I was born in a hospital a few miles away from where your Disco was born. When I was a kid my uncle brought a prototype Discovery home and one of my first memories was going for a drive in it. It's so cool to see people over the pond enjoying these vehicles. They get a bad rep because they're not as familiar to work on as domestic stuff like Jeeps, but if you look after them they're great.
Hi mate, solihull hospital by any chance.. same here. I still dont live to far from there and i now rebuild classic landrovers fulltime. i must have it in my blood
Got a 96 discovery 1 recently and fell in love instantly. I'm never getting rid of this rig. There's so many jeeps over here, I like having something more unique and quirky.
I'm going to echo the others. Beautiful video. Apparently no one is an expert welder...because no one seems to ever comment on my welding either! I tell the viewers of my videos I'm not a welder and tips are welcome....
What a great first video of yours for the algorithm to gift me with! You deserve more subs - nice relaxing style, good camera work, editing etc.. and a non-rusty Disco? I didn't think those existed!
Welcome, and thank you. The Disco is non-rusty where it counts (the chassis), but the body has a couple spots where the terrible OEM floor insulation held water for years.
As a fan of pizza cutters (running 255/85r16s myself) and a narrow silhouette for a 4x4 in general - especially the vintage ones - i like the look without spacers and fender flares. Although i am a little sad that the 255s are gone but can totally understand the size upgrade. I just wish they would make more skinny 35s (radial, not that aggressive and 10.5" wide would be ace) AND also sell them in Europe.
So as you can probably tell, I tend to agonize over these decisions more than most, and in my research, I found these Maxxis Klevers in a 35x10.5x17. Trouble is finding a 17" wheel in 5x165mm. But that may be a good starting point for you, if they're available where you are. simpletire.com/paid?brand=kenda&itemId=180454&mpn=601015&productLine=klever-r-t-kr601&tireSize=lt35-10.50r-17&v=1®ion_id=1000109999&G_Shopping_Region_04&hsa_acc=2136589202&hsa_cam=6452853052&hsa_grp=&hsa_ad=&hsa_src=x&hsa_tgt=&hsa_kw=&hsa_mt=&hsa_net=adwords&hsa_ver=3&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjw-r-vBhC-ARIsAGgUO2DyU_XMGczaPje6rN4964QWBiACr-bFJObFxLFTxH8WJ7-WoHbw6D4aAqZKEALw_wcB&delivery=Del5
@@tfrasca Thank you for the advise. Unfortunately Kenda tires are not really a thing in Europe/Germany and this size is not available. The only tire i can find right now which is not retreaded is the CST Landdragon diagonal tire from Asia. This is designed for the rainforest and would look amazing but probably drive like a bag of marbles.
Thoroughly enjoyed the video. Please do more. Love the look both on 255/85 and 35s. Personally I’d stay close to stock and have run pizza cutters for more than a decade now. I’ve found keeping things simple is best for me..
I appreciate that, thanks. Keeping it simple with skinny 33's is almost definitely the smarter option, but sometimes I get something in my head and am powerless against it. There's no denying how capable my Disco was with the 255s.
Looks good mate! I would advise against flares, that’s the one thing I regret doing to mine. The good thing about these discos is you can adapt them for whatever you want. Mine is more of a gentle off roader. Also I love the spots on the front 👍
Man, that's interesting to hear from someone who's done the flairs and regrets it. To be honest, I could probably come around to liking the shape of the flairs, but it's mainly the exposed bolts and hacking the rear door that turns me off. For what it's worth, I think your D1 looks fantastic.
So glad i just found your channel, I have a 96 that has just been sitting cause i have no idea of what to do to it and every thing I’ve found on YT has been UK based…. Now i have a US based channel to source info and how to’s….. Thanks
I just bought a disco that I am about to build. Last year I built an Isuzu trooper and it took me two years. It has been fun. Thank you for making these videos. It gives me ideas and solutions to problems that I know I’m going to run into. Great content. Also, keep killing it!
@@TJackSurvival As of right now it has RTE +3" springs and 1" spacers, Terrafirma +2" shocks, an RTE A-arm extension, and the custom trailing arms I made in this video.
For what it’s worth, without those spring isolators the springs will squeak like crazy. It took me a while to figure it out but mine were just worn down and the steel on steel noise was so annoying any time it flexed or I went over a bump
Oh that's good info, thanks. They haven't made it all the way to the trash can yet, so I'll plan on tossing them back in. Do you have them on the front, too? Mine didn't have any on the front when I got it, and I always wondered why.
I am a big fan of skinny 33s so I thought I was going to hate this, but it looks a lot better than I thought. Hard to argue against performance vs looks as well.
That’s good to hear, thanks. I did a poll on my channel a few months back and the overwhelming majority preferred skinny 33s. So I’ve been waiting for the onslaught of hate.
@tfrasca142 As long s As your happy the rest doesn’t matter. That's the tough part about 16s. 17s offers a lot more options in between the two. 285 75 R17s or even a couple 35 x 10s
@@mikemorton0I've never found a real life scenario where Skinny's actually work better it is all either preference or theoretical. It's like someone says well look they made it and so that means they're good. But I have found scenarios where a little lighter actually puts more rubber on the ground like rock crawling. I've never had a case where 11.5 + width was too wide and making it slide and not catch traction where a skinny would have been more narrow and cut in and cut traction. The whole Theory makes sense but in real life it just doesn't seem to be the case. I can't go right through super super deep sand with wide tires and the Disco goes fast and easy and up Sandy Hills but it doesn't dig in as much as a skinny sometimes will. I think it's just a nostalgic thing that people hold on to and then try and justify it. That's why there's no professional racing with skinnies in any type of off-road category
Man awesome job with all that! 100% agree fender flares or hacking up the stock fender line will indeed take away from the look of a disco. I wonder what small lip fenders running the inner edge of the fenders would look like. Similar to a FJ Cruiser, I'm sure it would help a lot with tire spray and kickups.
Thank you! I've thought about those little lip fender extensions, and I don't think it would look bad at all. The issue with clearance is mostly up and down though. As it sits now, the tires only poke out from the fender 3/4" or so, so the spray doesn't seem too bad. Time will tell how this all shakes out though.
only thing I would recommend is on critical components is preheating to 180 degrees F. to 350 after welding wrap in a welding blanket or bury in sand to allow material to cool slowly if your going to spend time fabricating all the mounts don't waste time with mild steel look into chromoly sheets between. 080 to .125 is plenty strong and rear lowers axles side I would wrap a sheet of material around as a fail safe if the threaded sleeve isn't a tight fit do some rosette welds to limit movement without the slight movement of a few thousands can cause cracks in the welds nice build I recently hopped to the dark side on a disco 1 after 15 years and 400k on a 80 series landcruiser i don't wanna pay the current Toyota tax
Thanks for the welding tips! I hadn't even thought of using chromoly. I've welded stainless before, but never 4130. I assume it's pretty similar to stainless? The threaded insert on the joint end was a pretty tight fit, but I am wishing I had done a plug weld. I was super stressed about distorting the threads though. Congrats on the D1, and I hear you about the Toyota tax. Like I told someone else here that I would have an 80 series if I could afford one.
@@tfrasca 4130 is similar to regular steel to weld on threaded ends brass bolts are what I use then chase it with a tap slower cooling helps limit distortions to
Thanks. I plan on doing a follow when I can hit some trails. I’ll add my comments on MT02 vs KM3, but 315 vs 255 makes it an apples to oranges comparison.
I have the same setup on my 97 D-1 and running 33 but would like to go to 35's I would like to see if they is any rubbing on the rear doors when you do some more difficult wheeling. Great video
You asked for critique on welding so I’m really nit picking for this comment and I’m 100% not hating because it’s awesome seeing supporting mods being done. I personally wouldn’t blow cold air on that weld, I’d let it cool down slowly in its own time. You’ll probably be okay, but quickly cooling welded metal can cause brittleness and fractures.
Thanks! Oh, engineering knowledge might be a stretch. I’m just adept at googling stuff I want to know. I work as a graphic designer for a bicycle company. Never had the math chops for professional engineering.
That’s cool to hear, thanks. I’m a graphic designer by trade, but I’ve been interested in cars since I got my license. I learned all the basics out of necessity. All my cars have been relatively old, and I’ve had to maintain them myself. The fabrication stuff is still kind of new to me, in the last five years or so. I’ve learned what I kind mostly by watching others and trial and error.
Very nice work. I'm road tripping my Disco 1 up to Portland from LA beginning of April if you have some trails (or want to hit them) you can recommend?@@tfrasca
I haven't even done a full tank yet, so I'm not sure. Also, I need to calculate how far off the speedo and odometer are. I had it figured out with the old tires and gears, and the bigger tires bring it closer to accurate, but not quite. I anticipate a slight drop, since these tires are massive compared to the skinnies.
On my range rover classic I also went from a 255/85R16 To. 315/75R16. Got a 2 inch body lift and 2 inch springs. Wheel arches have also been cut. I dont have fender flairs as i dont like the look. My wheel arches look stock to the untrained eye though.
This is what I hope to do if needed. I just watched some of your videos. Nice RRC. I love those, and would absolutely have one if I could afford a nice one.
I take it your wheels have a different offset to standard? I'm running 32s on stock alloys and, although I had no clearance problems due to articulation, the steering tie-rod rubbed quite badly on the tyres at full lock. I went for the quick-fix and used 30mm spacers. Solved the problem with tyres rubbing and allowed me to increase the steering lock usefully. I haven't had any problems with wheel bearings or steering box (yet) but I try to have a bit of mechanical sympathy when driving; avoiding steering until the wheels are turning etc.
Yes, my wheels have 0 mm offset, so your stock +33 mm wheels with a 30 mm spacer are almost the same as mine now. Unfortunately, I think I may have to add spacers to mine too. I really wanted to avoid using spacers, which will probably necessitate cutting the fenders more, but I may have to.
I too have a D1 that needs the ball joint on A arm replaced, but I haven't been able to find a greaseable on that isn't already mounted. Where did you get yours from? Thanks.
What I find about skinnies is that the guys who like them like them because of either the look, the theory about why they're better or because they have them and they work and they've never tried wider and since they work they think they are the best but I honestly have felt both and a little wider is way better. 11.5- 12.5 . They just make it through everything. I've never seen any professionals doing anything from rock crawling to Mud to sand on a skinny
I fully agree. And I admit that tall skinnies look “right” on a disco is a period correct way. But so far the 315s have outperformed the 255s at everything. Except maybe fuel mileage but I haven’t noticed a big difference there.
@@tfrasca plus look at a dirt bike if you compare the power to weight ratio of a dirt bike and how wide the rear tire is it is absurdly wide and works out
@@tfrasca sweet yeah I plan on doing that after the suspension! I just don't know how to properly install the pinion gear after changing things out. I know you have to get it set just right but I just can't find any instruction that actually explains in depth how to measure properly and what the measurement needs to be. There's a video of a guy in England doing it but he talks kind of fast and he just keeps adding shims until he reaches some number that he wants to reach but I don't know where he got that number from that's what my problem is. It'd be nice if there is some sort of instruction with illustrations from like a side view showing the exact height written out and what tool measures it and what shims for example would get to that height and how to measure what yours is ahead of time and how to match it. I know you did it so I guess I'm just curious how the heck did you figure it out? I just don't want it to work out prematurely with the improper lash tension. And I'm not about to pay lucky 8 to build me one. I could just order the gears and the Locker myself. I have front and rear third members from a parts truck that I could put on a bench and do without even taking mine apart until those are ready I just don't know what the hell to do
Great video. As a person who has used AutoCAD for a long time. How would you use Paint to make a pattern to scale? Im curious because I dont have an AutoCAD licence anymore and being able to draw to scale in paint would be sweet!
Thanks. To be honest, I haven’t actually used Paint for this, and I’ve had Macs for decades. I was under the impression that there’s a ruler function in Paint though. Maybe I’m wrong about that…
It's a concern, for sure. My tires aren't nearly as heavy as yours, but I could see a Defender caliper upgrade in my future. I also have some extended stainless brake lines to install. I don't think they'll help with breaking power, but they should at least give it a firmer pedal. Do you have plans to upgrade your brakes?
@@tfrasca I am experimenting now. My D1 has ABS which means a particular master cylinder. The car has the large, Defender 110 callipers front and rear. Braking is not good enough. A recommendation was to fit the Disco frt calipers to the rear. It didn’t work. The master cylinder does not push enough fluid to properly apply the pads. No pedal pressure. I think the std master cylinder is marginal for Defender calipers. I will now try Defender lge frt calipers with Disco rear…less fluid needed so could mean pads are squeezed tighter onto the rotors. Also will try Disco frt calipers on frt and Defender rr..again, should be more pedal pressure. I simply cannot justify the expense of fancy Brembo or whatever 6pot and 4pot calipers, with no guarantee that they will be any better. Your evolution of the Disco is excellent; logical, measured, intelligent.
Watching you compress the coil sideways really gave me anxiety 😅 and isolators are really important bro they’ll get rid of coil squishy sounds as the coil springs extends.
Yeah, I knew I was making a time bomb of kinetic energy with that thing, but I had struggled with it for long enough at that point. And I haven't noticed any difference without those rear isolators. I'll probably put them back in next time I take the springs out though.
Hey bro how much did he charge you for the RTE springs? I was going to use Simon for my suspension but turned out to be $7,000 LOL so I went with the Terra Firma 4 in and the adjustable shocks with no sway bars and the Johnny Joint 6° Castor correction radius arms. They are pretty sweet with greasable roller joints. Anyways I spent like 3600 total and I was honestly kind of offended by the RTE being upwards of $7,000. I mean everyone says oh it's tougher and I'm like yeah but gosh even if the Terra Firma can last me a few years what's the worst new shocks or better springs? That doesn't make up for the difference from 3600 to 7,000 even close
Yeah his prices are completely outrageous. Springs were $500! And the fact that you have to call him to get a quote is wild. High quality stuff, for sure, but a bit over priced I’d say.
@@tfrasca LOL yeah I feel like he changes the price over the phone. He just upgraded his website but it really is pretty much still incomplete at the same time as far as just having options to select and purchase
@@tfrasca hey so I can't remember what you said you used to have but I ordered the Terra Firma 4 inch lift from lucky 8 and I was a little disappointed to find that they used the 2-inch Springs and then 2 inch spacers. The kit really doesn't say that. I guess 4-in Springs aren't really available outside of RTE are they? I mean I will go with the lucky 8 stuff I mean it'll still be better than o m e 2-in to get full Flex with my extended lines and sensors running no sway bars but still it's kind of annoying. But anyway is RTE the only 4-inch Springs actually available do you think ??
@@ronaldrrootiii6040 actually the RTE 4” springs are just 3” plus spacers as well. I already had terrafirma 2” springs with spacers, so I just ordered the 3” ones from RTE.
Narrow at low pressure performs better off road, but if it's not doing anything crazy it probably won't even matter. May notice that it's not as easy going on softer surfaces as the narrow tires at lower pressures but it likely won't stop you. Just saying. Looks mint though
@@tfrasca I am open to being wrong but it's the idea is that you lengthen the track rather than widen it. The real performance gain off-road comes from having a longer track with less resistance rather than a wider track which would push rather than cut. I believe the reason why tanks use tracks is due to the longer footprint having a much better benefit than having a wider track. Try it on sand or something soft like sand and see how it goes, it's been my experience that narrow tires aired down feel a lot nicer and smoother due to cutting through the sand rather than pushing it.
@@rbnpckrng It's an eternal debate and I don't expect to change anybody's mind, but I'm squarely in the wider camp, at least when it comes to snow/sand or any other bottomless soft surface. I hear people talk about their skinnies 'cutting through' the snow to get a grip and think "where are you wheeling?" For me, in the Sierra, there is no bottom to cut down to, so floatation is the only thing that works. I run a 39.5x13.50-15 Irok on my Disco and in the snow run it around 3 psi. It works extremely well in deep, soft snow. Certainly not the most street friendly tire and I don't actually like it in rock as much as my past Pitbulls, but in snow it's amazing. Plenty of friends on skinnies who just plain sink right to the frame. Probably the most extreme example of this would be Iceland and the Artic Trucks guys. They go full balloon. Useless in the rock I spend most of my time in of course but it makes a definite example.
I've found wide tires offer good floatation on soft ground, but here in snow country, a tall skinny tire with lots of biting edges is far better. The wider tire trucks are the first to skid off the road. I find my truck handles better with skinny tires. It's a fashion statement to run wide tires. That's what fueled my desire for wide summer season tires. It was for looks
@@mainebigfoothunter7088 "skid off the road" - I think we've found the issue here. You're talking about a road with a little snow on it where a skinny tire can find a hard bottom. I would agree that in that situation a skinny can work. But in deep snow there is no bottom, hence the need for wide tires and floatation.
I'm still kind of assessing that, but it doesn't seem like the trailing arm joints have introduced any new vibration or noise. I have a tiny bit of driveshaft vibration while accelerating from 20-45 mph, but I think that is from the front driveshaft. But honestly, it's very close to how it was before all this work. I'm going to do motor mounts (which are shot) and an adjustable panhard bar next.
They are! It's crazy. I have +4" ones in a box in the garage, but I haven't needed them yet. That's not to say they haven't been at or near their limit, but they haven't failed. I plan to install the longer ones in the next round of mods.
And advantages on regear gone😂 Looks cool, but Youcjust create a lot of rolling resistance. And need new spare tire holder arm. Way more clever would be body lift, You will maintain low centre of gravity, proper suspension angles higher mounted radiator (cooling and bleeding advantages, and ability to clean frane and wotk under car easier.
I wouldn't say the advantages are gone. 4.37 with 35" tires is still a lower ratio than the stock 3.54 with a 29" tire. I already have an adapter on the spare tire holder that should let me put a 35" tire back there, I just need a new wheel and tire. And if it doesn't fit, I'm happy to make a new spare tire holder. As for the body lift, you're right about that. I thought a lot about it, and decided not to because I didn't want to have a gap between the body and the bumpers. I could fix that, but I couldn't think of a way to make it look good. I think the ideal way to do a 4" lift is 2" in the suspension and 2" in the body. But anyway, thanks for the feedback!
Was waiting for someone to comment on that. There's a pin hole in the center muffler, and that was condensation dumping out of it. Not saying it doesn't leak some oil and some ATF, but that leak is just water in the exhaust.
patagonias should NEVER be louder than a KM3. You aren't running enough air in them. They should be silent on the road. If you run them with too little air in them you'll end up with chopped up tires and drastically reduced tread life. Try chalking them. Ideally when highway driving you want to only be driving on the center lugs. Which is why they are silent. It's a crowned tire I think is the term. I think this is interesting. I have a 94 LandCruiser 80 and I currently have a 3" lift with 35x12.5/17s. And I'm considering going down to 255/85/16s and perhaps a 2" lift. So the exact opposite of what you have done.
Interesting. I have been running them at 30-32 psi on the road, and it does seem like they're mainly running on the center lugs. I can chalk them to be sure, but after pulling into the carport from the rain, the tracks only show the centers of the tires. I'll mess with that some more though, thanks for the feedback. Also, I love 80 series Cruisers. I definitely would have gotten one over the Disco if I could afford it. Curious why you are downsizing the lift and tires? Looking for a lower center of gravity?
I’d love to. Just hard to balance relatively high effort videos, a full-time job, a family, and staying healthy. If I figure it out, a weekly video schedule is my goal.
I'm trying to stay strong. It's looking like I'm going to need to at least cut the fenders more. I also have spacers and flares in the garage, just in case. It's hard not to want to take the easy route...
@@tfrasca This is pretty old now, but fwiw when I ran "small" (35") tires on my D1 I ran stock D2 flares with some trimming. It was pretty tame as far as looks go. Having moved up in tire size a couple times I looked for off-the-shelf flare options that would help with tire clearance but what I found I most of them do very little to accommodate more clearance and instead just add width. Helpful if you have tire coverage laws to deal with but not much help for running large tires. In my last round of build updates I ended up building my own tube flares and armor. Not the answer most are looking for but it will get you the clearance for more tire.
@@donhappel9566 Do you have the red one with no top? Your name looks familiar, and if that's you, I love that truck! I'm really hoping that I can remain happy with these tires, but if I ever feel the need to step up to 37 or bigger, the custom tube flare route is really cool.
You know, you're not wrong. I got this Land Rover DISCOvery for $2800 and it came with a second, identical one. So pretty cheap. Out of curiosity, what do you drive?
I was born in a hospital a few miles away from where your Disco was born. When I was a kid my uncle brought a prototype Discovery home and one of my first memories was going for a drive in it.
It's so cool to see people over the pond enjoying these vehicles. They get a bad rep because they're not as familiar to work on as domestic stuff like Jeeps, but if you look after them they're great.
I’d rather have an old Land Rover than a Jeep any day. Especially over here, where Jeeps are EVERYWHERE.
Hi mate, solihull hospital by any chance.. same here. I still dont live to far from there and i now rebuild classic landrovers fulltime. i must have it in my blood
Got a 96 discovery 1 recently and fell in love instantly. I'm never getting rid of this rig. There's so many jeeps over here, I like having something more unique and quirky.
I'm going to echo the others. Beautiful video.
Apparently no one is an expert welder...because no one seems to ever comment on my welding either! I tell the viewers of my videos I'm not a welder and tips are welcome....
awesome video dude! the fab work is cool to see, and hear your process.
Thanks, Patrick!
Awesome welds by the way! Well done.
What a great first video of yours for the algorithm to gift me with! You deserve more subs - nice relaxing style, good camera work, editing etc.. and a non-rusty Disco? I didn't think those existed!
Welcome, and thank you. The Disco is non-rusty where it counts (the chassis), but the body has a couple spots where the terrible OEM floor insulation held water for years.
Great work on the trailing arms! Awesome video mate
Thanks, glad you enjoyed it!
As a fan of pizza cutters (running 255/85r16s myself) and a narrow silhouette for a 4x4 in general - especially the vintage ones - i like the look without spacers and fender flares.
Although i am a little sad that the 255s are gone but can totally understand the size upgrade. I just wish they would make more skinny 35s (radial, not that aggressive and 10.5" wide would be ace) AND also sell them in Europe.
So as you can probably tell, I tend to agonize over these decisions more than most, and in my research, I found these Maxxis Klevers in a 35x10.5x17. Trouble is finding a 17" wheel in 5x165mm. But that may be a good starting point for you, if they're available where you are. simpletire.com/paid?brand=kenda&itemId=180454&mpn=601015&productLine=klever-r-t-kr601&tireSize=lt35-10.50r-17&v=1®ion_id=1000109999&G_Shopping_Region_04&hsa_acc=2136589202&hsa_cam=6452853052&hsa_grp=&hsa_ad=&hsa_src=x&hsa_tgt=&hsa_kw=&hsa_mt=&hsa_net=adwords&hsa_ver=3&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjw-r-vBhC-ARIsAGgUO2DyU_XMGczaPje6rN4964QWBiACr-bFJObFxLFTxH8WJ7-WoHbw6D4aAqZKEALw_wcB&delivery=Del5
@@tfrasca Thank you for the advise. Unfortunately Kenda tires are not really a thing in Europe/Germany and this size is not available. The only tire i can find right now which is not retreaded is the CST Landdragon diagonal tire from Asia. This is designed for the rainforest and would look amazing but probably drive like a bag of marbles.
Oh, bummer. I agree that you probably don't want a Land Dragon for anything that sees regular road use. @@t0nit04
255/100r16 aka 9x16 is a 36-37” skinny. Michelin is still making them in their xzl but are quite pricey. Dozen different Chinese knockoffs though
Thoroughly enjoyed the video. Please do more. Love the look both on 255/85 and 35s. Personally I’d stay close to stock and have run pizza cutters for more than a decade now. I’ve found keeping things simple is best for me..
I appreciate that, thanks. Keeping it simple with skinny 33's is almost definitely the smarter option, but sometimes I get something in my head and am powerless against it. There's no denying how capable my Disco was with the 255s.
Looks good mate! I would advise against flares, that’s the one thing I regret doing to mine.
The good thing about these discos is you can adapt them for whatever you want. Mine is more of a gentle off roader. Also I love the spots on the front 👍
Man, that's interesting to hear from someone who's done the flairs and regrets it. To be honest, I could probably come around to liking the shape of the flairs, but it's mainly the exposed bolts and hacking the rear door that turns me off. For what it's worth, I think your D1 looks fantastic.
@@tfrasca I don’t mind the look of them to be honest but once you cut the arches you can’t go back
So glad i just found your channel, I have a 96 that has just been sitting cause i have no idea of what to do to it and every thing I’ve found on YT has been UK based…. Now i have a US based channel to source info and how to’s….. Thanks
Welcome!
Dude. This is next-level!
I just bought a disco that I am about to build. Last year I built an Isuzu trooper and it took me two years. It has been fun. Thank you for making these videos. It gives me ideas and solutions to problems that I know I’m going to run into. Great content. Also, keep killing it!
That's rad! Let me know how it works out. Also, I love Troopers. I was shopping for them when I found my Disco. Was yours a 1st or 2nd gen?
@@tfrascago search Survival Dispatch Trooper. That’s my trooper. I might sell it and just build the disco. We’ll see
2nd gen. Do you have a parts list you used for the lift kit?
@@TJackSurvival As of right now it has RTE +3" springs and 1" spacers, Terrafirma +2" shocks, an RTE A-arm extension, and the custom trailing arms I made in this video.
D1 look so good without the flares, great video
I agree, and thanks!
Love the vid and the head pop at 4:01 😂😂. 👌
For what it’s worth, without those spring isolators the springs will squeak like crazy. It took me a while to figure it out but mine were just worn down and the steel on steel noise was so annoying any time it flexed or I went over a bump
Oh that's good info, thanks. They haven't made it all the way to the trash can yet, so I'll plan on tossing them back in. Do you have them on the front, too? Mine didn't have any on the front when I got it, and I always wondered why.
That’s some great skills on display.
Thanks!
Spring compressors are always a big pucker factor for me haha. Love the video
Same. So much potential for disaster.
I think it looks AWESOME!!
Love watching these videos...wish I has 1/3rd of your skill/knowledge. Those welds were clean - beautiful dimes.
Thanks!
Looks great thanks for the time and energy ❤
I am a big fan of skinny 33s so I thought I was going to hate this, but it looks a lot better than I thought. Hard to argue against performance vs looks as well.
That’s good to hear, thanks. I did a poll on my channel a few months back and the overwhelming majority preferred skinny 33s. So I’ve been waiting for the onslaught of hate.
@tfrasca142 As long s
As your happy the rest doesn’t matter. That's the tough part about 16s. 17s offers a lot more options in between the two. 285 75 R17s or even a couple 35 x 10s
Yeah, I was looking at the Maxxis 35x10.5x17, but finding 17" wheels was difficult. @@mikemorton0
@@mikemorton0I've never found a real life scenario where Skinny's actually work better it is all either preference or theoretical. It's like someone says well look they made it and so that means they're good. But I have found scenarios where a little lighter actually puts more rubber on the ground like rock crawling. I've never had a case where 11.5 + width was too wide and making it slide and not catch traction where a skinny would have been more narrow and cut in and cut traction. The whole Theory makes sense but in real life it just doesn't seem to be the case. I can't go right through super super deep sand with wide tires and the Disco goes fast and easy and up Sandy Hills but it doesn't dig in as much as a skinny sometimes will. I think it's just a nostalgic thing that people hold on to and then try and justify it. That's why there's no professional racing with skinnies in any type of off-road category
@@ronaldrrootiii6040 What? Professional racers do use skinnies. In dakar rally, for example, also WRC cars come with pretty skinny wheels at 205.
I own a d2, which I love, but there's something about a d1 without flares and spacers 👌 I like it a lot 🖖
Man awesome job with all that! 100% agree fender flares or hacking up the stock fender line will indeed take away from the look of a disco. I wonder what small lip fenders running the inner edge of the fenders would look like. Similar to a FJ Cruiser, I'm sure it would help a lot with tire spray and kickups.
Thank you! I've thought about those little lip fender extensions, and I don't think it would look bad at all. The issue with clearance is mostly up and down though. As it sits now, the tires only poke out from the fender 3/4" or so, so the spray doesn't seem too bad. Time will tell how this all shakes out though.
I loved this video. Awesome work.
dude that thing is amazing!! I would run it as is an make improvements as needed! Congrats!
Thanks, that's the plan!
Looks awesome!
only thing I would recommend is on critical components is preheating to 180 degrees F. to 350 after welding wrap in a welding blanket or bury in sand to allow material to cool slowly if your going to spend time fabricating all the mounts don't waste time with mild steel look into chromoly sheets between. 080 to .125 is plenty strong and rear lowers axles side I would wrap a sheet of material around as a fail safe if the threaded sleeve isn't a tight fit do some rosette welds to limit movement without the slight movement of a few thousands can cause cracks in the welds
nice build I recently hopped to the dark side on a disco 1 after 15 years and 400k on a 80 series landcruiser i don't wanna pay the current Toyota tax
Thanks for the welding tips! I hadn't even thought of using chromoly. I've welded stainless before, but never 4130. I assume it's pretty similar to stainless? The threaded insert on the joint end was a pretty tight fit, but I am wishing I had done a plug weld. I was super stressed about distorting the threads though.
Congrats on the D1, and I hear you about the Toyota tax. Like I told someone else here that I would have an 80 series if I could afford one.
@@tfrasca 4130 is similar to regular steel to weld on threaded ends brass bolts are what I use then chase it with a tap slower cooling helps limit distortions to
Pretty cool mods
Beautiful video
Amen brother!
Awesome mate.
Great video. Do another on how this works out and how the Milestar MT02s compare to the KM3.
Thanks. I plan on doing a follow when I can hit some trails. I’ll add my comments on MT02 vs KM3, but 315 vs 255 makes it an apples to oranges comparison.
Great build up ..enjoy
Even better ! 🤙🏼🍻
Love your disco videos dude - super thorough and you give a ton of info through out each step. Curious - what brand are the fog lights you’re running?
Thanks. The lights are Aux Beams. Crazy bright.
I have the same setup on my 97 D-1 and running 33 but would like to go to 35's I would like to see if they is any rubbing on the rear doors when you do some more difficult wheeling. Great video
Hopefully I'll be able to do a follow up when the snow melts a bit. Thanks!
Amazing fab work, well thought out. Car looks good, keep up the videos.
Thanks!
You asked for critique on welding so I’m really nit picking for this comment and I’m 100% not hating because it’s awesome seeing supporting mods being done.
I personally wouldn’t blow cold air on that weld, I’d let it cool down slowly in its own time. You’ll probably be okay, but quickly cooling welded metal can cause brittleness and fractures.
That's a good point, and now that I think about it, seems like common sense. Thanks for the feedback!
Beautiful
Great job👍
Good content
Well done mate! Its nice to see someone work on these cars with a lot of engeneering knowledge as well :) what are you doing workwise?
Thanks!
Oh, engineering knowledge might be a stretch. I’m just adept at googling stuff I want to know. I work as a graphic designer for a bicycle company. Never had the math chops for professional engineering.
Love your videos man. Creative, informative and you got good skills. Whats your background? How do you know all this stuff??
That’s cool to hear, thanks. I’m a graphic designer by trade, but I’ve been interested in cars since I got my license. I learned all the basics out of necessity. All my cars have been relatively old, and I’ve had to maintain them myself. The fabrication stuff is still kind of new to me, in the last five years or so. I’ve learned what I kind mostly by watching others and trial and error.
Very nice work. I'm road tripping my Disco 1 up to Portland from LA beginning of April if you have some trails (or want to hit them) you can recommend?@@tfrasca
I’m curious what the mpg is now and the weight difference those tires made
I haven't even done a full tank yet, so I'm not sure. Also, I need to calculate how far off the speedo and odometer are. I had it figured out with the old tires and gears, and the bigger tires bring it closer to accurate, but not quite. I anticipate a slight drop, since these tires are massive compared to the skinnies.
On my range rover classic I also went from a 255/85R16 To. 315/75R16.
Got a 2 inch body lift and 2 inch springs. Wheel arches have also been cut. I dont have fender flairs as i dont like the look. My wheel arches look stock to the untrained eye though.
This is what I hope to do if needed. I just watched some of your videos. Nice RRC. I love those, and would absolutely have one if I could afford a nice one.
I take it your wheels have a different offset to standard?
I'm running 32s on stock alloys and, although I had no clearance problems due to articulation, the steering tie-rod rubbed quite badly on the tyres at full lock.
I went for the quick-fix and used 30mm spacers.
Solved the problem with tyres rubbing and allowed me to increase the steering lock usefully.
I haven't had any problems with wheel bearings or steering box (yet) but I try to have a bit of mechanical sympathy when driving; avoiding steering until the wheels are turning etc.
Yes, my wheels have 0 mm offset, so your stock +33 mm wheels with a 30 mm spacer are almost the same as mine now. Unfortunately, I think I may have to add spacers to mine too. I really wanted to avoid using spacers, which will probably necessitate cutting the fenders more, but I may have to.
Perfect!. 👌🏼
Well done.
I too have a D1 that needs the ball joint on A arm replaced, but I haven't been able to find a greaseable on that isn't already mounted. Where did you get yours from? Thanks.
I got you: foundry4x4.co.uk/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=207
Great video 👏👏
Thanks!
What have you done about the stopping power On those things, I have a D2 and I have a double pump to stop.
I've done nothing so far, but so far in normal street driving, it stops ok. Are you sure everything is working well on yours? Maybe they need a bleed?
Hi!
Can you post a link to the ball joint adapter, I can’t find it anywhere? Thank you
The A arm extender thing? rtefab.com/product/a-arm-extension/
It’s perfect!
What I find about skinnies is that the guys who like them like them because of either the look, the theory about why they're better or because they have them and they work and they've never tried wider and since they work they think they are the best but I honestly have felt both and a little wider is way better. 11.5- 12.5 . They just make it through everything. I've never seen any professionals doing anything from rock crawling to Mud to sand on a skinny
I fully agree. And I admit that tall skinnies look “right” on a disco is a period correct way. But so far the 315s have outperformed the 255s at everything. Except maybe fuel mileage but I haven’t noticed a big difference there.
@@tfrasca haha yeah fuel economy exactly but at least you got the gears. I'm on 285 75 16 with Factory gearing still.
@@tfrasca plus look at a dirt bike if you compare the power to weight ratio of a dirt bike and how wide the rear tire is it is absurdly wide and works out
@@ronaldrrootiii6040 if you ever do gears, you’ll love the drivability improvement. 4.12s would be perfect for 285s.
@@tfrasca sweet yeah I plan on doing that after the suspension! I just don't know how to properly install the pinion gear after changing things out. I know you have to get it set just right but I just can't find any instruction that actually explains in depth how to measure properly and what the measurement needs to be. There's a video of a guy in England doing it but he talks kind of fast and he just keeps adding shims until he reaches some number that he wants to reach but I don't know where he got that number from that's what my problem is. It'd be nice if there is some sort of instruction with illustrations from like a side view showing the exact height written out and what tool measures it and what shims for example would get to that height and how to measure what yours is ahead of time and how to match it. I know you did it so I guess I'm just curious how the heck did you figure it out? I just don't want it to work out prematurely with the improper lash tension. And I'm not about to pay lucky 8 to build me one. I could just order the gears and the Locker myself. I have front and rear third members from a parts truck that I could put on a bench and do without even taking mine apart until those are ready I just don't know what the hell to do
Soild work dude!!!!
Thanks!
Great editing!
Thanks!
Great video. As a person who has used AutoCAD for a long time. How would you use Paint to make a pattern to scale? Im curious because I dont have an AutoCAD licence anymore and being able to draw to scale in paint would be sweet!
Thanks. To be honest, I haven’t actually used Paint for this, and I’ve had Macs for decades. I was under the impression that there’s a ruler function in Paint though. Maybe I’m wrong about that…
Can we get the pattern for the trailing arm mount?
I just looked through my file storage and apparently I never saved the pattern for this, sorry.
Very nice!!
Thanks!
I will be interested to hear how the std brakes cope. Mine are not very happy on 36" Michelin XZL...a very heavy military tyre.
It's a concern, for sure. My tires aren't nearly as heavy as yours, but I could see a Defender caliper upgrade in my future. I also have some extended stainless brake lines to install. I don't think they'll help with breaking power, but they should at least give it a firmer pedal. Do you have plans to upgrade your brakes?
@@tfrasca I am experimenting now. My D1 has ABS which means a particular master cylinder. The car has the large, Defender 110 callipers front and rear. Braking is not good enough. A recommendation was to fit the Disco frt calipers to the rear. It didn’t work. The master cylinder does not push enough fluid to properly apply the pads. No pedal pressure. I think the std master cylinder is marginal for Defender calipers.
I will now try Defender lge frt calipers with Disco rear…less fluid needed so could mean pads are squeezed tighter onto the rotors. Also will try Disco frt calipers on frt and Defender rr..again, should be more pedal pressure. I simply cannot justify the expense of fancy Brembo or whatever 6pot and 4pot calipers, with no guarantee that they will be any better.
Your evolution of the Disco is excellent; logical, measured, intelligent.
Thi is great art !!
What offset wheels mate and will they be the same as my discovery 2
0mm offset, but Discovery 1 and 2 bolt pattern are very different.
Hey mate, where did you get the rear link relocation block?
That came from rtefab.com.
Hey man great video, out of curiosity what did you train as or what’s your profession?
Thanks. I'm a graphic designer by trade.
Watching you compress the coil sideways really gave me anxiety 😅 and isolators are really important bro they’ll get rid of coil squishy sounds as the coil springs extends.
Yeah, I knew I was making a time bomb of kinetic energy with that thing, but I had struggled with it for long enough at that point. And I haven't noticed any difference without those rear isolators. I'll probably put them back in next time I take the springs out though.
what did you do for the flex joint on the drive shaft that connects to the rear axle?
Oh, mine was converted to a 4-bolt DIN flange before I bought it. I actually forgot that D1s come with the flex joint guibo thing.
Hey bro how much did he charge you for the RTE springs? I was going to use Simon for my suspension but turned out to be $7,000 LOL so I went with the Terra Firma 4 in and the adjustable shocks with no sway bars and the Johnny Joint 6° Castor correction radius arms. They are pretty sweet with greasable roller joints. Anyways I spent like 3600 total and I was honestly kind of offended by the RTE being upwards of $7,000. I mean everyone says oh it's tougher and I'm like yeah but gosh even if the Terra Firma can last me a few years what's the worst new shocks or better springs? That doesn't make up for the difference from 3600 to 7,000 even close
Yeah his prices are completely outrageous. Springs were $500! And the fact that you have to call him to get a quote is wild. High quality stuff, for sure, but a bit over priced I’d say.
@@tfrasca LOL yeah I feel like he changes the price over the phone. He just upgraded his website but it really is pretty much still incomplete at the same time as far as just having options to select and purchase
@@tfrasca hey so I can't remember what you said you used to have but I ordered the Terra Firma 4 inch lift from lucky 8 and I was a little disappointed to find that they used the 2-inch Springs and then 2 inch spacers. The kit really doesn't say that. I guess 4-in Springs aren't really available outside of RTE are they? I mean I will go with the lucky 8 stuff I mean it'll still be better than o m e 2-in to get full Flex with my extended lines and sensors running no sway bars but still it's kind of annoying. But anyway is RTE the only 4-inch Springs actually available do you think ??
@@ronaldrrootiii6040 yeah the lack of a “buy” option is not great.
@@ronaldrrootiii6040 actually the RTE 4” springs are just 3” plus spacers as well. I already had terrafirma 2” springs with spacers, so I just ordered the 3” ones from RTE.
Amazing work ! Really nice car I miss my D1
But 255/85r16 is more of a 33ish Tire ?
Thanks! Yeah, the old tires were 255/85r16 (33") and the new ones are 315/75r16 (35ish").
Narrow at low pressure performs better off road, but if it's not doing anything crazy it probably won't even matter. May notice that it's not as easy going on softer surfaces as the narrow tires at lower pressures but it likely won't stop you. Just saying. Looks mint though
So far, my experience has been that the wider tires allow pressure perform better than my narrow tires did at low pressure.
@@tfrasca I am open to being wrong but it's the idea is that you lengthen the track rather than widen it. The real performance gain off-road comes from having a longer track with less resistance rather than a wider track which would push rather than cut. I believe the reason why tanks use tracks is due to the longer footprint having a much better benefit than having a wider track. Try it on sand or something soft like sand and see how it goes, it's been my experience that narrow tires aired down feel a lot nicer and smoother due to cutting through the sand rather than pushing it.
@@rbnpckrng It's an eternal debate and I don't expect to change anybody's mind, but I'm squarely in the wider camp, at least when it comes to snow/sand or any other bottomless soft surface. I hear people talk about their skinnies 'cutting through' the snow to get a grip and think "where are you wheeling?" For me, in the Sierra, there is no bottom to cut down to, so floatation is the only thing that works. I run a 39.5x13.50-15 Irok on my Disco and in the snow run it around 3 psi. It works extremely well in deep, soft snow. Certainly not the most street friendly tire and I don't actually like it in rock as much as my past Pitbulls, but in snow it's amazing. Plenty of friends on skinnies who just plain sink right to the frame. Probably the most extreme example of this would be Iceland and the Artic Trucks guys. They go full balloon. Useless in the rock I spend most of my time in of course but it makes a definite example.
I've found wide tires offer good floatation on soft ground, but here in snow country, a tall skinny tire with lots of biting edges is far better. The wider tire trucks are the first to skid off the road. I find my truck handles better with skinny tires.
It's a fashion statement to run wide tires. That's what fueled my desire for wide summer season tires. It was for looks
@@mainebigfoothunter7088 "skid off the road" - I think we've found the issue here. You're talking about a road with a little snow on it where a skinny tire can find a hard bottom. I would agree that in that situation a skinny can work. But in deep snow there is no bottom, hence the need for wide tires and floatation.
So how was it for vibration after all that??
I'm still kind of assessing that, but it doesn't seem like the trailing arm joints have introduced any new vibration or noise. I have a tiny bit of driveshaft vibration while accelerating from 20-45 mph, but I think that is from the front driveshaft. But honestly, it's very close to how it was before all this work. I'm going to do motor mounts (which are shot) and an adjustable panhard bar next.
I weld for a living, have some more confidence in your welds, they look great!
Wow, thanks for saying that!
What size are the wheels?
16x7, 0mm offset. Soon I'll upgrade to a 16x8, to better fit the tires.
❤🔥
Sick
Perfekt
those tires are too tall for the wheel wells, with 35's you need to clearance the arch and run some flares. greetings from Iceland
I’ve trimmed a bunch of the fender out and so far it’s working pretty well without flares.
Why do your brake lines look standard
They are! It's crazy. I have +4" ones in a box in the garage, but I haven't needed them yet. That's not to say they haven't been at or near their limit, but they haven't failed. I plan to install the longer ones in the next round of mods.
And advantages on regear gone😂 Looks cool, but Youcjust create a lot of rolling resistance. And need new spare tire holder arm. Way more clever would be body lift, You will maintain low centre of gravity, proper suspension angles higher mounted radiator (cooling and bleeding advantages, and ability to clean frane and wotk under car easier.
I wouldn't say the advantages are gone. 4.37 with 35" tires is still a lower ratio than the stock 3.54 with a 29" tire. I already have an adapter on the spare tire holder that should let me put a 35" tire back there, I just need a new wheel and tire. And if it doesn't fit, I'm happy to make a new spare tire holder. As for the body lift, you're right about that. I thought a lot about it, and decided not to because I didn't want to have a gap between the body and the bumpers. I could fix that, but I couldn't think of a way to make it look good. I think the ideal way to do a 4" lift is 2" in the suspension and 2" in the body. But anyway, thanks for the feedback!
0:49 it leaks like crazy
Was waiting for someone to comment on that. There's a pin hole in the center muffler, and that was condensation dumping out of it. Not saying it doesn't leak some oil and some ATF, but that leak is just water in the exhaust.
patagonias should NEVER be louder than a KM3. You aren't running enough air in them.
They should be silent on the road. If you run them with too little air in them you'll end up with chopped up tires and drastically reduced tread life.
Try chalking them. Ideally when highway driving you want to only be driving on the center lugs. Which is why they are silent.
It's a crowned tire I think is the term.
I think this is interesting. I have a 94 LandCruiser 80 and I currently have a 3" lift with 35x12.5/17s. And I'm considering going down to 255/85/16s and perhaps a 2" lift. So the exact opposite of what you have done.
Interesting. I have been running them at 30-32 psi on the road, and it does seem like they're mainly running on the center lugs. I can chalk them to be sure, but after pulling into the carport from the rain, the tracks only show the centers of the tires. I'll mess with that some more though, thanks for the feedback. Also, I love 80 series Cruisers. I definitely would have gotten one over the Disco if I could afford it. Curious why you are downsizing the lift and tires? Looking for a lower center of gravity?
The offset fitment with the new setup is PERFECT. Please don’t flare it
more videos more often imo
I’d love to. Just hard to balance relatively high effort videos, a full-time job, a family, and staying healthy. If I figure it out, a weekly video schedule is my goal.
For sure, heard. Great videos, love following along. I have a 2003 disco 2 and I am upgrading it significantly, however not myself.
+
Dude how do you know how to do all this shit?
That’s the thing: I don’t! I just kind of try stuff until it mostly works out.
@@tfrasca you’re way too modest! you are a legend. I was expecting you to say that you are a mechanic by trade.
@@noahl7510Nope, I’m a graphic designer by trade. I just tend to get pretty obsessive with my hobbies. But thanks!
@@tfrasca Freelance? also, are you an 831 native too?
@@noahl7510 I work for Santa Cruz Bicycles. And I've been in Oregon for a few years, after 23 years in SC. You in Santa Cruz?
Great work. Please don't put flares and spacers on it ...
I'm trying to stay strong. It's looking like I'm going to need to at least cut the fenders more. I also have spacers and flares in the garage, just in case. It's hard not to want to take the easy route...
@@tfrasca Use the force. You don't have to install them just because they're there!
@@tfrasca This is pretty old now, but fwiw when I ran "small" (35") tires on my D1 I ran stock D2 flares with some trimming. It was pretty tame as far as looks go. Having moved up in tire size a couple times I looked for off-the-shelf flare options that would help with tire clearance but what I found I most of them do very little to accommodate more clearance and instead just add width. Helpful if you have tire coverage laws to deal with but not much help for running large tires. In my last round of build updates I ended up building my own tube flares and armor. Not the answer most are looking for but it will get you the clearance for more tire.
@@donhappel9566 Do you have the red one with no top? Your name looks familiar, and if that's you, I love that truck! I'm really hoping that I can remain happy with these tires, but if I ever feel the need to step up to 37 or bigger, the custom tube flare route is really cool.
What's a DISCO? This looks like a Cheap car./ Don't waste your money on this car.
Go find Yourself darker place to be😂
You know, you're not wrong. I got this Land Rover DISCOvery for $2800 and it came with a second, identical one. So pretty cheap. Out of curiosity, what do you drive?
Better than 90% American Cars 😂😂😂
@@tfrascahe drives everyone he comes into contact with crazy. And that doesn’t come cheap.
@@tfrasca billy Bob hasn’t responded to your question, I wonder why.