Author Topic: Golfyste......it's Disco time!  (Read 13797 times)

Offline golfyste

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Golfyste......it's Disco time!
« on: 16 November 2013, 03:23 »
As some of you have already seen on my other build thread I decided to buy a 4x4 for the winter while I take the golf off the road to do some engine work etc.

I spent about a month searching with the necessities being: it was lifted, big wheels, has a tow bar and was under £1500. I eventually decided I wanted a land river discovery as they were about the right price and nice and big so can handle towing the bike trailor.

After a long search I found the perfect candidate!
No tax and only a couple of weeks Mot but had only I done 100miles since the last mot and the seller was very positive there was not rust in the usual places and was very solid so we went to go and view it!

My dad in the drivers seat! Haha



It's an absoloute beast! Body lift, suspension lift, extended shocks, sump gaurd, diff Gaurds, dislocation cones on the back, safari snorkel, britpart winch, roof bar with spot lights, lower ratio defender transfer box, tow bar and big tyres!!  :grin:

The seller was very honest as there was literally no rust in any off the known common weak points!
Sadly I was abit put off at first as it's only a 2.0l petrol but I decided I would have it get it on the road drive it over the winter and if I fall in love with it drop a v8 in there!  :laugh:

A few pics when I got it home!








There was a few little problems that needed sorted which have all been sorted over the last week  :cool:
Which included:

Bonnet not closing - seized linkage - greased and adjusted
Passenger door not opening - broken spring within door latch
Slightly rusty scratch on roof - rust cure and painted
Rust on winch bumper - cleaned and painted
New wipers
Spotlight covers rusty - cleaned and painted
Numberplate light out - wired in new holder as old one was nackered!

I've also given it a good service and check over including oil, filter and plugs

I have had to do one but of welding as I found 2 small 10p sized holes in the passenger footwell and after a little poke they looked like this



So I made up a plate



And started welding it up



After welding I used tiger seal to make sure it was all sealed above and below then gave it a lick if paint!




I also found that the front springs Wernt seated properly and u put it down to the extended shocks allowing the spring to go loose on full articulation so I purchased some terrafirm spring retainers and dislocation cones, stripped the suspension down and also decided to clean and paint the springs while I was there!
Just a few pics of the little job.












You can now see that on full articulation the spring is loose but gets caught on the cone so then relocates when lowered  :cool:

I've also ordered a couple of tow straps with shackles and chucked some chequer plate and a hi-lift jack in the boot so we're nearly ready to go out and play!  :grin:

Mot is next week....just in time for the forecasted snow  :grin:
« Last Edit: 16 November 2013, 17:03 by golfyste »


R-tech custom remap - k04-001- 250bhp/311ftlb  :grin:

"Project track car" has begun :grin:

http://www.golfgtiforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=247202.0

Offline Diamond Hell

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Re: Golfyste......it's Disco time!
« Reply #1 on: 18 November 2013, 08:44 »
Shackles = bad because if your tow-point fails you have a mighty missile at the end of your rope.  Try and use tow points that don't need shackles wherever possible.

'Tow straps' = probably not really strong enough or long enough = bad - you really want a proper woven 4.5m long 8tonne tow rope from somewhere like this AWFUL website: http://www.dborc.co.uk/goodwinch/

Oh dear - I've just spotted this is a 2.0 petrol Disco.  :grin:
Just because you're offended doesn't make you right.

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Offline golfyste

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Re: Golfyste......it's Disco time!
« Reply #2 on: 18 November 2013, 13:52 »
Good point about the shackles dude I will keep it in mind!

As for the straps they are proper slings, 1 is 6m long and one is 4.5m both with a swl of 5T  :smiley:




Yeah I know it's a bit if a let down being a 2l but I bought it due to the amount of kit it has and also the lack of rust! You can pick rover v8's up for pennies these days so I may look at a conversion in the future!  :evil:


R-tech custom remap - k04-001- 250bhp/311ftlb  :grin:

"Project track car" has begun :grin:

http://www.golfgtiforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=247202.0

Offline Diamond Hell

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Re: Golfyste......it's Disco time!
« Reply #3 on: 19 November 2013, 15:45 »
I wouldn't trust those in use to recover my SJ.

Use only around the back of trees when you're winching and get a proper tow rope for anything else PLEASE!
Just because you're offended doesn't make you right.

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Offline Steve_PD

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Re: Golfyste......it's Disco time!
« Reply #4 on: 20 November 2013, 11:00 »
What about snatch straps? Thats all they use over here in the land of the 4x4 and shackles are also a must at all the 4x4 clubs :huh:
I often wonder why people never expect sarcastic comments from me - they're the only reason I speak...

Offline Diamond Hell

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Re: Golfyste......it's Disco time!
« Reply #5 on: 20 November 2013, 19:22 »
I'm guessing you mean Kinetic Energy Recovery Ropes (KERRs)?

They may have their place in some people's plans, but I've never used one and they're filled with risk because of the amount of energy stored within them.

They also have a limited life-span: you're putting massive stress on them every time you use them.  They're supposed to be jettisoned after so many uses.  You have no way of knowing how many times they've been used, when some goon turns up with one, or what condition the structure of the rope is in - hence the massive no go for me, or most off-road clubs.

Australians generally have very well prepared vehicles, with properly welded on tow-points, unlike in the UK where vehicles turn up at events in the most terribly prepared condition - believe me, I've seen it.

If a 4x4 breaks down, or gets stuck in the UK you're at most 10-20 miles away from a road.  In Australia if you break down or get stuck you may well be dead.  :grin:

They also don't have rust issues like we do, due to the climate!

HOWEVER, just because Australians are doing something doesn't make it right, Steve :grin: .  A shackle is still a missile when something fails!
Just because you're offended doesn't make you right.

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Offline golfyste

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Re: Golfyste......it's Disco time!
« Reply #6 on: 30 November 2013, 20:24 »
What is it that makes the straps so bad?

I'm not saying your wrong but they have proper swl's and they are the same type of stars as what we use at work and many other people use for living heave equipment and machinery so they can't be that bad surely?

Il have to look into gettin a rope as well I guess.

Been slacking on the updates and haven't got many photos but I will write a update tonight  :cool:


R-tech custom remap - k04-001- 250bhp/311ftlb  :grin:

"Project track car" has begun :grin:

http://www.golfgtiforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=247202.0

Offline golfyste

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Re: Golfyste......it's Disco time!
« Reply #7 on: 30 November 2013, 21:22 »
Okay so a bit of a update!
As said I've been slacking on the updates and haven't really been taking many photos due to trying to get this on the road!!

I found that when road testing it i discovered that under heavy braking there was a very hard (and dangerous) pull to the right! to the extent of which it threw you into the wrong side of the road! so i've been doing all sorts to try and find what the problem was and happily i can say that i have eventually sorted it!

Ok i'm going to start by saying that i didn't know there was braking problem until after i installed this lot haha so dont come at me with saying i need to get my priorities straight as as soon as i discovered the braking problem i dropped all this haha


i removed The 2 rear subs in the tailgate to find this!!



They were absoloutly destroyed so i thought i would replace them and also decided to uprate the rest of the speakers while i was at it as they sounded pretty terrible!  :laugh:

I found some 6x9's in the loft and decided i would replace the standard 10cm ones in the rear with them as there is enough space behind them whereas there isn't in the front so i bought some alpine 10cm's for the front



Subs fitted and sound great!



And i got a new sticker for the rear window  :grin:



Ok this is when i found the braking problem and its where the photos got forgotton about as i have been too busy trying to sort it to think about the camera haha

i Started by checking the calipers and found that the front left had 2 pistons that seemed to be sticking a little a small amount but they were far from seized so i thought they would be fine i also bled the brakes but it didnt make a difference

i found that the radius arm bushes were quite work so i set about removing the arms and pressing out the old bushed and replacing them with new ones but it didnt make a difference

I set the tracking which was slightly out so i got them near parallel but it didn't make a difference  :undecided:

I checked several times for any play in everything in the steering and drivetrain but found nothing apart from slight play in the front offside wheel bearing so i also replaced that but it didn't make a difference

I decided that it must have been the slightly sticking pistons so i bought a new caliper for £35

I fitted that today and it was ever so slightly better but still dangerous i then proceeded to switching the brake lines on the splitter block so that the front brakes were being fed from the opposite port to check  it wasn't the splitter causing the problem but it didn't make a difference!

NOw i wish i had thought of the next part earlier but like a idiot i let it glide over my head haha
i assumed that the brake line was ok as it was a braided stainless line and didnt look that old but the only thing i could think to do next was remove it and hey presto! it was blocked with loads of gunk which was restricting the fluid! DOH!!

Anyway i replaced the hose with a spare one i had lieing around and the problem has been solved!!  :grin:

It now braking true and is ready for its test on monday at 3:30!  :cool:

i also decided to make a hi-lift adaptor like the one below. this is nearly done and just needs drilling and bolting on  :cool:



Next jobs are:
Fit the 6x9's
Finish the adaptor
Packing the boot with essentials
Clean the car out and fit new seat covers
look at gettin a portable air compressor so i can lower and raise the tyre pressure while im out
And then get myself out and enjoy it!!  :evil:

 The compressor im looking at....
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/T-MAX-4X4-ADVENTURER-HEAVY-DUTY-12V-PORTABLE-AIR-COMPRESSOR-TYRE-PUMP-/330916498765?pt=UK_Recovery_Tools&hash=item4d0c290d4d



R-tech custom remap - k04-001- 250bhp/311ftlb  :grin:

"Project track car" has begun :grin:

http://www.golfgtiforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=247202.0

Offline Diamond Hell

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Re: Golfyste......it's Disco time!
« Reply #8 on: 03 December 2013, 14:56 »
As for the straps they are proper slings, 1 is 6m long and one is 4.5m both with a swl of 5T  :smiley:

Recommended rope rating is 8tonne.

I've seen a LOT of straps snap over the past few years, yet never seen a correctly specified rope snap.  :huh:

Tells you something.
Just because you're offended doesn't make you right.

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Offline golfyste

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Re: Golfyste......it's Disco time!
« Reply #9 on: 31 December 2013, 19:01 »
I'll probably look at getting a rope but i don't think I'm going to be doin much extreme stuff as I need it to work while ok building the golf! Haha

Ok same as my golf thread I've not updated this in ages because I've been busy but thought I should update this!
It's mainly just gonna be a few little pictures of me greenlaning and also of when I broke it haha

I did most of my todo list including fitting the speakers, seat covers, finishing the adapter for the jack etc

Ok a few pics from a bit of greenlaning




















And this is the hill that killed it!  :laugh:
I did it twice and then like a fool got carried away and went up it a little too ......."enthusiastically"  :laugh:





And the result......dead diff! Haha



















I broke it on a Thursday and managed to drive it home by locking the centre diff and driving in front wheel drive
I was off work the Friday do stripped it down and found the problem then I sorced a diff went and fetched it and fitted it that night to drive to work in the morning!
Think I may have to be a little more careful on future as I don't really want to break down! Haha

Also a little vid of me getting up successfully haha
 http://youtu.be/fx01PrsfRcg




R-tech custom remap - k04-001- 250bhp/311ftlb  :grin:

"Project track car" has begun :grin:

http://www.golfgtiforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=247202.0