Lifting my disco

[chris.hunt22]

Just a quick 'un out of interest...My mind has been telling me to lift my disco a bit (probably 2"), the amount of gear on the market is baffling.  What is the best and cheapest kit and what should I not bother with - without starting a mines better than yours war!!  Oh and how much will it effect its on road handling? :lol:

[Bulli]

Chris,

Any lift will have an effect on you handling..there are a few factors. People often use more compliant spring when fitting a lift this allows the axle to move more freely but does compromise road manners. You can simply lift using spacers under the springs, that works.
Other things to consider, cranked trailing arms, castor corrected front arms. Front propshaft will now be working at a greater angle, so can have problems.
You need to change your shocks and mounts to get the maximum benefit.

[Guardian.]

you only need a standard 2 inch lift kit, 4 x springs & 4 x shocks, many companies sell them.
as for which ones, the best you can afford, although there isnt really anything wrong with the cheapest lift kits.
things like brake lines bumpstops dislocation cones etc are not necessary.
however, should you go off doing serious offroading more of these parts become a bit more essential.
unless you have to, dont remove the anti roll bars because they DO drive like sjit on the road.
if your going doing that crazy offroad stuff like many on here do, then it is a different kettle of fish, more articulation needs much longer brake lines, spring relocation etc.

[Xtremeteam]

you only need a standard 2 inch lift kit, 4 x springs & 4 x shocks, many companies sell them.
as for which ones, the best you can afford, although there isnt really anything wrong with the cheapest lift kits.
things like brake lines bumpstops dislocation cones etc are not necessary.
however, should you go off doing serious offroading more of these parts become a bit more essential.
unless you have to, dont remove the anti roll bars because they DO drive like sjit on the road.
if your going doing that crazy offroad stuff like many on here do, then it is a different kettle of fish, more articulation needs much longer brake lines, spring relocation etc.

For a disco id be putting longer brake hoses on as a matter of course :!:  where the houses are mounted if you fit a +2 lift as soon as you drive up even a kirb they are at almost full stretch,
on a defender you dont need longer hoses for a +2 as the hoses are mounted behind the line of the wheel,not in front of it like a discovery

[LCW11]

Just a quick 'un out of interest...My mind has been telling me to lift my disco a bit (probably 2"), the amount of gear on the market is baffling.  What is the best and cheapest kit and what should I not bother with - without starting a mines better than yours war!!  Oh and how much will it effect its on road handling? :lol:

First question... what do you want to do with your disco
Odd laneing days or more serious.
Do you want to put bigger tyres on or not more expense

Your wright tho the market can be baffling and everyone has
there own opinion

Lee

[bullfrog]

As already said to lift it properly you will need the following.
+2" springs (blues or yellows)
+2" shocks (pro-comp)
+2" brake lines
Castor corrected radius arms

I can do this for £400 inc VAT
Ther are other makes available but these are about the norm.
OME is nice but aprx twice the price for springs and shocks.
I like their springs but would shop elswhere for shocks. (just my choice)


You could just use simple blocks.
There are several options with these. Welded type and ally
Welded £50
Ally £85
I would reccomend brake lines with this (£11.50 per line)

Not using castor arms will affect your steering correction but it is liveable with.

You need to know what condition your springs and shocks are in if you decide on blocks.
If I was doing it I would add a bolt kit and polybush kit as well.
Budget around £120 for this.
I would reccomend a quality bush kit.

[philwelch820]

i would recommend deciding what you require before you make your choice, sound stupid i know but i fitted a 1" lift because you dont need to modify any thing else however after a few outings on greenlanes and my local playdays i now want at least a 2" lift, so my decision to go for the easier option has not worked out for me.

shocks and springs are according to taste but i have heard problems in returning pro comps of late when the have failed (they come with a warranty), however they are a lot cheaper than most others so i suppose if you do need to replace it wont break your wallet.

britpart have just relesed a new 2" kit with castor and trailing arms for about £400 + vat i belive
this sounds like a really good deal id be interested on anyones opinions on these

cheers
phil

[Discotel]

Hi mate....I have fitted a 2' lift to both my discos and never had any probs except the tyres rubbed on the arches when offroading, due to them being 31x10.5x15....My own opinion would be to fit a 2' lift and you will be covered for green laning and light -medium offroading and not have any worrys. I would say that anything more extreme you will need +4" brake lines just to be safe.

The trick is not to get to blinded by what everyone tells you on here, read there advice, think how you are going to use the disco, then go with what you think is right for you.

Dont bother with castor correction arms or kinked trailing arms, they are not needed really on a 2" lift, people oly really fit them to be flash... 8)

Good Luck, Terry

[bullfrog]

Sorry ? Anything over stock and your castor angle will be affected. Its a matter of choice but your steering will be affected.

The yellow springs are ok for average use but if you offroad a lot and want to carry stuff in the back I would go for blues or better.

I also sell rough countey shocks which work out the same as a pro-comp.
They retail @ £39.99 inc bushes and boot.
They are available in standard, +2" and +5" (challenge spec)
they have fantastic reviews.

[Discotel]

Frog.....I think you are going a bit OTT here mate, a 2" lift aint all that dramatic enough to really notice the change in castor angle, you are talking 2 or 3 degrees MAX....He will not even notice it. anything bigger like a 3" lift then YES I would agree and say go for the front and rear arms.

Given the state of the roads in this country his and our biggest worry is to avoid the pot holes and lorry rutts.

[Timi]

Frog.....I think you are going a bit OTT here mate, a 2" lift aint all that dramatic enough to really notice the change in castor angle, you are talking 2 or 3 degrees MAX....He will not even notice it. anything bigger like a 3" lift then YES I would agree and say go for the front and rear arms.

Given the state of the roads in this country his and our biggest worry is to avoid the pot holes and lorry rutts.

Hear hear! After the springs sag from all the extra weight of jackable cills winch bumpers roof racks the suspension usually settles ok.

[bullfrog]

Well if ya buy decent springs rated for the gear you have they wont sag.

There's a big diffrence between "lifting" and "raising" the vehicle.
Springs and shocks "lift" the vehicle.
All the rest properly "raise" the vehicle

I dont push my products and dont mind where folks choose to buy their kit.
If you are gonna spend the money spend it wisely and once rather than buying gear and then realising you should have bought this and that etc. Easier to do the job properly once.
I probably lift 2/3 trucks a month sometimes with my kit and sometimes with others and 9/10 I fit castored arms.
You dont NEED them but its better if you do choose to use them as it returns steering geometry to factory .
It can upset front propshaft balance but this is also sortable.
It should be fine on +2".

Also worth mentioning that several insurance companys that I know of ask for in depth details of mods and can refer them to motor engineers, Who may question what has and has not been done.

[Xtremeteam]

Well if ya buy decent springs rated for the gear you have they wont sag.

I dont push my products and dont mind where folks choose to buy their kit.
If you are gonna spend the money spend it wisely and once rather than buying gear and then realising you should have bought this and that etc. Easier to do the job properly once.
I probably lift 2/3 trucks a month sometimes with my kit and sometimes with others and 9/10 I fit castored arms.
You dont NEED them but its better if you do choose to use them as it returns steering geometry to factory .
It can upset front propshat balance but this is also sortable.
It should be fine on +2".

Also worth mentioning that several insurance companys that I know of ask for in depth details of mods and can refer them to motor engineers, Who may question what has and has not been done.

Only problem i can forsee with the caster arms you do is they actually reduce the wheelbase thus amplifying any handling discrepancys,I'm also rather sceptical about heat bending cast iron, regardless of how carefully it is done it's still going to affect the integrity of it,
also
I can't help but wonder what insurance companies think about cast iron components being heated and bent beyond their original design.

 ive lifted loads of 90's & 1 disco,the disco was "interesting" to drive afterwards which really coulda done with the arms but since it is a weekend toy they werent fitted,all the 90's mine included have been fine,

Also... you say you dont push your products,the first post you make is listing the prices you can do the lift for? Is that not a blatent plug?  :roll:

[bullfrog]

Well firstly having a degree in engineering and being a trained black smith I feel I understand the method and procedure of heating cast.

The arms reduce the wheelbase by 5mm so hardly a problem.

Also I listed prices as there are numerous company selling "lifts" so felt abliged to give an indication of prices if doing it properly .

I have also spoken to several motor engineers who work for insurance companies and to several insurance companies regarding my products and have been advised they would not come under question.

Hope that clears up any confusion.

The original post was I believe regarding a disco not a 90 so I believe my comments and advice were correct.

I did not post to start a "discussion" regarding my products, only to advise as to the correct way and cost involved in "raising" a vehicle properly.

[chris.hunt22]

:shock: I didn't want to start a war!!!  I haven't got the wedge to spend on it at the moment and am just looking for my best options, it isn't really something you can try and then take it back if it isn't right for you and without driving a lifted disco wheather with or without the castor correction arms I will never know wheather I have spent my money wisely.  It might be something I can or can't live with as I do 'hoof' it about a bit on the road.  It gives me something to ponder on anyway!! :lol:

[Guardian.]

2 inch lift does not need castor corrected arm etc, i have lifted plenty and they dont really suffer on the steering at all, not that is going to be a problem, infact due to new compnents fitted replacing knackered old ones it is actaully an improvement on wht you were happily driving before you lifted it.
plus when you start rolling axles about it just [!Expletive Deleted!] up the props big time, so then its more expense on flash props with double joints.

all this said, if your off doing some crazy stuff, then you do need more of the kit, but you will be probably lifting more than 2 inches aswell.

[Muddy]

My problem with liftin motors is that you dont rly gain that much, sure your chassis is lifted so yo may not belly out as much but you have no more clearence under your diffs which is the first thing that you normaly fet hung up on, and you rase the COG a fair but too.
 If you fit bigger tyres you get more under diff clearence with a chassis lift aswell.

Ok so i'll probably get shot down in flames here by people saying that you will then rub the arches but surley then cutting you arches will not take that much longet than fitting a lift kit and its a dam sight cheeper. If you go from 205's to some 235/85's or 265/75's then you will get nearly a 2"lift anyway.

Just my opinion.

[clbarclay]

Muddy, it can depend on your stiuation.

I lifted my RRC to improve departure and break over angles, which it has done. £200 on new suspention compared is a lot cheaper than new bigger tyres, though I have since fitted 7.50 SATs which give a very noticeable improvement in deep ruts.

You will always find that no matter how much you modify you vehicle there will be some obsticles you can't pass, but know with a few more modifications you could. The sky is not the limit, just how much your prepared to spent in time and money.

[skiprat]

i have a 2" lift on my 300tdi, brought my kit 2nd hand from a friend (so i know its history). orange springs and de carbon shocks. running slightly taller tyres (245/75/16's). and it handles better than standard.

good luck with what ever you decide

kris

[Wanderer]

People....

Let's not generalise. The comment that a 2 inch lift does not need castor correcting arms is absolute rubbish.

It just doesn't work like that.

Are we talking lifting a saggy old suspension by 2" or adding an extra 2" over a brand new set up?
What decides WHEN you need or don't need the castor correcting arms?

It's nothing to do with the amount of lift. It's down to exactly what the castor angle is. There's inbuilt tolerances to be worked with to start with.
AIUI the Castor angle should be 2 to 4 degree on a Discovery.

So if as standard you have 4 degrees to start with then a 2" lift could (note could) take off 3 degrees. So you're left with 1 degree of Castor.
Not ideal but reasonably usable.

Start off with 2 degrees and add the lift and you're left with -1 degree.
The closer to 0 or a minus figure it goes the worse the effect on the steering.

Most people that have castor problems don't even notice the problem is there. Get the definitive answer and do your mods and then get the castor angle checked. You'll find your in for a shock and a lot more expense.

New castor correcting arms.
New Cardon prop because the diff is tipped an an angle that straightens out the front UJ.
It goes on and on and on.

Don't start me on brake hoses. Anyone seen a standard Disco with the rear axle hanging? You can play a tune on the hose.

Ed

[steve_h]

My experience...

I started off with a '96 300TDi disco, done 130K miles but completely bog standard. I'd reckon the shocks were shot as it kept bouncing for a week after every speed bump and the springs had lost 1/2" to 1" of rideheight at the back so it looked a bit saggy. So I'm thinking about what to do? Where do I spend my money most wisely to give me better off road performance and allow for more in the future should I go that route?

My tyres were standard 235/70R16 road pattern and the whole vehicle just didn't look right on them. So I decided I'd look at new, bigger and more aggressive tyres, decide on a size to use and then fit whatever suspension bits etc, were reasonably necessary to accommodate them. Now there is another can of worms - tyres on a disco. Its been done to death elsewhere on this and many other forums ('search' is your friend). I settled on 265/75R16's mainly because I found a great deal on a set and I knew I could fit them if I did a small lift and didn't mind trimming the arches and bumper.

So I now know I need a lift. I started looking at kits and reading other people's experiences. What I found is that you shouldn't just think "I need +2 inches therefore I'll buy that kit" you need to take into account what you carry in your car and what heavy accessories are fitted. This is where it gets technical, you see some kits give lift by increasing the poundage of the spring as well as the length which means that you actually loose articulation because the spring is sooo much stiffer. I looked at the ratings of standard springs and OEM heavy duty ones before deciding what to go for. Long story short, I now have Britpart DA4201 HD 200lb springs up front (only about 30lb up on standard) and DA 4203 HD 220lb springs at the back (only about 15lb up on standard) . Most people (Paddocks, MM etc) sell these as the +1" kit, but because mine was sagging to start with, I've gained over 2"! I fitted Procomp +2" shocks because mine were shot anyway.

I reckon I've got the cheapest lift using new uprated parts you can get. I haven't done anything about castor correction, it still self centres OK. I haven't yet upgraded the brake lines, I probably will at some point but for now they aren't a problem. I HAVE removed the rear anti-roll bar, it just wasn't happy with the lift fitted, but since the Procomp dampers are uprated they compensate for it. Road handling is much better, mainly for not having worn dampers and saggy springs.

Just my 2p!  :D

Steve.

[chris.hunt22]

Right, am now saving to do the mod, I am going to get new springs that will raise it 2" (might get more as mine are probably sagging anyway), new 2" bigger shocks and the longer brake pipe hoses (not risking that!!).  Added to that I am going to get some 235/85/16 Colway AT tyres for my standard XS alloy wheels and do a camel cut to accomodate them (hoping this will give me another inch or so over the 235/70/16 standards) and sell my 15" steel wheels and tyres as AT tyres aren't as annoying on the road as I first thought they might be!!  I will look into castor correction after and see if I can live without it!!  Has anyone a rough idea how much doing these 2 mods will lift the car, am I about right with 3"?  If anyone has a lifted disco near to Preston in Lancashire PMK me as I would like a look at it (this will make it so I can put a perspective on what mine could be!!)  Thanks :D

[steve_h]

My springs are supposed to give a one inch lift. Before and after measurements from wheel centre to arch lip indicate I have gained over two inches from my setup over the old springs. Images below to demonstrate.

Like I said above, just be careful if you go for a +2" kit that the springs arent going to be too stiff. Will you be fitting any weighty extras like HD bumpers, winches etc? It's only if you are then you need to increase the spring poundage to maintain the lift with the extra weight. If you only have standard bumpers, no winch and little weight in the back, then you'll struggle to compress the harder springs to the bump stops.

Which kit were you thinking of getting?


Steve.

[steve_h]

Some more pics for you.

My 265/75's are about the same overall diameter as 235/85's. You can see the cut I've done just to the flange inside the arch, not a proper camel cut. Your tyres will be thinner so you'll have even more clearance.

[chris.hunt22]

Steve,

I see what u mean, (camera angles help a bit!) it looks well, I wasn't thinking of putting HD bumpers or a winch on as I only do the odd 4x4 funday and greenlaning.  I do tow the occasional trailer but there isn't much weight in that.  Like the trimmed front bumper, never thought of that.  I thought about 265/75 tyres but I thought they might rub on full lock, they will be about the same height as 235/85 won't they??  I am still unsure as to which kit might be the best but if I got the uprated springs like yours I would always be thinking how much would a 2" kit give me?  The tyre situation got me thinking as lifting the suspension doesn't actually increase the height of the diffs from the road but bigger tyres will.  I will have about £450 to play with come spring/summer I hope for suspension and tyres.

[Wanderer]

Bear in mind that different tyre treads alter things again.
You might get away with those cuts with a Colway tyre but you'll never get away with it on an Amazon tyre due to the lugs etc.
You end up folding the quarter panel in or trashing the tyre.

There really are so many variables.

In actual fact all 4 springs should have different values and those values change on what you have fitted to the motor or how much you carry.

Ed

[way2deep]

save all the hassle and go for a 2" body lift and leave the springs alone.after all as someone has said earlier it's ya diffs that ground out 9 times out of 10 not the chassis .....plus with just a body lift no drive train after effect problems at all  :D  :D

i fitted a 2" spring kit to mine and had nothing but grief afterwards so put it back on to heavy duty standard height springs ,and all my friends running spring lifts have had front prop problems ie transfer box end uj's wearing out ...

just  my pennies worth :D

[chaosego]

NECESSITY IS THE MOTHER OF INVENTION !!

OK ME AND PAL HAD A CHAT LAST NIGHT OVER A FEW PINTS WE CONCLUDED;  GROUND CLEARANCE FROM RUTS= BIG TYRES.

BIG TYRES =BODY RESTRICTIONS/DAMAGE=BIGGER SPRINGS=ALTERED GEOMETRY OF DRIVE LINE=LOTS OF MONEY TO BUILD A CHALANGE STYLE TRUCK.
MOST OF US ON HERE CAN NOT AFFORD A DECENT DEFENDER SO GO FOR A DISCO THEN DEPENDING ON MONEY THROW BIG HEAVY LUMPS OF IRON TO IMPROVE OR PROTECT IT ,WHETHER WE NEED IT OR NOT.

SO WHAT I AM GOING TO DO IS TAKE MY DISCO OFF ROAD SEE WHAT HAPPENS TO IT AND IF SOMETHING BREAKS GROUNDS OUT OR RESTRICTS ME FROM DOING SOME THING THEN OFFENDING ITEMS CAN BE UPGRADED      SIMPLE.

MAKING YOUR TRUCK S CENTRE OF GRAVITY HIGHER AND HEAVIER I DO NOT THINK IS THE ANSWER TAKE A BOWLER FOR INSTANCE HOW LONG WOULD A DISCO WITH A 4 INCH LIFT WITH TONS OF STUFF BOLTED TO IT LAST IN THE PARIS TO DAKAR BEFORE ROLLING ECT.

THERE IS LOTS OF STUFF OUT THERE ITS DOWN TO USE AND COST KEEP IT SIMPLE THINK OF THE TIME SPENT ON ROAD COMPARED TO OFF ROAD. IT WOULD BE NICE IF WE COULD ALL AFFORD TO HAVE A PURE OFF ROADER FOR THE WEEK END BUT IN REALITY OUR DISCO HAS TO GET US TO WORK ECT.

NO TECHNICAL JARGON FROM ME JUST A PERSONAL BIT OF COMMON SENCE, DONT BE SUCKED INTO THINKING YOU NEED LOADS OF STUFF TO MAKE YOUR DISCO GO OFF ROAD COS YOU DONT.. SO THERE..LOL
 :shock:

CHEERS MINES A GUINESS GLYN.