Thread: CDL, is it worth it?

Originally Posted by TheRover

Hi all , I have recently purchased a 2002 discovery series 2 automatic and instantly fell in love with the old girl.
i have a issue for which I can not make my mind up. Unfortunately I do not have the central diff lock...... I can get a 2nd hand transfer case along with all the linkage and installed for just shy of $2000. My wife and I are planning a trip to the cape next year sometime towing a camper trailer. My question to you Landy professionals is this...... is it worth it ????? Will it upset the Traction control thingy? Will it be money well spent ?
please excuse my lack of knowledge as this is my first Land Rover and I’m trying to iron out all issues before this fantastic adventure starts.
any advice on Installing ( and why I should install ) CDL would be priceless to me.

Kindest regards
The Rover

You may not have the diff lock linkages, but you certainly have the centre diff. My memory is a bit hazy, but I recall installing the linkages to a D2 about ten years ago. From memory, all the internal locking bits are still in your transfer case, just not the external bits. Probably hard to come by now, I think the ones I used were from a wreck.
Others here will know, but I would certainly be looking for a way to engage your centre diff lock.

Originally Posted by DieselLSE

You may not have the diff lock linkages, but you certainly have the centre diff. My memory is a bit hazy, but I recall installing the linkages to a D2 about ten years ago. From memory, all the internal locking bits are still in your transfer case, just not the external bits. Probably hard to come by now, I think the ones I used were from a wreck.
Others here will know, but I would certainly be looking for a way to engage your centre diff lock.

nope , definitely do not have CDL , apparently they completely did away with them for a short time before they came back in not long after. Or so the Landy mechanic told me. I have jumped under the truck myself and no lever or spriget, just a flat plate where i believe it should be

You might get better results if you post in the right section.

You have posted in the Series Landrover section which covers the first landies - Series 1 (48-58), Series 2 (58 -71) and Series 3 (71-80).

Maybe if you post in the Discovery - Discovery 2 sub section you may have a better response.

Maybe the mods can move it for you.

Garry

From late 2001 until the MY03 update they generally didn't have CDL mechanisms in the transfer.

My opinion is that for offroading, this is the first mod that should be done to them. I think at Cape there are a few places that you would be glad you had it installed, significantly more so when you add the camper.

Is the CDL worth having??
Simple answer is a resounding YES

I can get a 2nd hand transfer case along with all the linkage and installed for just shy of $2000. My wife and I are planning a trip to the cape next year sometime towing a camper trailer. My question to you Landy professionals is this...... is it worth it ?????

I added a CDL to my 2002.

There is a video on Youtube showing the difference between a CDL locked D2 and no CDL D2.

the no CDL D2 does not make it up some rock steps that the locked D2 does.

That being said you would not need the CDL on the main road to The Cape. If you choose to tow your camper trailer on the OTC then you will not be able to complete the South section anyway without Lockers and a big lift and mud tyres. I have done the North section in my RRC with Locked rear and Torque biassing front, turning around before unnamed creek just before Nolan Brook. I think a CDL locked D2 could also do it towing a camper.

IMHO the CDL makes life a lot easier on sand , however even without CDL the D2 usually will pull itself out of wombat holes when diagonalled , it just takes a bit more time than with lockers. The south exit of the Murray at Tom Groggin is an example that has diagonal wheels off the deck and forward motion is resumed once the discs dry out .
It is up to you whether you think it is value. I built mine up cheaply, even though I paid $500 for the factory linkage and I fitted a nose off a CDL case to my case myself in situ.
I have a how to PDF if you need it. You have to be careful not to drop the HI/lo detent ball while doing it, but if you buy one turnkey that will not be an issue.
Regards PhilipA

Like Trout said .. a resounding yes from me too.

Brother got a D2 a few years ago. Not long after doing some work to it we went up to a local area to test some of it's ability.
It came with front and rear diff locks fitted by a previous owner(it' had a few))
Quick check under the car, it had no mechanism for CDL system, but a spare parts D2 I have does have it .. so one day will be transplanted from spare to his.
On the quick test run out bush with front a rear locks and no CDL .. pretty much useless! Kind of helpful in some situations(mainly rear), but my D1(open axles) made it up a rock shelf where his struggled unless wheel spin was created.

We found that for the traction control to kick in earlier-better with his no CDL but locked axles, was to leave front diff lock unlocked so traction control operated quicker.

All it all proved was that some numpties out there just don't really understand stuff very well. That is, a previous owner spent many thousands of $s on front and rear lockers(and nice ARB compressor) .. plus fitting etc... and a simple CDL would have sufficed like my D1 showed on the same little rock step!

I would suggest too, if you're looking to have this work done, maybe look at getting an entire recoed transfer case, maybe with sleeved intermediate shaft or something. Very high probability that yours will be leaking, and just a renewed o ring on a semi-rebuilt one will too.
centre diff will have loads of lash/slack .. and so forth and so on. Another (costly) optional extra worth looking into is also something like an ATB centre diff whilst doing the CDL conversion too.
Quick and easy to check the intermediate shaft for leaks just getting under the car. If yours isn't oily around the front central area, then check the oil level!!! ... or possibly been done recently.

Drove my 02 for a few years without CDL and a lot of offroading including towing in soft sand at that time. After fitting the vehicle is certainly more capable..especially up hill on axle twisters.

Cheers