Help needed please with brakes/tyres/suspension

Hi everyone,

New to the joys of Landy ownership i'm asking for lots of advice please!

I've just bought a 1967 land rover but it really seems to be a case of having been fully re-built with mostly defender 90 parts. It's running a 300tdi with disc brakes on both axles and coil springs (looks like a standard 90 chassis). The engine seems good and the body work is spot on, but i will have to replace the rear crossmember soon.

It's got massive 35/12.50-15 tyres on 10" chrome 8 spokes. Maxxis crawler on the back and BF Goodrich mud terrain on the sharp (blunt!) end. The wheels tyres stick out a fair way from the standard arches. It's obviously had a lift because getting in and out is a feat in itself but i dont know how much it's been lifted! The shocks are yellow SuperGaz and the springs are yellow too! (not sure as what type). But it does look really menacing!!!

My question has probably been asked a million times before but here goes...!
The Handling is horrible! Really horrible!! I'm not really a fan of tyres this big and i'm wondering are they to blame, i live on a farm and also do some towing but i'm pretty sure the tyres are larger than i need? We also get snowed in most winters too. The ride is really really firm, and shakes the truck to pieces over every bump! It's a nightmare to keep the thing going in a straight line...especially when braking! Are the Super gaz shocks and springs any good or do i need to invest in a new suspension kit?

So what i would like to know before i buy any new bits is what is the best to go for in terms of tyres, brakes and suspension. Is it worth fitting anti roll bar kits to the front and back? the ones in Paddocks seem cheap enough. I'm looking for a compromise between occasional off road use on the farm, stable towing with my 3.5 ton ifor tipper trailer and smooth ride quality on the road (i dont expect it to ride like a Bmw X5!) The landy will also have to be our vehicle in the winter when the snow comes.. I dont mind replacing the spings/shocks/tyres/wheels but i do have a budget so cant go too mad!

I have already replaced the leaky steering box and VERY worn drop arm. I also replaced the steering damper with a Supergaz item along with the other track rod end on the other end of the steering linkage. I've booked the truck in to my local expert to have new brake lines and hoses fitted. He'll also be going through the whole brake system too. Are stainless hoses and/or the performance discs from Paddocks worth fitting?

Thankyou for getting this far and i'm sorry if i've bored any of you with asking a question that's been asked a 1000 times! Please let me know what you have discovered personally using the different set-ups available out there..

Thanks in advance

Jay

If the lift has been done on the cheap, it may not have been castor corrected, this could explain the vibrations. Also check your prop UJs, all your bushes, swivel preload and any wear on the panhard rod brackets/bolts. Stick some pics up, someone may be able to help...and we all likes pictures

If you have no need for the lift/huge tyres then maybe remove and sell those bits, using the money to buy a decent set of springs, shocks and tyres etc that are more suitable for your use

all that can be sorted but the only problem seams to be you have a defender running on series plates by the sounds of it

Boris113 said:

If the lift has been done on the cheap, it may not have been castor corrected, this could explain the vibrations. Also check your prop UJs, all your bushes, swivel preload and any wear on the panhard rod brackets/bolts. Stick some pics up, someone may be able to help...and we all likes pictures

If you have no need for the lift/huge tyres then maybe remove and sell those bits, using the money to buy a decent set of springs, shocks and tyres etc that are more suitable for your use

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Cheers Boris i'll sort some pics out asap and hopefully someone will be able to offer some advice on the best kit to buy

Does sound very strange how you basically have a defender (or 90) dressed up as a series. Where did you buy it? Was it a trustworthy seller? (sorry I know non of that helps with your problems, im just curious/nosey)

mark-d said:

all that can be sorted but the only problem seams to be you have a defender running on series plates by the sounds of it

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hi thanks for the post but not 100% sure what you mean by problem? I'm relatively new to the landy thing and when i bought it it had and still has current MOT and tax and all the numbers match in the logbook. It seems to be made up of parts of land rover from different years as in engine, chassis, body, gearbox and axles which is causing me problems locating the correct parts but what do you do when you cant get an original part and a later one fits and works much better? Someone has obviously spent a lot of time and money putting my landy together. i'm sure there are plenty of other land rovers out there made up of such parts and I have seen plenty of 'hybrids' for sale on sites such as ebay. I've already checked all the numbers against the logbook and with DVLA.Could anyone out there advise how to check it out or if it is a dud or maybe offer some advice on how to improve my suspension/brake/wheel issues.

There is a points system that works on how many original parts you change as to what it's still classed as, if you change the engine chassis suspension and bulkhead all the panels are changed, how can it still be a series? Or is it just a 300tdi defender that has had the I'd plates and reg of a series put on it? Not saying it is anything dodgy buy you should check, last thing you want is plod telling you it's a stolen car on false plates when you have spent loads of time and money on it.

You are right there is alot like this for sale but it doesn't mean they are ok, like I said it's just worth to look into it

mark-d said:

There is a points system that works on how many original parts you change as to what it's still classed as, if you change the engine chassis suspension and bulkhead all the panels are changed, how can it still be a series? Or is it just a 300tdi defender that has had the I'd plates and reg of a series put on it? Not saying it is anything dodgy buy you should check, last thing you want is plod telling you it's a stolen car on false plates when you have spent loads of time and money on it.

You are right there is alot like this for sale but it doesn't mean they are ok, like I said it's just worth to look into it

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Thanks for the info. Do you know where i could find the points system.

Is there anyone with any info on what suspension/brakes/wheels & tyres please

There is a search box at the top of the page, i just quickly picked this out for you
http://www.landyzone.co.uk/lz/f6/points-system-193425.html

mark-d said:

There is a search box at the top of the page, i just quickly picked this out for you
http://www.landyzone.co.uk/lz/f6/points-system-193425.html

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Thanks for the link. This is turning into a complete nightmare! i'm just wondering how the DVLA has issued a logbook with the early chassis number on? Was there a time years ago when this sort of thing was ok and the points system was put in place to stop it happening? Like i said before i really do not know what year all the parts are so have no idea of what i've got in total!

Was thinking of changing the title of the thread

skyelectrix said:

Was there a time years ago when this sort of thing was ok and the points system was put in place to stop it happening? L

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Could be... im not sure

Post some pics up, this will help people identify whats what with yours....

I think the points system came in about 97. Prior to that i think you could reuse old chassis and bits and bobs and no-one gave a stuff. But I have no proof of what I just said

skyelectrix said:

I've already checked all the numbers against the logbook and with DVLA.

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How? Where did you get the numbers from the landy?

Have a butchers at Land Rover VIN Checker Land Rover One Ten: Land Rover One Ten Blog and I'd peel back the paint on the dumb iron to see what you have down there and up some pics.

Oh yeah, and don't panic that you might have bought a dodgy landy

And a standard setup without a lift is more than enough for a farm.. as my sh*it covered wheels can attest to.