I'm rebuilding a 96 disco 1, heres what I've done: Head liner, Electric heated seats out of a 2002, Rebuilt engine, ( new heads, cams rings,ect..) tranny, replaced head lights, carpet, back seats, front seats, added safari racl very crappy bumper (half brush guard and cut off plastic from stock) Lights on top,and in back buck up and utility above door, new couplings hoses, 

So its basically stock. I want a lift, bumper, tires, (my ac to work and my clock) gas cans and some rock guards and sliders. 

Need ideas on what and where? Heres the catch, I'm poor and want to install if I can.  

 Thats great thanks for the replies!

Yes that picture is in Paradise.

 im not 100% sure how LR suspension is set up, but i will say on Jeeps simply getting the suspension freed up is one of the first things i would do (i dont run sway bars on my TJ, but it does effect on road handling quite a bit as the body rolls allot more and when accelerating there is a fair amount of torque lift). The more all 4 wheels are on the ground the better youll be.

The OME lift will drop more. Fully loaded it should compress just as much as a stock spring. If it isn't going to be fully loaded then he should get medium duty OME springs. If it's never going to be loaded then he can lift it with a puck and still put on the OME shocks.  I'm assuming that he plans to fully load it up as most people on here do extended expedition style travel.

I agree with Ike too. I think we said the same thing, I just broke out what I thought was critical for phase 1. That is, nobody is going on the trail with us w/o a mechanically solid vehcile with front/rear recovery points and a strap. Then I just threw in the diff/steering protection since it is the most vulnerable spot... I'd agree that relocation and HD steering links is preferable to a guard on the D1.

 

My turn to be the contrarian again.  First of all, sit down and really think about what you will honestly be doing in your Disco.  Do you REALLY need a vehicle capable of being winched up the side of Mt. Baker and back down again?  Or are you planning on spending your time primarily on USFS/BLM gravel roads and two tracks?  Where will you be driving, desert country, temperate rainforest, mountains, etc.?  A few of the people on this list push their vehicles to the extreme, most don't.  If you don't believe me, check out the photo albums.  Build your rig to meet your needs, not someone else's.

My suggestion, after over 30 years of doing this type of stuff, would be keep it simple.  Find someone on this list who has already spent a fortune building up their rig(s), and tag along with them on a couple of weekenders.  Find your comfort zone and only start pushing it when you have a bit more experience under your belt.  You don't need all these lists of equipment to start of with; they only add weight and expense.  By going out with someone who already has all this "stuff" you can see what is really being used and what has been added due to the testosterone effect.  There are a lot of Walter Mittys in the world, don't become another one.

Get your Disco up to snuff mechanically and electrically.  Get the camping gear you need.  You sound like you are on a limited budget and are willing to do a lot of work on your own.  Great!  Start by getting a good set of tires, something like a BFG AT that is one size larger than what you presently are running. These tires have a pretty long life and work O.K. on both the daily commute and off-road.  OME and others make a nice 1.5-2" lift that includes heavier duty shocks and springs.  When you have the money, they would be my second step, followed by a set of rock sliders IF you decide that you need them for your style of driving.   Don't overload your rig.  Go out and start having fun with it instead of spending all your time trying to make it look like something the Army Secret Ops use. Dream about that around the world trip, and build up to it slowly.   Unnecessary weight is your enemy.  Rovers get horrible gas mileage already.  More weight means poorer gas mileage.  Compromise.  Learn how to change a tire in the field and locate your tools so that you can get at them easily when they are needed. 

Just get out there and have fun!

Mike,

Interesting... my RTE lift flexes like mad compared to the OME lift I had or stock. I didn't realize OME springs sucked so bad.

I don't think the bushings are what is going to limit a truck's flex w/ only a 2" lift.  So to lift a truck to fit larger tires would you then suggest factory springs for flex, with a spring spacer and OME shocks?

Craig
 

 I do plan on a Heavy load, I more into expedition travel than rock-crawling. I plan to drive to Denali , and down to Zion and Bryce.

I like the bins I've seen on random pics. The ones that are in the back and raise the cargo floor, I have seen a few are they custom built or is there a kit, plans?

Also like the roof-top tent , whats good? 

 2" lift is what I had in mind, so I go with OME, RTE or shocks? I want to call Brent, I'm going down to Portland for my 30th this weekend.

p.s Thanks again for All the replies I need all the advise I can get.

http://www.racktents.com - Todd, here on the forum, is your man for the RTT.

With the weight of an RTT, cargo boxes, maybe a fridge and the like you'll 100% want heavier springs than stock. I hated my RTE 3" springs, but that was mostly a trail truck, and they were the first generation. The later springs like Craig's got are a completely different manufacturer, however, and are much higher quality. With no bumpers, no rack, no tent etc. - 300 lbs/in was stupid stiff for my truck.

I consider OME to be the IBM of the off-road world ... "nobody ever got fired choosing OME". They work pretty well, are durable, and the price point is acceptable. There are other setups that might be better for specific uses, but as an all-rounder it's fine choice. Having said that, Craig's setup with the RTE's seems to flex well and carry the weight just fine, too.

The standard LR template of OME lift, locked rear differential is proven. It's a lot of money to get it all on the truck at once, though, and still have some of the extras like on-board air, winch, bumpers, good recovery gear, sliders, etc. etc.

Mike - OME also provide shims to correct a bit for the castor, don't they? I thought I remembered this being part of the HD kit but I don't recall.
 

G'luck with the build ;)

cheers
-ike

Posted By Craig Miller on 12/10/2009 1:25 PM

I still stand by my advice.  I think Mike is correct about the OME suspension.  The ones on my Tacoma, and previously on my Rangie, both have served me well.  But I use my vehicle for geological exploration and good old camping. Both rigs drive/drove very well empty or heavily loaded.  Super articulation is not a requirment to do expedition style driving.  Rock crawling yes. 

My rock sliders give me tie and lift points along the sides of the rig.  I have tow points on both the front and rear of my vehicle too.  Jacob could start out with bolting on some D-rings fore and aft and worry about the heavy duty stuff later on.

For expedition work, diff guards usually are a waste of money.  I had a set on the Rangie and found them to be superfluous, IF I took care in my driving.  Tom Sheppard, the expert in expedition setups, has never as far as I have read used diff guards.  He takes it slow and easy when he drives. Jacob says he wants to head north and to the Moab area.  I've done both without need of them.

As far as recovery gear, I suggested he start out traveling with one of you pros initially.  You guys typically carry enough gear to recover the Titanic from the North Atlantic.  On a low budget, why be redundant?  He can slowly pick up what he needs.  When Tom set up his G-wagon for solo trips to North Africa, I don't think he even included a winch as a necessity.  I have loaned out my last issue of Overland Journal, so can't check up on that. A HiLift or similar jack, along with some D-rings, tow cables and chains, etc. can get you out of a lot of jams.  I find that we typically drive into problems, not back into them.  A winch on a front bumper doesn't help much then.  Just saying....I still have one on my truck ;-), probably because I do most of my stuff solo.

Tom Sheppard ALWAYS prefers reliablity to flash.  If Jacob were nearby, I'd loan him my copies of Vehicle-dependent Expediion Guide and Off-Roader Driving, both by Sheppard. Maybe one of you could to that for him over there.  Do I personally follow Sheppard religiously?  Heck no!  I happen to like rooftop tents and he abhors them.  But in general, I think we all mix up things we want with things we need.  Reading some of Tom's stuff would give Jacob a go start without all of our biases.