The Gubblemobile- Series III from hell.

[Alaska Mike]

It was 25F when I started wrenching on the 109 today, trying to get the front end stripped down so we could clean the frame up. It took longer than expected, as every panel had 100lbs of radio wiring attached to it, and every bracket either had badly siezed bolts or some sort of blind fastner. I finally got most of the stuff off forward of the tub, scraped the bigger chunks of tar off of the frame, and pressure washed it. The frame is in really good shape from what I can see, and I definitely prefer the 1-ton frame design- it actually looks like a modern vehicle frame.

I have a gallon of SEM Rust Shield ready to go on, and then we can start the frame modifications if/when aka rover gets back from the end-of-the-world trip. If he doesn't come home, I guess none of this will matter anyway.

The P38 steering box showed up today, and I cleaned up/painted my steering column. A few more parts are needed for that piece of the puzzle.

Right now our whole focus is on getting the cabin enclosed so it can sit outside without filling up with snow. I'll be unbolting the roof next week off another 109, and once I get the front of the frame painted we'll bolt on the bulkhead and a few other parts.

Once again I forgot the camera, so you'll have to take my word for it.

 

[Alaska Mike]

Spent the day scraping and brushing the frame from the tub forward, then slapped on a coat of SEM Rust-Shield to make it look pretty. The frame will never be that shiny again. Once the paint cures, we'll get the bulkhead, winshield, doors, and hard top mounted so it's more or less enclosed. We had snow again this morning, and it won't be long before it hangs around for the long haul.

While aka rover's watching the end of the world, I'll be cleaning and painting various components.

 

[Alaska Mike]

With aka rover's trip rapidly approaching and winter threatening to rear its head, I spent the day removing more hardware off of the tub and generally sorting the parts I need to clean up. The bulkhead is mounted on the frame, and the front half of the vehicle is starting to look semi-respectable. The rest? Not so much.

We're going to be swapping the Spicer 18 for a Series III transfercase, which should make driveline clearance a lot easier to deal with. I just wish that adapter was available back when I started.

 

[aka rover]

Tomorrow

It will go indoors for its resting place so it can go under the knife when I return from the worlds END! Lots to come later this winter. We have lots of really cool things in store for this build. It will be a mix of OLD meets NEW with a touch of Alaskan built into it. Mike is talking about 255 85s and with Advanced Adapters T-case adapters we will be junking the not so strong Model 18 for the robust series T-CASE.

With sals rear the 24 spline front outer shafts and the future upgrade to front 24 spline inners, sm465 to the Series T-CASE this Series III should be as close to bullet proof as you can build using a mix of Rover and GM parts.

Not sure if Mike is up for it but I keep thinking about cuting the front of this frame and extending it for 48" front springs. You know you want to Mike...

 

[Alaska Mike]

To be honest, I'm trying not to think about the suspension right now and just focus on getting something moving. I know the military 1 ton springs are going to ride like girders, so something will have to be done. To be honest, I just want something that handles and rides somewhat well. My whole game plan has flipped so many times over the last couple months, I don't know what I'm building from one day to the next. I think it will be green, though.

 

[Snagger]

My 109 is on a 1-Ton chassis and shackle set up with parabolic springs and does very well. I have a HD setup with 4-leaf rear and 3-leaf front springs to cope with the higher weight of my vehicle and it's pretty reasonable. I think the Pro Comp ES9000s are too stiff and will revert to something softer when they need replacing. Front articulation is obviously less than with the mod you're considering, but it has been perfectly adequate for driving UK green lanes, Alpine tracks and a few pay and play sites.

 

[Alaska Mike]

I was looking at parabolics, but the word I kept hearing was that quality control had gone seriously downhill for the ones readily available in the States. Considering how much shipping is for us up here, I'd rather not chance it. There may be some interesting options on the horizon, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed. I might just wait a while and see what comes up.

Articulation is less important to me than ride quality and control. This isn't a rock crawler, and I doubt it will see much in the way of technical terrain, and when it does I always can pull cable. I usually prefer it.

 

[Alaska Mike]

Spent today continuing the disassembly of my CJ-5. It was a bittersweet experience, as I've pretty much bolted on every part over the years. On the bright side, I was organizing things into the "bolt onto the Land Rover" pile and the "sell to buy things to bolt onto the Land Rover" pile. The Jeep will live on in spirit in the Rover.

We had a light snow here this morning, so we're going to try to get the 109 into a garage before it really starts to fall. aka rover has a lot of loose ends to tie up before his big trip, so I'm trying to stay out of his way as much as possible.

 

[Snagger]

I was looking at parabolics, but the word I kept hearing was that quality control had gone seriously downhill for the ones readily available in the States. Considering how much shipping is for us up here, I'd rather not chance it. There may be some interesting options on the horizon, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed. I might just wait a while and see what comes up.

Articulation is less important to me than ride quality and control. This isn't a rock crawler, and I doubt it will see much in the way of technical terrain, and when it does I always can pull cable. I usually prefer it.

I had only heard good things about RM springs, though they did have to change their steel supplier to a Japanese company a few years ago because the US supplied steel dropped in quality. I don't know accurate that is, though. I have Heystee springs, which are very expensive, but they have lasted about 15 years and 15000 miles, some very heavily laden, with no apparent harm other than a spring eye cracking years ago due to an incorrect bush fitted at the factory (slightly to large, a defect they rectified for free and unlikey to happen again now they're aware of the potential).

 

[LR Max]

RM springs all the way....as long as you don't bash them into things. I beat up one of my front springs pretty bad about 10 years ago. Last year it finally snapped. Replaced with a pair of brand new front RM springs. So far so good!

 

[Snagger]

Paul Heystee told me of his contemt for Rocky Mountain as they had copied his springs exactly - the dimensions, camber, parabolic taper (its the thickness of each leaf that is parabolic, not the camber) and the steel spec. All that is different is that he evolved his springs to have polyurethane pads on the lower leaf ends and went over to poly bushes, while RM kept the simpler early design and used bigger bushes to allow more bush rotation while retaining the superior metalastic bush type (which doesn't allow dirt ingress and erosion or damage the chassis or spring eye when it fails). So, by the best and most expensive equipment's designer and vendor, his principle competitor's product is as good as his own but cheaper...

 

[I Leak Oil]

RM's all the way. 10 years plus and still going strong. Friend of mine had one of the early Haystee sets. Were fine but I didn't like the helper spring that stuck out of the leaf pack. The parabolic spring isn't unique to Land rovers and there are only so many ways you can make one different yet still fit and carry a Landy. My RM's bought about the same time as my friends Haystee's didn't look exactly the same. Both companies are great supporters of series trucks and I'm greatfull for that.

 

[Snagger]

I'm dead aginst those helper leafs! They'll collect all sorts of debris and could easily get snagged on something immovable and suffer the consequences. My heystee units don't have them - I think they're only used on softer rate springs.

 

[aka rover]

My 109 with 48" springs front and rear , stock rear SW 88 springs on the front , and custom Nationals out back and rides better than my Defender 110 with OME coils and OME nitro charger shocks.

Im not seeing the benifit of a 63" spring on the rear of a Expo type rig. The springs on a 109 are out board of the frame and would require alot of work to accomplish, not saying its a bad idea but just may not be the best salution for a series Rover, as the problem for a series truck is its short 36" long front TRAILER springs. The front should get attention before the rear.

 

[I Leak Oil]

My RM springs actually articulate very well in the rear. I've never been wanting for more travel in the back. The front is terrible though.