Discovery Towing Upgrades?

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"Dave Liquorice" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I travel down to Leeds fairly frequently in my old car I'd cruise just
> over 70, in the Disco I cruise just over 60. The trip is 100 miles and
> 2hrs it takes at most 10 mins longer in the Disco, not really worth
> bothering about.

Which is why many 101's are being converted to campers ;0)

Lee D


 
In article <[email protected]>,
[email protected] says...
> Hi Alex,
> call 01392 438833, and speak to either Graham or Marielouise
> Beck. Graham may be there Sat morning, but you may have to wait until
> Monday.
>
> Cheers
>
> Phillip Simpson
>
>
> On Sat, 10 Sep 2005 08:54:52 GMT, Alex Threlfall
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> >In article <[email protected]>,
> >[email protected] says...
> >> Zeus sell a vented disc kit that has the spacers etc you need. They
> >> also have the stainless steel pistons that are much better than the
> >> original LR plated pistons.
> >>
> >Do you have a link for this company btw?
>
>
Thanks
--
Alex Threlfall
Cyberprog New Media
www.cyberprog.net
tel - 0870 446 0789
fax - 0870 446 1789
 
In article <[email protected]>,
[email protected] says...
> On Fri, 09 Sep 2005 20:56:48 GMT, Alex Threlfall wrote:
>
> > Yup, but it would be nice to do 60 without the instability :) Time
> > is money unfortunatley!
>
> But the difference in arrival time between doing 55 and 60mph is just
> 5'30" (ish) over a 60 mile journey on a road that you can get up to
> speed and stay there for the full hour. No more than having to take a
> little longer over a very hot cup of coffee or a long pee because of
> too much coffee.
>
> I travel down to Leeds fairly frequently in my old car I'd cruise just
> over 70, in the Disco I cruise just over 60. The trip is 100 miles and
> 2hrs it takes at most 10 mins longer in the Disco, not really worth
> bothering about.
>
>
There's also an issue with the speed that when on the motorway if you're
crusing at <55mph you will get overtaken lots by trucks and coaches,
which create lots of wind turbulance (and the generator will rock from
side to side happily!).
Keeping the speed up tends to avoid the majority of this!
--
Alex Threlfall
Cyberprog New Media
www.cyberprog.net
tel - 0870 446 0789
fax - 0870 446 1789
 
In article <[email protected]>,
[email protected] says...
> On or around Fri, 09 Sep 2005 20:04:34 GMT, Alex Threlfall
> <[email protected]> enlightened us thusly:
>
> >In article <[email protected]>, [email protected] says...
> >> so Alex Threlfall was, like...
> >> > Hi All!
> >> >
> >> > I currently have an 1996 (N) Discovery 300TDI, and I was wondering if
> >> > there are any upgrades that can be done to improve towing speed and
> >> > stability. This landie has also done in excess of 100K miles, does
> >> > anything in the sway bar department need replacing after this sort of
> >> > milage?
> >> >
> >> > Ta in advance!
> >>
> >> Just had a Jeremy Fearn intercooler and chip upgrade done to my 300. Makes
> >> a useful difference to towing ability.
> >>
> >> As to stability - is it unstable at the moment? If not, leave it alone.
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >Yes, slightly when i get over about 55mph with the big genny behind, my
> >colleagues defender 110 (05 plate) will pull it happily at 70+ without
> >any issues.
> >
>
> The 110 is much stiffer sprung than the disco. One thing you can try is
> replacing the dampers (aka "shocks") and another thing you might consider is
> HD rear springs. I put HD 90 springs on the back of my disco, which are a
> touch stiffer, and this made it better behaved. The suspension on the
> disco, as on the RR, is very soft as standard, and this gives serious issues
> with the big trailer I tow - on my disco, now sold, it was better and so was
> the 110. Said big trailer has a very high hitch height, which I think makes
> it worse.
>
> Other things to check are noseweight (depending on trailer type) and tyre
> pressures.
>
>
Yep, stiffer springs are on my list of things to get, the trailer
doesn't have much nose weight, the generator is very very well balanced
on the trailer, with it's weight spread evenly between the axles.
--
Alex Threlfall
Cyberprog New Media
www.cyberprog.net
tel - 0870 446 0789
fax - 0870 446 1789
 
On Sun, 11 Sep 2005 10:56:10 GMT, Alex Threlfall wrote:

> There's also an issue with the speed that when on the motorway if
> you're crusing at <55mph you will get overtaken lots by trucks and
> coaches, which create lots of wind turbulance (and the generator
> will rock from side to side happily!). Keeping the speed up tends to
> avoid the majority of this!

Ah a valid point. At just over 60 I find that I'm going about 5mph
faster than the heavies, presumably they are limited to 56mph. Not
being able to keep up with the heavies is not good for the reason you
state and because they are limited they will get miffed off about
having to stay behind you or if they try and over take do so at
+1/2mph difference in speeds and take 20 miles to do it...

--
Cheers [email protected]
Dave. pam is missing e-mail



 
so Dave Liquorice was, like...
>
> Ah a valid point. At just over 60 I find that I'm going about 5mph
> faster than the heavies, presumably they are limited to 56mph.

Are they really? (I know they're supposed to be.) On the way to/from the
LRO show I was cruising with caravan (M4/M5) at 60 and I got overtaken by as
many lorries as I overtook.

For turbulence, I find that WVM in a Sprinter doing 90 causes a lot more
wobble than a massive juggernaut doing 60.


--
Rich
==============================
Disco 300 Tdi auto
S2a 88" SW
Tiggrr (V8 trialler)


 
In article <[email protected]>, Dave
Liquorice <[email protected]> writes
>On Sun, 11 Sep 2005 10:56:10 GMT, Alex Threlfall wrote:
>
>> There's also an issue with the speed that when on the motorway if
>> you're crusing at <55mph you will get overtaken lots by trucks and
>> coaches, which create lots of wind turbulance (and the generator
>> will rock from side to side happily!). Keeping the speed up tends to
>> avoid the majority of this!
>
>Ah a valid point. At just over 60 I find that I'm going about 5mph
>faster than the heavies, presumably they are limited to 56mph. Not
>being able to keep up with the heavies is not good for the reason you
>state and because they are limited they will get miffed off about
>having to stay behind you or if they try and over take do so at
>+1/2mph difference in speeds and take 20 miles to do it...

Probably shouldn't, but on the motorway I often slipstream in Marge -
makes an _enormous_ difference to the fuel consumption.

If I can catch an express coach, I get there faster too - but they often
speed and are hard to keep up with safely.



Regards,

Simonm.

--
simonm|at|muircom|dot|demon|.|c|oh|dot|u|kay
SIMON MUIR, UK INDEPENDENCE PARTY, BRISTOL www.ukip.org
EUROPEANS AGAINST THE EU www.members.aol.com/eurofaq
GT250A'76 R80/RT'86 110CSW TD'88 www.kc3ltd.co.uk/profile/eurofollie/
 
In article <[email protected]>,
[email protected] says...
> On Sun, 11 Sep 2005 10:56:10 GMT, Alex Threlfall wrote:
>
> > There's also an issue with the speed that when on the motorway if
> > you're crusing at <55mph you will get overtaken lots by trucks and
> > coaches, which create lots of wind turbulance (and the generator
> > will rock from side to side happily!). Keeping the speed up tends to
> > avoid the majority of this!
>
> Ah a valid point. At just over 60 I find that I'm going about 5mph
> faster than the heavies, presumably they are limited to 56mph. Not
> being able to keep up with the heavies is not good for the reason you
> state and because they are limited they will get miffed off about
> having to stay behind you or if they try and over take do so at
> +1/2mph difference in speeds and take 20 miles to do it...
>
>
THe limiters they use vary from about 53mph (flatbed 18tonners iirc) all
the way upto 60ish on most artics. However 7.5tonne trucks aren't
limited, nor are coaches :)
I tend to try and slipstream behind an big truck normally, but if you
can't keep up it's pointless!
--
Alex Threlfall
Cyberprog New Media
www.cyberprog.net
tel - 0870 446 0789
fax - 0870 446 1789
 
On Sun, 11 Sep 2005 15:39:39 +0100, Richard Brookman wrote:

> Are they really? (I know they're supposed to be.) On the way
> to/from the LRO show I was cruising with caravan (M4/M5) at 60 and I
> got overtaken by as many lorries as I overtook.

Maybe I ought to say that by "heavy" I mean an arctic rather than 7.5
tonne rigid. The latter can bat along quite quick but one assumes they
aren't on a tacho for some reason, tractor units can shift as well...

--
Cheers [email protected]
Dave. pam is missing e-mail



 
so Dave Liquorice was, like...
> On Sun, 11 Sep 2005 15:39:39 +0100, Richard Brookman wrote:
>
>> Are they really? (I know they're supposed to be.) On the way
>> to/from the LRO show I was cruising with caravan (M4/M5) at 60 and I
>> got overtaken by as many lorries as I overtook.
>
> Maybe I ought to say that by "heavy" I mean an arctic rather than 7.5
> tonne rigid. The latter can bat along quite quick but one assumes they
> aren't on a tacho for some reason, tractor units can shift as well...

"Heavies" too. Maybe as Alex says the limiters operate at varying speeds -
although I *thought* that all artics were limited to 56 by European law.

--
Rich
==============================
Disco 300 Tdi auto
S2a 88" SW
Tiggrr (V8 trialler)


 
In article <[email protected]>, [email protected] says...
> so Dave Liquorice was, like...
> > On Sun, 11 Sep 2005 15:39:39 +0100, Richard Brookman wrote:
> >
> >> Are they really? (I know they're supposed to be.) On the way
> >> to/from the LRO show I was cruising with caravan (M4/M5) at 60 and I
> >> got overtaken by as many lorries as I overtook.
> >
> > Maybe I ought to say that by "heavy" I mean an arctic rather than 7.5
> > tonne rigid. The latter can bat along quite quick but one assumes they
> > aren't on a tacho for some reason, tractor units can shift as well...
>
> "Heavies" too. Maybe as Alex says the limiters operate at varying speeds -
> although I *thought* that all artics were limited to 56 by European law.
>
>
Yeah, i think the limiter depends on the class of vehicle.
--
Alex Threlfall
Cyberprog New Media
www.cyberprog.net
tel - 0870 446 0789
fax - 0870 446 1789
 
In message <[email protected]>, Alex
Threlfall <[email protected]> writes
>In article <[email protected]>,
>[email protected] says...
>> On or around Fri, 09 Sep 2005 20:04:34 GMT, Alex Threlfall
>> <[email protected]> enlightened us thusly:
>>
>> >In article <[email protected]>, [email protected] says...
>> >> so Alex Threlfall was, like...
>> >> > Hi All!
>> >> >
>> >> > I currently have an 1996 (N) Discovery 300TDI, and I was wondering if
>> >> > there are any upgrades that can be done to improve towing speed and
>> >> > stability. This landie has also done in excess of 100K miles, does
>> >> > anything in the sway bar department need replacing after this sort of
>> >> > milage?
>> >> >
>> >> > Ta in advance!
>> >>
>> >> Just had a Jeremy Fearn intercooler and chip upgrade done to my
>> >>300. Makes
>> >> a useful difference to towing ability.
>> >>
>> >> As to stability - is it unstable at the moment? If not, leave it alone.
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>
>> >Yes, slightly when i get over about 55mph with the big genny behind, my
>> >colleagues defender 110 (05 plate) will pull it happily at 70+ without
>> >any issues.
>> >
>>
>> The 110 is much stiffer sprung than the disco. One thing you can try is
>> replacing the dampers (aka "shocks") and another thing you might consider is
>> HD rear springs. I put HD 90 springs on the back of my disco, which are a
>> touch stiffer, and this made it better behaved. The suspension on the
>> disco, as on the RR, is very soft as standard, and this gives serious issues
>> with the big trailer I tow - on my disco, now sold, it was better and so was
>> the 110. Said big trailer has a very high hitch height, which I think makes
>> it worse.
>>
>> Other things to check are noseweight (depending on trailer type) and tyre
>> pressures.
>>
>>
>Yep, stiffer springs are on my list of things to get, the trailer
>doesn't have much nose weight, the generator is very very well balanced
>on the trailer, with it's weight spread evenly between the axles.
Too little can be as big a problem as too much. Might be worth checking
it.
--
hugh
 
On or around Sun, 11 Sep 2005 15:39:39 +0100, "Richard Brookman"
<[email protected]> enlightened us thusly:

>so Dave Liquorice was, like...
>>
>> Ah a valid point. At just over 60 I find that I'm going about 5mph
>> faster than the heavies, presumably they are limited to 56mph.
>
>Are they really? (I know they're supposed to be.) On the way to/from the
>LRO show I was cruising with caravan (M4/M5) at 60 and I got overtaken by as
>many lorries as I overtook.

after a certain date, in theory, they're limited to 90 kph. However...
vehicles used solely for domestic haulage can be limited to 60 mph, and I'm
not sure all the foreign ones are limited either - in theory, it's all the
EU countries...

.... and that's without the people who know which fuse has to fail to stop
the limiter working...
--
Austin Shackles. www.ddol-las.net my opinions are just that
"'Tis a mad world, my masters" John Taylor (1580-1633) Western Voyage, 1
 
On or around Sun, 11 Sep 2005 18:40:29 GMT, Alex Threlfall
<[email protected]> enlightened us thusly:

>In article <[email protected]>, [email protected] says...
>> so Dave Liquorice was, like...
>> > On Sun, 11 Sep 2005 15:39:39 +0100, Richard Brookman wrote:
>> >
>> >> Are they really? (I know they're supposed to be.) On the way
>> >> to/from the LRO show I was cruising with caravan (M4/M5) at 60 and I
>> >> got overtaken by as many lorries as I overtook.
>> >
>> > Maybe I ought to say that by "heavy" I mean an arctic rather than 7.5
>> > tonne rigid. The latter can bat along quite quick but one assumes they
>> > aren't on a tacho for some reason, tractor units can shift as well...
>>
>> "Heavies" too. Maybe as Alex says the limiters operate at varying speeds -
>> although I *thought* that all artics were limited to 56 by European law.
>>
>>
>Yeah, i think the limiter depends on the class of vehicle.

only goods vehicles between 3.5 and 7.5 T gross are unlimited, and they're
not allowed to go over 70 any more than you are in your car.
--
Austin Shackles. www.ddol-las.net my opinions are just that
"'Tis a mad world, my masters" John Taylor (1580-1633) Western Voyage, 1
 
On or around Sun, 11 Sep 2005 10:54:20 GMT, Alex Threlfall
<[email protected]> enlightened us thusly:

>In article <[email protected]>,
>[email protected] says...
>> Hi Alex,
>> call 01392 438833, and speak to either Graham or Marielouise
>> Beck. Graham may be there Sat morning, but you may have to wait until
>> Monday.
>>
>> Cheers
>>
>> Phillip Simpson
>>
>>
>> On Sat, 10 Sep 2005 08:54:52 GMT, Alex Threlfall
>> <[email protected]> wrote:
>>
>> >In article <[email protected]>,
>> >[email protected] says...
>> >> Zeus sell a vented disc kit that has the spacers etc you need. They
>> >> also have the stainless steel pistons that are much better than the
>> >> original LR plated pistons.
>> >>
>> >Do you have a link for this company btw?
>>
>>
>Thanks

Paddock will sell you SS pistons, as well. But probably not the vented disc
kit.

Vented discs only useful if you've had problems with brake fade, which TBH
I've not had on any of my discos, nor on the 110 with it's disc/drum setup.
--
Austin Shackles. www.ddol-las.net my opinions are just that
"'Tis a mad world, my masters" John Taylor (1580-1633) Western Voyage, 1
 
In news:eek:[email protected],
Austin Shackles <[email protected]> blithered:
> On or around Sun, 11 Sep 2005 18:40:29 GMT, Alex Threlfall
> <[email protected]> enlightened us thusly:
>
>> In article <[email protected]>, [email protected]
>> says...
>>> so Dave Liquorice was, like...
>>>> On Sun, 11 Sep 2005 15:39:39 +0100, Richard Brookman wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Are they really? (I know they're supposed to be.) On the way
>>>>> to/from the LRO show I was cruising with caravan (M4/M5) at 60
>>>>> and I got overtaken by as many lorries as I overtook.
>>>>
>>>> Maybe I ought to say that by "heavy" I mean an arctic rather than
>>>> 7.5 tonne rigid. The latter can bat along quite quick but one
>>>> assumes they aren't on a tacho for some reason, tractor units can
>>>> shift as well...
>>>
>>> "Heavies" too. Maybe as Alex says the limiters operate at varying
>>> speeds - although I *thought* that all artics were limited to 56 by
>>> European law.
>>>
>>>
>> Yeah, i think the limiter depends on the class of vehicle.
>
> only goods vehicles between 3.5 and 7.5 T gross are unlimited, and
> they're not allowed to go over 70 any more than you are in your car.

NOR 60 on a single carriageway road!!
--
"He who says it cannot be done should not interrupt her doing it."

If at first you don't succeed,
maybe skydiving's not for you!


 
On Mon, 12 Sep 2005 07:33:57 +0100, Austin Shackles
<[email protected]> wrote:

>On or around Sun, 11 Sep 2005 10:54:20 GMT, Alex Threlfall
><[email protected]> enlightened us thusly:
>
>>In article <[email protected]>,
>>[email protected] says...
>>> Hi Alex,
>>> call 01392 438833, and speak to either Graham or Marielouise
>>> Beck. Graham may be there Sat morning, but you may have to wait until
>>> Monday.
>>>
>>> Cheers
>>>
>>> Phillip Simpson
>>>
>>>
>>> On Sat, 10 Sep 2005 08:54:52 GMT, Alex Threlfall
>>> <[email protected]> wrote:
>>>
>>> >In article <[email protected]>,
>>> >[email protected] says...
>>> >> Zeus sell a vented disc kit that has the spacers etc you need. They
>>> >> also have the stainless steel pistons that are much better than the
>>> >> original LR plated pistons.
>>> >>
>>> >Do you have a link for this company btw?
>>>
>>>
>>Thanks
>
>Paddock will sell you SS pistons, as well. But probably not the vented disc
>kit.
>
>Vented discs only useful if you've had problems with brake fade, which TBH
>I've not had on any of my discos, nor on the 110 with it's disc/drum setup.

Did it on the Disco - got the spacers from Zeus and the disks, kevlar
pads and stainless hoses from David (aka Llama 4x4). The brakes were
transformed. For motorway driving the vented discs are of doubtful
value - you shouldn't be braking hard repeatedly which is where fade
comes in. If you drive through Milton Keynes a lot it's a different
matter (once missed the roundabout stop line by a full 5 metres there
once, on about the 8th 60mph to nil roundabout stop in 5 minutes).
That was in a Ford Mondeo BTW with vented disks!

By the time you've added it up, you may not be far off the cost of
buying 6-pot calipers from the front of a 110, which would probably be
better again, assuming they'd fit.

Back to the OP, my hit list would be suspension first (good dampers,
new springs), bushes (rubber ones) followed by a brake upgrade.


--

Tim Hobbs

'58 Series 2 88" aka "Stig"
'03 Volvo V70
 
On Mon, 12 Sep 2005 16:22:11 +0100, Tim Hobbs wrote:

> If you drive through Milton Keynes a lot it's a different matter
> (once missed the roundabout stop line by a full 5 metres there
> once, on about the 8th 60mph to nil roundabout stop in 5 minutes).
> That was in a Ford Mondeo BTW with vented disks!

Had the brakes fade on my Mondeo but that was almost at the bottom of
Hartside, bit alarming approaching a sharp bend with drystone walls on
the outside and finding the brakes don't work particulary well and get
worse the more you apply them... At least I could use the hand brake!
After that I started to use the gears rather more when when going down
Hartside...

For those that don't know Hartside it is the section of the A686
between Melmerby and Hartside Cafe on the North Pennines. It's a
rather nice driving road that drops the best part of 1500' in about 4
miles, lots of bends but several sections were you can see well ahead
and safely use all the road (scares the tourists...) B-)

--
Cheers [email protected]
Dave. pam is missing e-mail



 
On Mon, 12 Sep 2005 07:31:01 +0100, Austin Shackles
<[email protected]> scribbled the following nonsense:

>... and that's without the people who know which fuse has to fail to stop
>the limiter working...

And is easy to spot on the tacho disc as the speed line becomes a flat
line instead of a spikey line when traveling at the limiter speed
because if you just pull the fuse, the tacho will record your exact
speed. Because tacho discs are inspected by employers to verify
drivers hours are being adhered to, and plod can demand your tacho
disc on the side of the road if they pull you or have a smash, neither
option is a good idea!
--

Simon Isaacs

Peterborough 4x4 Club Newsletter Editor and Webmaster
Green Lane Association (GLASS) Commercial Officer
101 Ambi, undsergoing camper conversion
Part owner of 1976 S3 LWT, Fully restored, ready for sale! Make me an offer!
Suzuki SJ410 (Wife's) 3" lift kit fitted, body shell now restored and mounted on chassis, waiting on a windscreen and MOT
Series 3 88" Rolling chassis...what to do next
1993 200 TDi Discovery
1994 200 TDi Discovery body sheel, being bobbed and modded.....
1979 Range Ruster body shell and chassis
 
On or around Mon, 12 Sep 2005 19:52:07 +0000 (UTC), Simon Isaacs
<[email protected]> enlightened us thusly:

>On Mon, 12 Sep 2005 07:31:01 +0100, Austin Shackles
><[email protected]> scribbled the following nonsense:
>
>>... and that's without the people who know which fuse has to fail to stop
>>the limiter working...
>
>And is easy to spot on the tacho disc as the speed line becomes a flat
>line instead of a spikey line when traveling at the limiter speed
>because if you just pull the fuse, the tacho will record your exact
>speed. Because tacho discs are inspected by employers to verify
>drivers hours are being adhered to, and plod can demand your tacho
>disc on the side of the road if they pull you or have a smash, neither
>option is a good idea!

don't stop people doing it though. I knew one driver who carried a
pre-blown fuse with him to swap in...
--
Austin Shackles. www.ddol-las.net my opinions are just that
"All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others"
George Orwell (1903 - 1950) Animal Farm
 
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