Disco without Difflock vs Defender with Difflock

Right, Quick question probably easily answered by someone in the know but as im not:

Im taking my TD5 Disco to the mountains this winter as i work over there. At work we have TD5 110 Defenders. These have diff locks on the transfer box which i use when necessary.(i mean transfer box lever) My TD5 disco doesnt have one on the transfer box and im guessing doesn't have one. Will it have some computer aided traction control to work instead of it or am i frequently going to get stuck and get towed out by the Defenders.

Also i know its a long way off, but is there anything that i will need to do, Will i need to change the coolant/anifreeze.

It went down to below -20 and diesel turned gloopy in VW Vans - They didn't have fuel with additive in!!

The defenders are comical in the cold, doors freeze shut then swing open when your driving along etc, Will a disco be the same??

For some reason LR appeared to have done away with difflocks on early td5s and fitted traction control. but in reality they didn't change the transfer boxes until 2001 so all the early ones can have the difflock activated simply by adding the lever back on. I believe they were reintroduced in 2003. But even without difflock the traction control will still get you out of most sticky situations.

ah, well thats good to know, i was wondering why LR would remove something which is sort of at the heart of the car. I was beginning to think that series 2 discos were just big cars, and not propper 4x4.

No nasty comments please

As per redhand, above although the LRO mag did a off road test some time back and the Defender came out best. I've been in real thick mud driving a LR demo TD5 and it went through as if it was dry just with the TC, just amazing. The coolent/antifreeze at 50 50 will cope ok.

What Mountains?

Regards

A simple comparison is difficult, as there are other factors, particularly tyres. With a centre diff lock you can still come to a halt with one wheel spinning on each axle, with traction control if one wheel has grip, you should move, so traction control should be better. In the real world life isn't so simple, I think if it was a straight choice I would go for the diff lock, but in the ideal world I'd go for both.
Traction control won't help you if you brake half shaft!

ok cool, thanks for the info, i currently have usual M&S tyres, fairly good tread. Hope she will cope, in my experience, its the ice thats a killer, LRs will plough through just about any amount of fresh snow within reason, but ice, pain in the arse.

Is there any reason why they can't make all four wheels drive at same, so all drive is locked to all wheels??

Discool, Off to Alps again, Ski resort called Les Gets.

If you want locked drive to all 4 wheels you need to fit axle difflocks. LRs only have a centre difflock which locks the propshafts so both turn together.

ah that makes sense. Stupid question i spose!!

Range Rover and the RR Sport and maybe the D3 have the purchase option of a locking rear diff, as if they would ever go where it would be needed.

Davec said:

Traction control won't help you if you brake half shaft!

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but having the difflock spigiot there and not utilised certainly will...you can wind it on with a spanner...!

Traction control is outstanding, however difflock and traction control can only be better. Ashcroft do a kit for about £250. Selection of the difflock with or without ignition, will switch off TC if you want to overide it.

robpenrose said:

ok cool, thanks for the info, i currently have usual M&S tyres, fairly good tread. Hope she will cope, in my experience, its the ice thats a killer, LRs will plough through just about any amount of fresh snow within reason, but ice, pain in the arse.

Is there any reason why they can't make all four wheels drive at same, so all drive is locked to all wheels??

Discool, Off to Alps again, Ski resort called Les Gets.

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Get yourself a set a pukka snow tyres, a set of snow chains (buy them locally when you get there), put in some lower temp oil in the engine, renew the coolant with high quality low temp stuff etc etc.

All drive to all four wheels - you'l be wanting a Merc G-Wagon then sir. This "legendary" setup of Land Rover is actually quite pants when you realise that you can't, as standard, lock the axle diffs. Yes, I know you can buy extra stuff, but you can put that on any vehicle.

Where is Les Gets, I've done Val D'isère and some of the other alpine passes?

Cheers
Dave

Yeah defo going to do the coolant etc, is the oil necessary, think its already got stuff in that goes down to -40?

Les Gets is in the Portes Du Soleil, near Morzine and Avoriaz.

Another slightly off question, but im going to do the ERG blank, when its really cold, will the engine be very lumpy until properly warm??

robpenrose said:

Yeah defo going to do the coolant etc, is the oil necessary, think its already got stuff in that goes down to -40?

Les Gets is in the Portes Du Soleil, near Morzine and Avoriaz.

Another slightly off question, but im going to do the ERG blank, when its really cold, will the engine be very lumpy until properly warm??

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Sounds like the engine oil will be fine then, but as you'll be at altitude you need to ensure that the car will be breathe as good as poss, so De-EGR and and a new airfilter. Re the EGR and lumpy when cold, au contraire mon copain, if anything most people find that their engines run smoother without it.

Also, if your car has a cat, think about getting rid of it. My reasoning is that you should do everything possible to ensure good breathing (again!!) and the cat defo reduces the turbos chances of doing just that.

You might to considor taking of the viscous fan as you'll be in consistantly colder temps - this will help with quicker warm-ups. Keep it with you in the car and the associated spanner, just in case.