Unmodded disco - any good off-road

[davidjmiller]

Until the summer I owned a lifted 110 with a V8 and BFG MT's - it was great off-road. When it went I bought a standard disco, 1998 ES 300Tdi auto with no lift and standard tyres.

I find that I'm somewhat worried about taking it off-road and at one point actually decided that it would stay on tarmac until it had a lift and AT or MT's - and that will be a while.

BUT, this car deserves more respect does n't it??? it will cope ok off-road on road tyres and i'll actually learn how to drive porperly won't I?

Who does what with their unmodded Diso??

Thanks,

David

[mentalmoshio sophs V8i]

steering and diff guards id buy first. they do go better then u think they will cope on road tyres but climbing out of ruts not easy. slideing can be easily done on road tyres. guards save u money if u hit something

as for mud tyres. grizzlys will take u as far as u gonna go with standard height . front bumper can be a pain for clearance

[thermidorthelobster]

You'll be impressed.  Try it.  Tyres will be the first thing to change.

[python]

hi, i recently took mine up a local mountain, out of 25 l rovers only 8 made it too the top. two off which were standard disco's. mine is standard except diff gaurds and a scorpion track rod gauard, im going to take the track gaurd off as it digs in like a shovel. not fun :D

[redhand]

We did all this on a bog standard 300tdi disco  auto on road tyres (there's a pic of the tyres in the 1st link) and only got stuck once and that was because the towbar dug in on some deep ruts.

The photos on the 1st link have been posted in reverse order so the last one taken is the 1st one to come up.
http://s60.photobucket.com/albums/h8/Paul_Humphreys/4-11-07/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/11152660@N08/sets/72157602915336123

You'll be amazed how well they go. even on wet grass

[thermidorthelobster]

Come to think of it, driving up Sarn Helen Steps with a couple of modded 90s, my Disco (unmodded at the time) was the only one to make it to the top first time!  That was on road tyres too...  Traction Control on that one mind.

[Disco Matt]

In my experience the only thing that will give you trouble is that towbar - quite why Land Rover didn't fit a detachable one in the first place is beyond me.

BFG A/Ts do wonders for a Disco 1 on and off road - much more predictable than the road tyres mine had when I got it (which used to aquaplane and lock up with very little warning). The only other underbody mods on mine are a steering guard and diff guard. Considering the shape of the steering guard after one trip I think it was worth the money - a bent aluminium plate can be straightened, bent steering rods would need replacing!

[Gav_T]

Mine is totally standard bar the tyres (235/85/16 colway mt's) and i am amazed at where it will go!
The only time it struggles is when the tyres fill with mud, if it wasnt for this it would keep going  :)  :)

I was truly shocked first time i went out in it.

Gav.

[mentalmoshio sophs V8i]

Mine is totally standard bar the tyres (235/85/16 colway mt's) and i am amazed at where it will go!
The only time it struggles is when the tyres fill with mud, if it wasnt for this it would keep going  :)  :)

I was truly shocked first time i went out in it.

Gav.

we ve yet to see a pic yet with them tyres on standard height

[discowoman]

went laneing in a V8 3 door - bog standard and a 300Tdi 5 door Bog standard, only got stuck in the 300 as the ground was so soggy that it was catching even the off road prepped 88's out as well..be careful of sidesteps and towbars - and maybe the front valence ..

[ben_haynes]

Mine is totally standard bar the tyres (235/85/16 colway mt's) and i am amazed at where it will go!
The only time it struggles is when the tyres fill with mud, if it wasnt for this it would keep going  :)  :)

I was truly shocked first time i went out in it.

Gav.

we ve yet to see a pic yet with them tyres on standard height

they fit on standard discos just need the arch trimming a bit (or let your tyres do it for you)

[lee celtic]

Suck it and see :lol:  :lol:

Their brill off road in standard trim and if you don't try it you'll never know how much any improvments you've made have helped

[mentalmoshio sophs V8i]

Mine is totally standard bar the tyres (235/85/16 colway mt's) and i am amazed at where it will go!
The only time it struggles is when the tyres fill with mud, if it wasnt for this it would keep going  :)  :)

I was truly shocked first time i went out in it.

Gav.

we ve yet to see a pic yet with them tyres on standard height

they fit on standard discos just need the arch trimming a bit (or let your tyres do it for you)

still gonna hit the inner arch even with wheel arch flars on or major cut archs front and back

[ben_haynes]

only on full articulation abd how many times do normal greenlanes give you full articulation?

i have only been on a few and they were fairly extreme

[mentalmoshio sophs V8i]

only on full articulation abd how many times do normal greenlanes give you full articulation?

i have only been on a few and they were fairly extreme

Greenlaning in shiny disco  :shock:  try pay and play days there better and less damaging

[peasey]

mate,as said above the discovery is an awsome off road tool,i bought my first one as a mpv really oh and to tow our caravan and just sort of stumbled  in to off roading when i had to rescue my mate in a shogun stuck in a ploughed field(and yes i still take the wee out of him)and to be really honest here i was stunned and could do nothing but grin all the way home :D  :D  :D you have made the right choice mate :D  :D but get some under body protection as mentioned just to be on the safe side.

[Gav_T]

Here you go then 32's with no lift

[ben_haynes]

only on full articulation abd how many times do normal greenlanes give you full articulation?

i have only been on a few and they were fairly extreme

Greenlaning in shiny disco  :shock:  try pay and play days there better and less damaging

done greenlaning and done small scratches down sides and across roof

Pay and Play site and done this



go figure

[mentalmoshio sophs V8i]

did that to mine too from  the bullbar pushing the wing in in a tight mud run spot  . oct 05  at aston cantlow

as a new comer to the disco take it 2 the easier stuff first saves money

[crazymac]

as a new comer to the disco take it 2 the easier stuff first saves money

If you read the original post, you would see that he knows how to off road, its just the vehicle thats different"

Until the summer I owned a lifted 110 with a V8 and BFG MT's - it was great off-road. When it went I bought a standard disco, 1998 ES 300Tdi auto with no lift and standard tyres.

Both greenlaning and pay and play have their own quirks,

on a laning day, you should be taking it easy, and if liable to cause damage then you should consider turning back! its not a competition remember!!

On a pay and play on the other hand, tends to be more extreme and sometimes the red mist takes over and thats when damage occurs. Given a choice of a damage free day I'd head greenlaning everytime!! Not that you'd understand that in the slightest :roll:

I've greenlaned, Marshalled off road at hill rallies etc, attended pay and play sites and never backed off, and never damaged something that I couldn't drive home!! its all about knowing the capabilities of you AND your vehicle.

Davejmiller...................Get it off road, you will be pleasantly surprised!

[andrew2986]

Saw a standard Disco at Bures pay and play a little while ago, it went just about every where, the standard disco is a very capable beast,
Theres a guy goes out with us (spock) with a std V8 just has front steering guard and bfg AT's did all the red runs at woodlands no worries, alot of times its how you approach the track n front of you.
Andy

[ben_haynes]

Saw a standard Disco at Bures pay and play a little while ago, it went just about every where, the standard disco is a very capable beast,
Theres a guy goes out with us (spock) with a std V8 just has front steering guard and bfg AT's did all the red runs at woodlands no worries, alot of times its how you approach the track n front of you.
Andy

on the other hand there was a Guy who had a standard disco with road tyres having to be towed round tixover as it kept geting stuck

[davidjmiller]

wow, thanks guys, i've never posted on here and got such a reply so fast.

couple more points FYI:-

- I spent so much money getting the 110 fixed by damage I caused at P&P sites that the disco is only going greenlaning. TBH, I enjoy it more anyway.

- I do want a vehicle that will go pretty much any where and be very reliable (and I did n't buy a Toyota !!!) so I was thinking of a lift as much to keep it out of deep water as anything else (when global warming brings the weekly floods  :D  :D  :D ).

- You've all told me what i guess i already knew when I originally posted i.e. that this car is good out of the box. I'm gonna buy the following and then go out and see how often i'll get stuck and then maybe add the mods as they are required.....


not necessarily in this order....

(1) CB

(2) steering guard

(3) diff gaurds

(4) snorkel

All that lot should come to less than the price of a lift or a set of new tyres.

Thanks for all your help. I feel like i've got agood plan now so I'm off Christmas shopping on t'interweb.

Best wishes,

David

[python]

goodluck, remember the pics when your done.  :)

[Jeff J J]

Hi mate did this with a standerd Disco 300 Tdi the only mod was the Diff Guards get out there take it slow and even if you get stuck you should not brake any thing. Jeff
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=gT4DZ1tzqL0

[ben_haynes]

i would get a good set of AT tyres like BFG or GoodYear Wrangler and then go from there

trust me and ask people that know me

i had a set of 3rd/4th hand tyres that came of a electric / water board landy and were used buy the guy who i bought them and i got stuck every where then i tryed it on road tyres and i got stuck the same
then went and bought a new set of Muds and they are great

[muddyjames]

My disco is standard near enough in the respect of off road inhancing mods. I have only bolted on protection stuff for example snorkel and steering guard, tree sliders etc. I havent put a lift on or bigger tyres etc.

I have been amazed on where it will and wont go. I have taken mine to pay and play sites, greenlaning and even trialing.

Pay and play sites are good fun in a disco but the departure angle and restricts you more than the 110.

greenlanes, pretty good, never got stuck yet but have scratched some paint work but you cant help that.

trialing. I have beeten some 90's going around all tricked up.

When I had my v8 rangie for 6 weeks a few yaers back I went to a pay and play site on road tyres and I was managing to get places that some bob tailed rangies on huge mud tyres etc couldnt go. I didnt floor it up hills and let it crawl up unlike them trying to bury or cover thiers in mud!!! :lol:

Oh, I have trimmed my bumper though as I would prefer it trimmed by me than by a hill!

All the above is done with a plough on the back too.

also this summer I was helping run a festival and was towing out 6 wheel camper vans, 3tonne catering wagons accross extremely boggy muddy fields that other landy experts said there was no point in me even trying as I wouldnt be able to even drive over the fields with my bfg at's on. they were shocked to see me towing the various stuff. I think the auto helped alot.

I think you will be very pleasantly suprised where your disco will go.

[redhand]

Here's my 93 disco on road tyres going up a very steep railway embankment it took 3 goes because the towbar was digging in to the floor everytime I tried to get up the bank.

http://s41.photobucket.com/albums/e262/mikeboynton/?action=view&current=MOV00051.flv

[stuntman]

Hello chap, I went out with a few members arond ashbourne, I had standard height, road tyres and side steps. I got stuck once, but I was truely amazed at where I could go. I then went out with botts on here without the side steps (thanks mr anglegrinder) and I did stanage track without a problem.

I now have MT's and I'm now lifting the body :)

[Chris Putt]

My disco is still relatively standard, its standard height, but with steering guard, diff guards, snorkel, shortened towbar drop plate and Grabber AT2s. I am well impressed with it when its dryish/damp, but when its wet I really struggle on My AT2s.
It will go a surprising way before getting stuck. I use a pair of 90s at work and it will go some places they wont because its slightly longer wheelbase keeps it out of the 90 size holes! also it seems to keep wheels on the floor better a lot of the time!
want some muds for mine, so it you fancy a bargain set of ATs, mine will be coming up shortly..........
Chris