Has anyone ever...?

Has any one ever been able to spin 33" tires w/ 4:10 gearing in Hi Range with Center Diff Locked and a True Track in the front and a Detroit in the back in a Disco II w/ a 4.0L Petrol Engine w/ 60K miles on it in snow or deep mud? Engine is in great shape, no leaks, doesn't burn oil and followed the Land Rover Preventative Maintenance Program diligently. I am getting 300 miles on a tank. Also the truck weighed with 2 adults 3 children under 6 and one Boxer dog, gear, groceries for 1 week, clothes for a family of 5 for 1 week, diapers for 1 child for 1 week, fridge, Awning, aftermarket bumpers, winches-(steel cable on the front and synthetic on the back), dual batteries, swing away tire carrier (High Lift and 3 20L Jerry Cans mounted to it) 90 Watt solar panel, RTT, Sliders, drinking water system, 20L water storage, aluminum Safari Style drawers ect weighs in at 6,000lbs.

I haven't been able to spin my tires ever since I threw the 33's and lockers in, even with the 4:10 gears (for the past 2-3 years). The engine revs up to about 3-4K RPM and then nothing, it just stays there. I have to put it in 4Low just to get some wheel spin which sucks because the tires won't spin fast enough to clean the lugs out.

I am thinking about switching the engine out for a 4.6L to get some more power or possibly going with a fuel injected 327 crate engine. Any thoughts on this?

Is there that much more power in a 4.6L?

I have upgraded the rear axles, but haven't touched the front ones yet. STill waiting to decide what motor to put in. If I go with some sort of a 327, or a 350, or a 383, or a 302 conversion, I will more than likely end up getting rid of the entire drive train and going all custom complete w/ a 3 suspension link set up. If there is quite a bit more power in the 4.6, I will probably keep the drive train as it is now. I am in mostly deep snow and thick slimy mud, not a lot of rocks, although there are some trails further west that I have encountered some long rocky stretches, mostly the size of soccer balls, not really anything like Utah where there is all solid rock stretches. These trails here have rocky, sandy patches but for the most part it is mud and snow.

Thanks for puting up with the long read.

Nathan
 
kellymoe said:
Why do you need to spin your tires?

I take it you have a sense of humor.

My destination, usually forward, hopefully in the direction that I turn my steering wheel, depends on rotating my tires in order to propel the vehicle.

In High Range, in thick mud or snow or over logs and such, my wheels don't rotate, due to a lack of power to get the rpms to get the torque required to overcome the resistance of the obstacles resisting my tires.

When in Low Range, they will rotate, just not fast to create enough centrifical force to cause a cleaning effect on the profile of the tires.

LOL:shakin:

Nathan
 

SpeedAgent

Adventurer
Tires

If the wheels are spinning, even just a small amount, it sounds like you may have a tire issue, not a power problem.
 

RonL

Adventurer
6000 lbs? Are you sure that all it weights? Have you run it a cross a scale? I would say cloesr to 7000lbs.

If you want to spin tires, hook the back to a light pole when you are in the snow. I bet you will be able to spin then.
 

SpeedAgent

Adventurer
Spin?

Maybe this is an issue with semantics-is the issue get the wheels to turn? If you can't get the wheels to even turn your problem could be something more than the weight of your rig. I certainly don't think you need to spend what you are suggesting.
 

njtaco

Explorer
Specifically what size tires, and what brand/model tire? What was the original gearing? (Sorry, I'm not too familiar with Rovers...)

What I'm getting at is ought you regear to allow for the taller and heavier tires?
 
Last edited:

EricWS

Observer
junkyddog11 said:
seems like a huge amount of work to get tyres to spin.

Not spinning the tyres would be most peoples goal.

No kidding. The last thing I would want is spinning tires in snow or over logs. Quickest way to break something when that tire found contact or bottomed out after a bounce.

But to answer you enquiry, I could spin my tires with a D-90, detroit rear and TT front, in the snow and mud on 32s with stock 3.54s. I have seen 285s on a weighted disco spin with a similar set up as well.

EwS
 

madizell

Explorer
He explained the need to spin up the tires in the first post. Tire cleaning is an issue in mud country. Those who drive primarily in the desert SW might not immediately see the point, but trust me, in the mud you have to be able to spin tires or you won't go forward for very far.
 

TeriAnn

Explorer
madizell said:
but trust me, in the mud you have to be able to spin tires or you won't go forward for very far.

Depends upon the soil type and how deep the mud is. Sometimes you want to dig forward faster than you are sinking, sometimes you just want to take it easy on the throttle.

6000 lbs? Are you sure that all it weights? Have you run it a cross a scale? I would say cloesr to 7000lbs.

WOW! And I thought I was coming in heavy at 5790 pounds fully loaded for a long trip, 42 gallons of petrol, 15 gallons of water, refrigerator full & everything packed.

And for curiosity sake, where do you live that you can register a Discovery II with a Chevy 327 engine installed?
 

Series1Rangie

Adventurer
tire spin and a 4.6

I have a RRC with a standard cam 4.6 with dual SU carb setup, and it spins the 32" "MT tires no prob with stock gearing. It spins the super swamper special service 34x9x16 in deep mud. FWIW
Mike
 

Keaster

Observer
Gears, torque converters, and going forward

Nate, I don't know if you have ever gone to Pismo or other areas with similar terrain but it has been my experience with rovers (D1) that you have to regear more than 4:11s for that kind of torque out put when built that heavy. If you are going to require wheel spin that often, i.e. mud sand or snow and the like, then you need to regear again. It will be the most practical and cost effective way to solve your problem. Also food for thought that when in 4hi with the center diff locked (if you are locking yours) you are putting more load on the tranny and will cause excessive torque converter wear. In those specific situations that require short burst of wheel spinning fury it has been my experience that it is always better to push towards the engine red line in 4low than to let the tranny slip and not get the power to the wheels. That being said if you are still having issues when in 4low you might already have excessive wear on the tranny and need to address that before it becomes a bigger issue. And one last thing don't feel that you are alone in this as I am sure that many people could atest to "losing some power" after locking up the ends just think of a locker as requiring (at times) twice the power to over come an obstacle becuase you are now trying to spin both the tires not just one. bottom line sometimes when momentum is required to get through something locked is not alway an advantage.
Best of luck sorting it out hope my explanations are helpful, Kyle
 
Thank you all for your knowledgeable advice. I must say, I posed the similar question on some other boards and you would think that I was speaking French.

The Disco II weighs in at just a hair over 6 thousand pounds, fully loaded.

In Alberta, Canada, you could install a team of hamsters or a nuclear reactor based engine and no one would care or even ask you?

There isn't emmissions or inspections to go through.

I will look into disabling the Traction Control, as I feel that you maybe onto something here Keith..

Thanks for the consideration on the Tranny concern, I never even considered the wear issue when in Hi, Locked and trying to stand on the gas peddal when there isn't any thing moving.

I have tried Low Range and Red Line to boot, its just that the wheels won't spin fast enough. I may look at swapping in a 5 speed.

At 60 miles/hour with the 4:10 gears, my engine RPM is 2900. If I go to the next size, I am worried that I will be into the 3500 RPM or so area and that the negative effects on efficiency, not to mention the extra wear on the engine will be to severe. Does any one have any experience with the 4:56 gears w/ 33" tires on a Disco II.

Let's throw this one out there for thought.

If you were me and you could throw any motor into my Disco, what would it be?

I want reliabilty, power, light weight and efficiency.

I do alot of cold winter driving, lots of highway, forest/ fire roads in the snow and some easy to medium trails, exmples being pipeline right aways, snow and mud up to top of axles. A few recreational trails for fun once a month or so. Mostly all of my offroad is work related. (Oilfield consultant)
:smiley_drive:
Thanks again,

Nathan
 

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