Things to check when looking at a D2

Agree with both Tins and Shack.
I've had two friends with the ZD30 motor, and while they are powerful, they are a bit less refined than the TD5 can be made to be.

Patrol should have larger tank, but a (well sorted)TD5 should be more economical. This can be an important factor if you main criteria is 'overlanding'.

Before bro bought the TD5(which is kind'a both mine and his), he had a Patrol(4.8lt) .. like Tins said, truck like. Brother liked it enough, till it blew it's head gasket! .. and at the time I had my D1Tdi.
Driving each one, one after the other ... D1 was far more refined both on and off the road.
So, once he got rid of the Patrol, he found a cheapish D2 TD5. IMO, previous owner didn't really know what they were doing when it came to mods/repairs, and a lot of stupid stuff done to it, and as an example of this was the monumental failure they(someone) had performed on the heater box. This isn't something easily seen, as it's obviously all under the dash. I only found it all out doing my usual "I'm bored and I feel like stripping stuff off to check stuff out times".
Pulled dash fascia off to tighten up screws, and insulate plastics on plastics to stop rattles and creaks, and noticed bits of black plastic around the vent ducts. What someone had done was to totally annihilate the heater box, so that all air vented out through smashed up holes behind the dashboard, instead of correctly venting out the vents ... which explained the really weak air flow out the vents.

That little tidbit is just one example of how unknowledgeable types can ruin stuff very easily, get tired of the problems they created and then offload to unsuspecting enthusiast types(eg. me!) My bro isn't really an enthusiast type, where he will pull somethign apart even though it's 'working'. But the point remains .. people buy LR stuff because it seems cheap in some way(eg. 99 Patrol cost about $15-20K ... 99 TD5 D2 cost roughly $5K). But people cheap out in sorting out the previously mutilated LR vehicle, and get tired of 'wasting money' on it any more .. offloading to the next unsuspecting person.

Once you fix the idiotic stuff up, my experience is that LR vehicles are no less, or more reliable than other stuff.

OH! and I hope this post doesn't in some way imply that I'm some sort of professional/expert/guru either ... totally and completely not!
I've totally stuffed up my D1 a couple of times in critical ways, but it's durable enough to have shrugged it off and still no issue many years and klms later. I've stuffed up coolant repairs, and really seriously both cam belt changes I'd done on the TDi. But I caught it early enough that I didn't total the engine.

Quick rundown of stuff that could cost you $s not long after you find a 'good deal' D2 of some kind ... assuming you're after a TD5
Balljoints, wheel bearings, fuel pressure regulator, fuel pump, as Tins noted! .. front drivehshaft cardan joint ... harmonic balancer(on TD5).
Almost all of the electrical/electronic components can be traced via the nanocom, and if you skimmed Tins' comment on this ... you'd have to allow for the purchase of one if you get a TD5. From experience, tracing electronic gremlins(like ABS or crank sensor, and stuff) is near impossible without one .. or will cost you at an experienced mechanics shop ... either way the cost of the nanocom will almost certainly be seen back at the first instance of "3 amigos" .. or something.

And as already said, nowhere to use a HLJ on a D2, unless you go with a front, and or, rear bar that will take one. Then you have the next issue, that if you fit long travel suspension of some type(nice to have! [thumbsupbig]) the HLJ points on these bars then becomes totally ineffective, as it doesn't lift the tyres off the ground! [bigrolf](no need to guess how I know this) .. So again not so smart mods, should be taken into consideration. In fact if you are dead set on having a HLJ, I reckon I personally know someone that is keen to get rid of one! [biggrin]

I have to say here too tho, Patrol is also a good vehicle. No reason it couldn't be made to be as refined as the LR, just my experience of them is out the box, they're no where near it.
The major advantage factor for the Patrol is that parts/accessories/mods are much easier to locate than any LR will be.

Dont get under ANYTHING lifted by a highlift jack....

I reckon he'd be using stands, Pedro.

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Originally Posted by AK83

In fact if you are dead set on having a HLJ, I reckon I personally know someone that is keen to get rid of one! [biggrin]

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I have two.... Dangerous bloody things.

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Originally Posted by Tins

I have two.... Dangerous bloody things.

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Yeah, can be, but I reckon if setup properly don't have to be. I think it's just a matter of setting them up properly.

Back in the day, GM(US) used to use them in their large(C class) vehicles, like Caddies and Buicks and Chevs, etc.
While not an actual hi lift jack, in effect thats what they were. Very easy to use, took up a heap of space in the boot, but keeping in mind that the boots of those old tanks were enormous anyhow!
My dad used to own Caddies, my uncle had a 60-something, Chev.
I remember using it when I was younger one day, very easy to use.

The difference was that those GM "hi lifts" used a nice secure hook attachment on the bumper so that when the jack had the weight of the car on it, there was no way it was moving laterally.
This is the problem of the std hi lift jack ... the vehicle rests on a small "couple inch" lug onto who knows what on the car ... totally stupid idea so of course is made dangerous by default.
But if an insertable pegged or hooked system is used, and not those silly loosey goosey wheel straps! ... the setup can be made secure.

I've mentioned this before, but the old Rover P6 had a similar jack system. The difference being instead of a ratcheting lift setup, it used a gear driven worm screw that you 'cranked', in effect same system just different method of lifting/lowering ... was brilliant, other than size of jack again. And in having a large diameter rod that was inserted into a receiver in the sill, it made a very sturdy, triangulated jacked up car.
Very hard to push it off the jack .. no matter how hard I tried too!

And it should also be noted that the dangerousness of the standard hi lift jack can also be one of it's advantages too, in that if your car has been stuck the flimsy nature of the way it lifts the car could be a handy way to move it out of a bogged situation.

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Originally Posted by AK83

Yeah, can be, but I reckon if setup properly don't have to be. I think it's just a matter of setting them up properly.

Back in the day, GM(US) used to use them in their large(C class) vehicles, like Caddies and Buicks and Chevs, etc.
While not an actual hi lift jack, in effect thats what they were. Very easy to use, took up a heap of space in the boot, but keeping in mind that the boots of those old tanks were enormous anyhow!
My dad used to own Caddies, my uncle had a 60-something, Chev.
I remember using it when I was younger one day, very easy to use.

The difference was that those GM "hi lifts" used a nice secure hook attachment on the bumper so that when the jack had the weight of the car on it, there was no way it was moving laterally.
This is the problem of the std hi lift jack ... the vehicle rests on a small "couple inch" lug onto who knows what on the car ... totally stupid idea so of course is made dangerous by default.
But if an insertable pegged or hooked system is used, and not those silly loosey goosey wheel straps! ... the setup can be made secure.

I've mentioned this before, but the old Rover P6 had a similar jack system. The difference being instead of a ratcheting lift setup, it used a gear driven worm screw that you 'cranked', in effect same system just different method of lifting/lowering ... was brilliant, other than size of jack again. And in having a large diameter rod that was inserted into a receiver in the sill, it made a very sturdy, triangulated jacked up car.
Very hard to push it off the jack .. no matter how hard I tried too!

And it should also be noted that the dangerousness of the standard hi lift jack can also be one of it's advantages too, in that if your car has been stuck the flimsy nature of the way it lifts the car could be a handy way to move it out of a bogged situation.

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Agree with all of the above. Those bumper jacks were common here as well. quick, efficient, and no getting under like you do with scissor or bottle jacks.
It's like anything though. A pair of hobby scissors is bloody dangerous in the wrong hands. HLJs can be used in many ways, and are a handy bit of kit in some situations.
Without care, and an understanding of mass and leverage, they can be widow makers.


I have two ( still ) as one came with the D1, and the other came with a magazine ( remember them? ) subscription years ago.

Interesting discussion re the highlifts but somewhat off topic!!

As to the merits of the D2 and D2a versus the Patrol, both capable without doubt and both have merits.

The TD5 as an engine is for mine a standout, easy to upgrade and produces good performance off road.

Wouldn't discount the Auto by the way, the way the gearbox operates in low range and M is for mine a strength of the D2. Came from the TDi manual which I loved as well and can say that the auto loses nothing in comparison (the extra performance of the TD5 helps of course) when doing tricky sections, in many ways makes it easier with ultra slow speed sections.

You will also see on this forum plenty of discussion regarding the rear air suspension SLS and as to whether this is a merit or not. Again for mine, the ability to increase the height of the rear whilst on difficult tracks and then the ultra lift if stuck, this with improving the superior ride already inherent in the D2. The Patrol will never ride as comfortably as a D2. The bags are a service item and not intended to last the life of the vehicle as with any other air suspended vehicle.

Yes. The auto, if looked after, is good. I would prefer it to carry more oil, either through a bigger cooler or an enlarged sump, as a lot of issues seem to be caused by overheating. I have a D2 TD5 auto, and a D1 300TDi manual. Although my D2 was never intended to see much serious 4WD work, and the D1 is something of a bush truck, thee is no doubt in my mind that the TD5 auto is a superior off road combination, with torque and control so much easier to implement.

Yes to SLS as well. In the early days of my ownership of mine, I would often be dismayed to return to the car to find it sitting on the bump stops. A local indie convinced me to replace it with coils ( before I had heard of AULRO, let alone a nanocom ). Worst thing
I could have done to the car. Once I have gone through the process of reregistering it ( long story ) the SLS will be reinstated. Everything but the airbags still exists, although I'll bet the compressor will need kit. I also would like to source a remote for the height adjustment to facilitate trailer coupling.

My son's Y61, or GU as it is more commonly known, is a great truck. But it is a truck. It's 35" tyres, and the twin lockers he fitted, make it more capable off road. But you can do that to a D2 if you must. I will be driving to Brisbane soonish. I would take the D2 over the Patrol anytime, and it will go wherever I need it to. If I go off road with my son, I'll take the D1 with it's 33s, rear locker and MaxiDrive reduction TC.

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Originally Posted by Tins

Agree with all of the above. Those bumper jacks were common here as well. quick, efficient, and no getting under like you do with scissor or bottle jacks.
It's like anything though. A pair of hobby scissors is bloody dangerous in the wrong hands. HLJs can be used in many ways, and are a handy bit of kit in some situations.
Without care, and an understanding of mass and leverage, they can be widow makers.


I have two ( still ) as one came with the D1, and the other came with a magazine ( remember them? ) subscription years ago.

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I have heard of the dangers of HLJs and have used them extensively while working in africa, just not sure on reasonable alternatives, though i know they exist.