My 2001 Discovery Mod Thread

[PCRover]

Here is my truck, a 2001 Land Rover Discovery II purchased stock last year. This picture isn't current as I have since removed the roof rack.

http://www.myrovers.com/Photos/2001%20DII/3-12-2006/slides/P3112349.JPG

Picture of interior and some of the electronics on board.

http://myrovers.com/photos/2001%20DII/DII%20Setup%2008-17-2005/slides/101805085.jpg

Mods / Additions
* Bearmach Big Blue 3″ Front Springs
* Bearmach Big Blue 3″ Rear Springs + 1″ Spacer
* ARB Air Lockers front and rear
* GBR HD Rear Drive Shaft
* Rebuilt DII Front Driveshaft with greasable Ujoints
* +2″ ProComp ES3000’s
* +2″ ProComp ES3000’s
* OME Steering Stabilizer
* ARB Mini Compressor for Air Lockers
* Slickrock Fabrication Sliders
* TJM T-15 Front Bumper with Winch tray
* Superwinch X9 Winch with Synthetic Line
* Aluminum Fairlead
* Rovertym Stainless Steel Brake Lines
* 285-75/16 BFG At TA/KO Tires
* Safety Devices Roof Rack
* QT Front and rear Diff Guards
* Rovertym Steel Rear Bumper
* DAP Gas Tank Guard
* 2 Hella 4000 Cornering Lights, Bumper Mounted
* Sylvania Silverstar halogen headlight lamps
* Engel Fridge/Frezer
* CAR PC with Touch Screen for GPS and Topo, MP3, XM
* Motorola CDM1250 VHF Two Way Radio
* Motorola CDM1250 UHF Two Way Radio
* Bearcat 976D scanner
* Radio Power Manager
* Painless Wiring 250A battery combining relay
* Dual Optima Batteries
* Power Tank C02 System
* 12V-120VAC Inverter

More pictures here (http://myrovers.com/photos/2001%20DII/DII%20Setup%2008-17-2005/index.html)of the exterior and interior setup.

I hope to share more pictures and ideas in this thread.

[PCRover]

Here is a shot of the rear cargo area.

http://myrovers.com/photos/2001%20DII/DII%20Setup%2008-17-2005/slides/101805104.jpg

CarPC in cubby....

http://myrovers.com/photos/2001%20DII/DII%20Setup%2008-17-2005/slides/101805096.jpg

[Scott Brady]

Perfect. Now I have a spot to ask some ???'s

I was working with my Xenarc touch screen tonight, and while effective when stopped, I couldn't work it well while driving (which I shouldn't be anyways). But, I have a thumbwheel mouse, which is working well, and would like to get a good keyboard. What are you using/recommend?

Also, a little info on your carputer would be great too. :bowdown:

[PCRover]

I'll put together something on the Carputer setup soon.

I had similar issues with the TouchScreen until I discovered a Software front end called RoadRunner. With this software I have built custom screens to deal with what ever applications I use. GPS,XM,RADIO,WEATHER,Email,WEB etc. It makes it possible to use the touch screen without driving off the road. I'll post a couple of screen shots later.

You can find more info here (http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=72) on the RoadRunner Front End.

[PCRover]

Here are a few screen shots...

http://myrovers.com/photos/Rover%20Mods/CarPC/slides/RRMain.jpg

http://myrovers.com/photos/Rover%20Mods/CarPC/slides/RRgps.jpg

http://myrovers.com/photos/Rover%20Mods/CarPC/slides/RRwx.jpg

http://myrovers.com/photos/Rover%20Mods/CarPC/slides/RRwxmaps.jpg

[blupaddler]

Gary,


I really like your website. I just spent the last hour or so exploring all the pages. I got a kick out of the Rover 10 commandments.
I have off topic questions...Did the TnT already happen? When is it scheduled? Who planned the route?


Your Rover is very nice and well thought out. I like your trailer too. Any thoughts or comments on how you like pulling a trailer around so far?



Lastly, sorry coffee is kicking in, are you in San Carlos? Saw in your pic? If so I am just across the fwy by SDSU...We should get together some time.

[flyingwil]

Love the CarPC! That is on my list of to do's! DO you have a write up of your build?

Looks great man!

[Brian McVickers]

Welcome Gary!
Great looking rig!!;)

Question about your QT diff guards. Did you mount them yourself?

I also have a 2001 DII, and SE7, modified.
I bought a set of QT guards and the rear guard bolted up just fine but the front has given me trouble. It is still not on yet.
I contacted QT and after lots of pictures and measurements it was reolized that they make one spec of guard but the Discovery IIs have one of two different axles. I'm not sure about the specifics but apparently my axle differential is larger than most so the QT guard won't fit as it has been designed. The axles are stock LR DII axles. I am going to have to trim a bit off the guard to make it fit.

Have you ever heard about this before, the guard issue or the axle issue?

Thanks
Brian

[PCRover]

.Did the TnT already happen? When is it scheduled? Who planned the route?

We have our group of trucks set and the trip is planned for mid Sept. The route was selected by Rocky who has posted a couple of trip reports on this site.



Your Rover is very nice and well thought out. I like your trailer too. Any thoughts or comments on how you like pulling a trailer around so far?


The trailer has just recently reached a point in it's build to allow me to use it on a trip. Last weekend I pulled it a couple of hundred miles, most on the highway and it was great. It is light enough to not really notice I am pulling anything utill I come to a grade where it does effect acceleration. The liitle off road time on it was pulling it into a campground on relatively smooth dirt roads so ican't comment yet on it's true off road worthyness. The tent worked great and was very comfortable. I will get more trail time with it over the summer and will report back my findings. Sounds like I need to start a trailer thread.



Lastly, sorry coffee is kicking in, are you in San Carlos? Saw in your pic? If so I am just across the fwy by SDSU...We should get together some time.

The San Carlos you will find me in is the one in NorCal, about 20 minutes north of San Jose. I'll take you up on your offer if I get down your way. I may be taking a trip to Anza Borrego in November, which is sort of near you.

[PCRover]

Love the CarPC! That is on my list of to do's! DO you have a write up of your build?

The CarPC is fantastic, well worth the cost and effort. No write up yet, but I am working on one and will post it when I can.

[PCRover]

Question about your QT diff guards. Did you mount them yourself?


Yes, no problems mounting them. I opted to not weld the front tabs as I am a poor welder and didn't see the need for the tabs anyway.



.....the Discovery IIs have one of two different axles. I'm not sure about the specifics but apparently my axle differential is larger than most so the QT guard won't fit as it has been designed. The axles are stock LR DII axles. I am going to have to trim a bit off the guard to make it fit.

Have you ever heard about this before. the guard issue or the axle issue?



Diferent sized axle housings? This doesn't seem right to me. I will ask some friends that know more about this than I do. I have not heard of anyone having mounting issues, but my exposure is limited as I have only seen a couple of DII's with them.

Where exactly is the problem on the guard?

[Brian McVickers]

The problem is that the guard is too short. If you bolt it up to the back of the 3rd member as it should be the front two mounting fins fit right snug up agains the front of the axle housing. There should be a 1/2 - 3/4 inch gap between these fins and the housing in order to weld on the mounting tabs.

The way it is now there is no room to weld the tabs on and if you could weld them on the holes woul not light up.

I spoke to 4x4 adventure gear where I bought them and they could not figure it out. SO I spoke directly to QT via email, about 10 email back and forth. I took pictures of the guard, measurements and as much info as I could provide them. They have encountered the problem before but not enought to make a guard with different specs.

My plan is to
1- Elongate the holes on the QT guard where it mounts to the 3rd member
2- trim a little bit off of the mounting fins on the front of the guard

Then again If you have had no problem with it not being welded on then I may just keep it as is and not worry about making adjustments in order to weld the tabs.

Have you put yours to the test yet (hit it on anything!)? How did it do without the welded tabs?

Brian

[Brian McVickers]

This is too much fun!

Gary,
How did you mount up the fuel can to your spare tire carrier?
I saw the pics on your site of the "fuel can carrier for the Freelander"
Did you use the same set up for the DII?

Who makes and where did you find the silver bracket/clamp devise that holds the can?
How does the rear door do with all the added weight, any sign of premature wear on the hinges?

Thanks
Brian

[PCRover]

Have you put yours to the test yet (hit it on anything!)? How did it do without the welded tabs?

If you look at the design it is a skid plate along with a guard. Most hits on the guard will be deflected and the skid will slide over the obstacle. A direct hit high up on the guard where the tabs are will be very rare. Even if you take hit there the guard still protects the diff, it just gives a little. If someone takes a hit that high up hard enough to bend that guard back enough to hit the diff, they are doing some real hardcore obstacles or there driving technique needs some work. Having some flex in that guard is arguably better than a hard welded "sewer cap" type as some have reported damage to the diff welds in the area the "sewer cap" is welded onto it.

I have fabed up a aluminum strap that goes from one tab hole on the guard over the diff cap and then to the other tab hole. After many trail runs and a few crapes, it really seems unnecessary.

Of course it is always best to follow the Mfg's installation instructions, but so far I have had no trouble with the guard even though I am not using the welded tabs. Later this summer I will be doing some trails with serious obstacles in the Sierras (Rubicon, Slick rock, Blue Lakes) which will be the ultimate test. I'll report back if I experience any problems.

Remember YMMV.....

[PCRover]

How did you mount up the fuel can to your spare tire carrier?
I saw the pics on your site of the "fuel can carrier for the Freelander"
Did you use the same set up for the DII?

Yes, it is the same technique. I flat plate with three threaded rods spaced to feed through the spares spokes. On those rods cross brackets are atttached and then the can carrier is mounted to the cross braces. It is VERY stout and handles the can with fuel or water with ease.



Who makes and where did you find the silver bracket/clamp devise that holds the can?


The can and carrier are made by Blitz. Can and carrier. (http://www.offroadrecovery.com/product/G8007)



How does the rear door do with all the added weight, any sign of premature wear on the hinges?


The door handles the weight no problem, but be aware on side hills as if it hits you in teh back it hurts! My door is extra heavy as I have a 33" spare on it along with the can carrier, but no issues so far handling the weight.

[flyingwil]

The CarPC is fantastic, well worth the cost and effort. No write up yet, but I am working on one and will post it when I can.


Is that an AMPIE case?

[justfred]

In your mods, you didn't list "Center Diff Lock". Have you done it? Did your D2 have the old transfer case?

I'm looking for a transfer case cover to put mine (2002) back to the way it should have been built to begin with, but I'm afraid it'll cost me more than it'll end up being worth - I don't run on sand and boulders that much in this vehicle (I use the Pinzgauer for that). But somehow it feels not-right not to have the CDL.

[PCRover]

Is that an AMPIE case?

Yes it is an Ampie case. It works well and is quite compact, and not very expensive.

Here is a better picture.

http://myrovers.com/photos/2001%20DII/DII%20Setup%2008-17-2005/slides/101805098.jpg

[PCRover]

In your mods, you didn't list "Center Diff Lock". Have you done it? Did your D2 have the old transfer case?

Somehow I missed listing that one.... Yes, the transfer case had the nipple on it when I bought the truck. I purchased an '04 CDL cable kit and installed it right after I got the truck. Works great!

It would be expensive to add CDL to a case that doesn't have it. The decision should be based on what your long term useage of the truck would be.

[PCRover]

It was time to organize the cargo area of my Disco as I was tired of stuff gettting piled on the Engel while on the trail perventing quick access to it. I have also been toying the idea of an auxillary battery and an on-board air compressor. The solution needed to protect the Engel and also allow me to add an auxillary battery and on-board air compressor and store gear above it.

What I came up with is a box sized to fit the Engels width and height going the full depth of teh cargo area. There was enough room behind the Engel to mount an Optima Battery with fuse, 12V air compressor, and hot air exhaust fan. Along the left side I mounted two switches (Fan and Compressor power) two air pressure guages, air regulator, and quick connect fitting. The Aux battery is connected to the main battery via #2ga cable and a 250A relay which allows me to connect or seperate the two batteries at will or automatically. The Engel is mounted on a Engel Transit Mount which is mounted to a pair of slides I purchased from Mcmaster-Carr.
One small planned addition is some tie down anchors for the area on top of the box for securing gear etc.

So far it seems to be a good solution for my needs, but I need to get out on the trails to find out for sure.

http://www.myrovers.com/Photos/2001%20DII/Engel-Air-AuxBatt/slides/trayopen.JPG

http://www.myrovers.com/Photos/2001%20DII/Engel-Air-AuxBatt/slides/boxintcloseup.JPG

Air Compressor with valve and fitting to allow future frame mounted air tank.

http://www.myrovers.com/Photos/2001%20DII/Engel-Air-AuxBatt/slides/compcloseup.JPG

Fan to exhaust hot air from the compressor and Engel.

http://www.myrovers.com/Photos/2001%20DII/Engel-Air-AuxBatt/slides/fan.JPG

Light on switch to show fan status.

http://www.myrovers.com/Photos/2001%20DII/Engel-Air-AuxBatt/slides/fanlight.JPG

Engel access is easy now.

http://www.myrovers.com/Photos/2001%20DII/Engel-Air-AuxBatt/slides/engelout.JPG

http://www.myrovers.com/Photos/2001%20DII/Engel-Air-AuxBatt/slides/engelopen.JPG

My every day gear.

http://www.myrovers.com/Photos/2001%20DII/Engel-Air-AuxBatt/slides/Loaded.JPG

[Brian McVickers]

Wow Gary,
I'm continuously impressed with your rig and the quality of workmanship you put into it! Is the box easily removable in order to access the battery or coompressor or to increase storage space for when not offroad?

Hope I'm not prying too much but what is all your everyday stuff in the bags and cases, Offroad or Work related?

Also very much looking forward to seeing more details on your carputer!

[david despain]

Wow Gary,
I'm continuously impressed with your rig and the quality of workmanship you put into it! Is the box easily removable in order to access the battery or coompressor or to increase storage space for when not offroad?
Also very much looking forward to seeing more details on your carputer!

X2 your mods are well thought out and even more well executed!

my question is what type/brand/where did u get the relay? i have been looking for a continous duty relay that heavy duty and cant find one thats not a couple hundred dollars.

[PCRover]

Wow Gary,
I'm continuously impressed with your rig and the quality of workmanship you put into it! Is the box easily removable in order to access the battery or coompressor or to increase storage space for when not offroad?


Thanks for the nice words!

The whole thing slides right out after removal of the power cables. It is not something you would want to do very often though. It would probably take 15 minutes to get it out and easily a one person job.



Hope I'm not prying too much but what is all your everyday stuff in the bags and cases, Offroad or Work related?


I work in Telecommunications field and carry misc test equipment and tools. Half of the space is taken up with my recovery gear bag and another bag full of misc truck stuff. A small jack, tie downs, and other stuff that escapes me right now.



Also very much looking forward to seeing more details on your carputer!

Sorry I have been distracted with that other project. I will get more details on the carputer when I return next week from the Holiday weekend trip to the mountains.

[PCRover]

X2 your mods are well thought out and even more well executed!

my question is what type/brand/where did u get the relay? i have been looking for a continous duty relay that heavy duty and cant find one thats not a couple hundred dollars.

It is a Painless Wiring relay. Rated 250A continuous. Cost me around $70 from Summit Racing. I believe this is the one I bought Relay Kit (http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?autofilter=1&part=PRF%2D50105&N=115&autoview=sku) I didn't use the wire they provided though. The kit is labled as an alternator cutout but it is the same relay they use in there Battery systems. I bought the kit just for the relay as they didn't offer it seperately and I didn't want the whole battery kit which is more expensive.

[FourByLand]

Hey Gary,

Just curious what are your impressions of the RTE rear bumper?

Also would you mind taking some shots from the underside so I can see some mounting points and how far in the quater panel skids go???

Thanks
:eatchicke

[ZooJunkie]

Hi Gary, just noticed you are a local SFBA! I just moved to San Jose, but my sister lives in the area. I knew I recognized some of the building in your pics. Not to mention Alameda De La Pulgas that runs through San Carlos, Belmont, Hillsborough, etc...


NICE TRUCK!

What air compressor are you using? That would be a great addition to my truck!

[DBS311]

Compressor looks like the MV-50 or MF-1050 (same exact compressor). I just bought the Q89 which is basically mating two MV-50's into one. It works really well and airs up my 37x12.50's from 15-35 psi in just over a minute and a half (per tire).

Great little compressors for a good price.

[PCRover]

Some how I missed this, still want the info?


Hey Gary,

Just curious what are your impressions of the RTE rear bumper?

Also would you mind taking some shots from the underside so I can see some mounting points and how far in the quater panel skids go???

Thanks
:eatchicke

[PCRover]

Sory for teh BIG delay in this post....

It is a MV50 which I believe are no longer availalble.


Hi Gary, just noticed you are a local SFBA! I just moved to San Jose, but my sister lives in the area. I knew I recognized some of the building in your pics. Not to mention Alameda De La Pulgas that runs through San Carlos, Belmont, Hillsborough, etc...


NICE TRUCK!

What air compressor are you using? That would be a great addition to my truck!

[FortyMileDesert]

Gary's truck is the cat's meow! He's got more stuff attached to it than I would have ever thought of. :coffee:

He and I do a lot of off-roading together, both in northern CA and northern NV. It was really cool to be able to call home on his satellite phone when we were about halfway along on our 670 mile Trans-Nevada-Trek (There are no cell phone towers along the northern strip of Nevada between California and Utah. :1888fbbd: BTW: THe trek was posted here:
http://expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2468

[PCRover]

Hi Ron, Thanks for the nice comment!

I am still planning on metting up with you next week one day, maybe outside Reno somewhere?

[FortyMileDesert]

Hi Ron, Thanks for the nice comment!

I am still planning on metting up with you next week one day, maybe outside Reno somewhere?

Next week works for me. Meeting in Reno - What'd you have in mind? Something in the Long Valley/Petersen Mountain area along the CA/NV border?

[Icewalker]

Great write up Gary - it's given me a few more ideas for my rig (discovery S1) which is still in bits at the moment going through a full transformation. Look forward to more of the same - and I suppose put me down as being interested in the Carputer write up :)

Jeff

[DBS311]

Reviving this thread because I would love to know more about the CarPC setup.