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I recommend you get the suspension right first, and then for towing maybe add rear airbags to level it.
On our D1 we fitted TJM 50mm lift springs and XGS shocks and they were fine for a long time. You can spend more, for only minor gain.
With a 50mm lift the standard 235/70/16s can be increased to 245/70/16s without rubbing, but above that you would have to cut the guards.
Remember that fitting larger tyres means slower acceleration and poorer braking, so it's a trade off.
I've hit a few animals in various vehicles and that's what makes me keen on a bullbar. Ideally I'd just not drive at night, but I'd rather not question it and just do it if I had to. These days I do it slowly and haven't hit anything for many years. It's been many years since I've been in Northern WA and NT though. I'd also like to increase approach angle of the original bumper (yes, I could cut it down), and mount good driving lights, and maybe even a winch. I think I'll just wait around and see what pops up here in Tassie over the next little while, or if one comes up that excellent and cheap on the mainland and I can work out a good freight option maybe I'll do that.
Now, I had 235/85/16s on my old 200tdi Disco. I didn't notice any dramas driving it around Darwin. It cruised on the highway pretty well, but was loud. They were Maxxis Bighorns though, and the car had terrible noise insulation. You're right though, I'm probably getting carried away for this car. I'll probably just leave it as it is with these 225/75 ATs. They're good tyres. If I changed it, maybe I'd consider 245/75 or something, just to get that little bit more clearance and fill out the arches.
Thanks for the jacking tips. Noted. I've gone off the idea of a Hi-lift and will stick to bottle jacks and will look into these exhaust jacks. I'll also look into MaxTrax. I had them with the old Disco and used them once, and they worked very well.
Now the suspension. I'm just not sure what sort of spring rates to go for. I don't really understand the numbers. I reckon something similar to original might be the go, with airbags in the back later for when I'm towing. I'm just not sure. More to read up on.
Thanks for your thoughts.
Hi all. Busy busy down here in Tassie, moving into our new house. The Disco's been going great. I love it. Of course, I've gone right down the rabbit hole reading up on turbo replacements and intercoolers and EGTs and lockers and LSDs and all sorts of stuff. Dunno if I'll do any of it. What I did do though was fit a low coolant alarm, and it went off the other day. We've just moved to a place on top of a steep hill. Going down the steep way with the engine cold there is one spot where the alarm goes off for half a second and then stops. In the same spot each time. I went down it with a warm engine and it didn't go off. To me this sort of makes a bit of sense but I'm not sure how.
Do you think I have anything to worry about? I don't. Ta
Righto. So we've been through a bit of a rollercoaster since my last post. We sort of decided to swap out from the D1 to a D3 or 4, and then very nearly scored an L322 4.4 TDV8 from a family friend, but whenever we got close to pulling the trigger the draw of the D1 pulled us back in. We love it too much. It suits us. I haven't done anything to it since my last post, but I'm ready to get stuck in now. It's currently getting a new radiator and water pump (it got a bit warm on a steep climb a few weeks ago), a timing belt, and a general service.
Next step is the suspension. The shocks are totally worn out and the springs are original. I've got a bull bar to fit but it's a bit bent so I'll get some work done on it. I'm also pretty set on a winch now. The only other accessory that might add a bit of weight might be some rear shelves or something. I've had a chat with Les Richmond Automotive and they've recommended their Red springs on the front (180lb and 16.3") and White (270lb and 16.8") with Bilstein shocks. I don't want a harsh ride, and I'm after just a smidge of a lift (less than 50mm). How do reckon this sounds?