Thread: D3 Fraser Island disappointment

hi all,

recently returned from a trip to fraser island 3rd time there, first in a D2, second time 10yrs ago in a D2a and now a D3 TdV6 coil sprung not air suspension.

got to rainbow beach and got barge across, cruising along the beach all good, small amount of undercarriage rubbing but no big deal.
first pic on barge with others and the picture should become obvious why my trip was problematic. put simply ground clearance. while working around and checking out all other 4x4's on the island the area i focused on was the clearance in 3 key areas,

1. tallness of tyres,
2. gap between tyre and mudguard
3. diff or rear bumper clearance from ground.

what become obvious was these 3 factors excelled against my std susp D3. the trip across from east to west of island, i managed to get bogged 3 times on very soft deeper rutted sections. to compensate i needed to hit the sand faster to make up for the poor clearance. i would of preferred a much smoother and slower ride across the island but this would of led to more bogs.

pic 2 on the island cruising.

which brings me to my question - how do i compete with the poor clearance issues. would a 2inch lift really help - 40-55mm lift? how can i get better clearance under the vehicle. when bogged the complete undercarriage was resting on sand. my thoughts are i need taller tyres yet cannot fit them under the guards unless a lift is installed. so body and susp lift needed?

pic 3 shows how low this std vehicle is. there were other older cruises around with spare tyre located in same position as D3 and would of struggled in places. even removing the spare i dont think would have helped completely. 2inch susp lift would of helped somewhat but dont think this is the complete answer either. air susp D3 am not interested in. how do the toy.. and nissa... do it. i dont want extreme 4inch lifts either.

how do i achieve a D3 susp or body lift. not sure body lift available or permitted either.

pic 4 - what a lovelly beast, not a landy but close a jeep 1941. air in tyres down to 8psi, some serious rubber, elderly couple/owner have traveled simpson desert. so simple yet perfect for fraser, would of hated the drive on the highway though.

btw - my tyres were 18 inch and had them down to 20psi then 18psi. can i get taller size tyres that i can fit to lift the undercarriage of the D3. i imagine i would then need a susp lift to open the space between the tyre and guard.

2inch lifts are available for D3 but this will not alter the undercarriage clearance just the available space between top of tyre and guard? what would i need? please don't say a air susp D3 or D4. thx

i think a air susp Disco raises to maximum of 55mm or so? true, equal to a 2inch lift? cheers

is it difficult to enter the cabin in extended mode at 90mm above std height?

my tyres are 30.5inch according to tyre calculator, would you go to a 32 inch tyre to get some much needed lift. don't forget as your lower the psi in sand, you lose height. that was another dilemma, needing clearance you would want as much air in your tyres but as i reduced the air i also lost clearance.