Thread: Anyone put a TD5 into a S2a?

Originally Posted by JDNSW

I assume that you have both the Series and the Discos on hand. Have a look at where the steering track rod is on the Disco, and compare this with the leaf spring position on the Series. Solutions that have been used include getting hold of a LHD right swivel housing and putting the track rod in front, with the drag link onto the track rod - some Jap models do this, so parts can be found, space the springs well below the axle housing - simplest, but reduces ground clearance - OK for a hotrod, but hardly suitable for a four wheel drive, various ways of having a track rod that is not straight but has at least four bends - simple, but very unlikely to get engineering approval.

John

I do have both the Series and the Disco. Another thought I had was running leaf springs on the rear end and seeing if its possible to install the coil mounts on the front of the chassis. This would get around the steering issue. My brother-in-law is a professional welder so no problem there just not sure if this would be allowed. I'd assume I'd have to weld in appropriate brackets for the trailing arms as well.


Cheers,


Baden.

Originally Posted by JDNSW

Yes, this is probably the most satisfactory way of making use of the Discovery running gear. I would expect that there would be no issues getting it engineered, as long as the spring and radius arm mounts were done properly. Note that the front axle on Series Landrovers is about four inches further forward than it is on a Defender, which is likely to have some ramifications, such as a custom front prop shaft. You may have some difficulty fitting the engine and accessories in the engine bay and keeping the original front - moving the grille forward to the same as a Stage 1/Defender would make things easier (and you could use a bonnet off one of these, but you probably want to keep it looking as close to original as possible.

John

Thanks again. I'll be making contact with an engineer in the coming week and take things from there. I was hoping to keep the original front but will gladly make changes if needed to get the TD5 fitted.


This is not going to be a quick job by any stretch. My aim is to have it on the road by end of May next year.