I lift it!


is that only if the castor angles arent corrected? I know you can get away without adjusting castor angles with a 2in lift, i didnt need it with mine, but when you do a 3in lift you are pushing it to far from what i a told, this might be the cause of the vibration.
With a suspension lift on a coil sprung rover, correcting castor by offset bush or modified radius arms, will induce driveshaft vibration.

Rotating the swivel housing is the best way to correct castor and avoid driveshaft vibration.

Edit, castor correction using offset bushes or modified radius arms can lead to binding of the front driveshaft u-joint at full droop.

[wardy1]

Just returning to the original question in this thread......lol
I have a 50mm lift and run 32's on my D2 and it gets me pretty much everywhere I want to go:D

[walker]

Have a look at why you want to lift it. The main reason you would lift a vehicle is to fit larger tyres

On a D2 a simple 2" spring lift will fit 34" tyres while for 35's you probably need 3" and cut guards.

On a D1 you are going to need to cut guards for almost any size tyre over 31". If you don't have SRS then a 2" body and 2" spring lift with cut guards will fit everything up and over 35".
If you do have SRS then a body lift is illegal but you can probably still fit 35's with a 3-4" springlift and cut guards


Rovers tend to be unique compared to other 4WD's in that you dont need massive spring lifts to fit tyres. It is usually the width of the tyre that limits you at the fron on Landrovers more than anything.

[mudmouse]

I've got 2 inch springs and 31" (wacko!) tyres on 15" x 8's, so out came the nibbler - no flares, just tidied it up and covered the 'new' arch. It get's into and out of most things... but, and i'm going to sound like a nanna, the lift and ride can be a pain if you've got to constantly get in and out of the bugger, plus the speed humps all around my place...

I'll go back to my knitting and recliner now. Might have a wee nap too.:p

PS: ADR's are relevant for the date of manufacture of the vehicle - they can only be retrospective under another piece of legislation.

[Slunnie]

Have a look at why you want to lift it. The main reason you would lift a vehicle is to fit larger tyres

On a D2 a simple 2" spring lift will fit 34" tyres while for 35's you probably need 3" and cut guards.

On a D1 you are going to need to cut guards for almost any size tyre over 31". If you don't have SRS then a 2" body and 2" spring lift with cut guards will fit everything up and over 35".
If you do have SRS then a body lift is illegal but you can probably still fit 35's with a 3-4" springlift and cut guards


Rovers tend to be unique compared to other 4WD's in that you dont need massive spring lifts to fit tyres. It is usually the width of the tyre that limits you at the fron on Landrovers more than anything.
The big thing with fitting 35's is that the suspension will require longer bumpstops by about 40-50mm under the front to prevent it scrubbing out whether that gets run with a soft 3" or stiff 4" lift. There is a bit more room in the rear. Will need a guard cut though. This is the way at least to get around fitting 35's to an SRS equiped 4by.

[HAK]

In conclusion I think I'll go 3-inch lift with 33-inch tyres I’m not going to take to a nibbler on my guards and should 33's need a nibler then I'll go 32's

Off memory a 4x4 buddy malibu9 not sure if he is still around or if any body has heard of him, he had 31 inch tyres on his blue rangy and that had far more flex then my patrol when I had 32’s with a 3 inch lift appose to his 2 so I can see the comparesent on how Toyota and a Nissan need more lift to get more flex and how landy’s are unique to there level of flex

I cant do a body lift as to SRS thats out of the question, other then legal consequences what happens if you do does the air bags not work, besides aren't the cost of body kits ridiculously expensive, why wouldn’t you go an extra inch or 2 on springs and save your self a grand or so ????

[Bush65]

I doubt you can fit 32" tyres under a disco I without trimming the guards.

With tyres up to 10.5" or 265mm wide, you only need to trim the rear of the wheel arch to fit 33" tyres. Wider tyres need flares and arch trim.

IMHO, 3" is max lift before you need to correct the castor. Then it starts getting more expensive, because of driveshaft issues.

[tombraider]

You can pick up a copy at vicroads of the vic rules which I should have kept, which stated clearly 50mm susp + 50mm Body and 33" tyres are the max.

I looked at it and threw it away as I was well within the regs I didnt think I would need it again.

The thing is that if you can proove it was like that before the regs changed, unless it is deemed dangerous then you will get away with it even when the new regs come in.

Insurance is the other issue that is worth thinking about but like someone else said shop around.

And instead of talking to officials go, get a copy in your hand and make your own conclusions as their interpretation may differ from what is really in writting

Actually, VicRoads is recalling several 35" engineered vehicles for re-inspection and de registering the ones outside their new code.

So even if you have an engineering cert for 35's etc... You can be forced to reengineer it to the current std.

[HangOver]

New DOTARS allows 4" in any combination of Body and Suspension...
Dont take 1 officials word for it... Check with a few....

Several states have taken to the new regs (which they are entitled to do at their discretion) already...

2+2 is legal in NSW, SA, QLD, VIC, WA

35's only with engineers report, and thats it...
However, Victoria has mandated nothing over 33's.

For WA the legal max of any combination of lift, (inc tyres, springs, body) is not more than 50mm without an eng. certificate.

[HAK]

I doubt you can fit 32" tyres under a disco I without trimming the guards.

With tyres up to 10.5" or 265mm wide, you only need to trim the rear of the wheel arch to fit 33" tyres. Wider tyres need flares and arch trim.

IMHO, 3" is max lift before you need to correct the castor. Then it starts getting more expensive, because of driveshaft issues.

how big are the standard tyres on a disco???? 31's

[Slunnie]

They're 29's.

[HAK]

They're 29's.

so in conclusion 31 is as big as it gets before cuting thats still 2 inch bigger then standard and an improvement

I asumed they where 30's standard with a 3 inch lift its a plenty :)

[Ace]

You can fit 30's without trimming but you will need to trim the rear guards to fit 31's, thats for a d1, there is more room under a D2.

As for the rules regarding suspension lifts i thought there was just a height limit for the lights, i think 1200mm, so you can lift it anyway you like as long as the head lights are no higher than this. This is in NSW, rules are alot stricter in QLD. Matt

[HAK]

You can fit 30's without trimming but you will need to trim the rear guards to fit 31's, thats for a d1, there is more room under a D2.

As for the rules regarding suspension lifts i thought there was just a height limit for the lights, i think 1200mm, so you can lift it anyway you like as long as the head lights are no higher than this. This is in NSW, rules are alot stricter in QLD. Matt


Its a D2 so 31 here I come ;) plus a 3 inch lift that should do the trick :)

[Ken]

Its a D2 so 31 here I come ;) plus a 3 inch lift that should do the trick :)

You can fit 32s to a D2 no trimming of anything
I have a 2" lift (King Springs Tough Dog Shocks)
And 32" Goodyear MTRs no rubbing full lock or Max Articulation
To fit 3" lift you will need to extend brake lines and abs lines

[HAK]

You can fit 32s to a D2 no trimming of anything
I have a 2" lift (King Springs Tough Dog Shocks)
And 32" Goodyear MTRs no rubbing full lock or Max Articulation
To fit 3" lift you will need to extend brake lines and abs lines

lets refraise it Its a 32 here I come plus a 3 inch lift that should do the trick :D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D

[barryj]

What about a stock standard designed suspension?

We all don't need or want a higher vehicle for more problems.

[Redback]

ROVERNIT, what i found with my lift (same as slunnies 4") is that when measuring the gap from bottom of the guard to the wheel centre (this is how LR do it) the springs gave me 80mm not 100mm over standard.

The way slunnie measure it was using bumpstop heights, doing it this way actually gives you a genuine 4" lift.

When my current springs shag out i will probably go with the 3" lift this will give a little bit over 2" after the springs settle, the reason i'm doing it is that with over a 3" lift the car wanders and with no way to correct the caster on a D2, it's become really annoying and is even worse with the campertrailer on.

So my advice is don't go over 3", after a while the springs will settle and it will go to around 60mm or just over 2" and with 32s it should cope with most offroad stuff.

This is Slunnies suggestion and this is what i might do.

There is a method of getting a 3" lift using OME parts by using OME751 (230lb/in) springs on the front, and OME763 (360lb/in) on the rear. Then OME N107 and N108 shocks. This may also need a rear axle perch used on the front.


Baz.

[Loaded]

Hi all

What’s a good height to lift a disco to make it capable and safe? I still want to go rough but not crazy


Is a 6-inch lift for argument sake out of the question on a disco due to the high dimensions?

I reckon the poll shows all you really need in a lift. I have 2" suspension lift and that is ample. For Touring purposes anyway and you can still play hard as well.
:)

[blitz]

I have a Disco I with 2" spring lift and 32" tyres.

When I get the $$ I am going to turn it into a hybrid, in the NT we have a bit different rules thanks to a previous chief minister who was a rev head. Up here you can build what is registered as a one off production car. still has to be certified and there are still ultimate rules you cant break but much better then the rest of Oz

years ago (late 60s early 70s) my old man built an outrageous rig based on a humber supersnipe chassis and engine, ended up registering it as a tractor to be able to drive it on the roads, probably because it had tractor tyres but wouldnt get bogged.

Blythe

[HangOver]

my old man built an outrageous rig based on a humber supersnipe

Now that would be worth a photo, do you have any we could see?