New toy and a couple of problems

Ebay is a dangerous place. Thought this would just be a case of a new bumper and away we go. However on the 25 mile drive home there was a couple of issues. Tyres catching on full lock and very vague steering (felt like 4in of play). I didn't dare go above 40mph. Half of me is wishing I'd never bought it, the other half is grinning like a Cheshire cat. Last owner added a 2in lift and almost new tyres and wheels.

The tyres are they hitting the front arms or are they hittin the bumper. You may need to adjust the steering bumps or dont turn it to full lock or to the point it hits.

The vague steering could be bushes so check all the suspension bushes and all the bushes on arms track rods everything.

I'll need to adjust the stops, its hitting the front arms. I got a set of 6 steel wheels with the car and intend to get some less extreme tyres for day to day use. Just need to sort that steering out first. There are a few other jobs, like badly fitted chequer plate stopping the back door opening and the sills are badly repaired on drivers side. Interior needs some TLC as well.

Is it worth adding some wheel spacers to keep the turning circle decent?

That lift kit is great for being nosey...

Nice to see another 3door. May not be as practical as a family car but the design/proportions make it look so much better than the common as muck 5door. Hope you get things sorted.

Yoyodyne said:

Nice to see another 3door. May not be as practical as a family car but the design/proportions make it look so much better than the common as muck 5door. Hope you get things sorted.

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Common as muck only because Land-Rover didn't do three doors with the vehicle spec that most owners wanted.

Is it the hequer plate stopping the door open8ng or the rear bumper after a hard hit offroading bent up. The steering issue will be bushes so check them all over the car as it could be the rear allowing the axle to move slightly.

What size tyres are those on there?
Coz my truck has 30mm spacers and I didn't need to adjust the steering stops when I fitted 235/85s.
Wheel spacers seem v good so far

About vague steering, I agree with haigy, check your bushes.
Looks a reasonably good buy

Check all the bars up front amd the bjs for wear. Vague steering is a worry on a disco; my father in laws steering arm bj wore so bad it fell off the bottom cup part and took him up a vege onto its side. Check em!

haigy said:

Is it the hequer plate stopping the door open8ng or the rear bumper after a hard hit offroading bent up..

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I think you might have something there, the tow bar has some mud packed behind it, as if its been used as a plough. Might need the BFH.
The only advisory on the MOT in March was slight play on the lower axle swivel joints. The lift and wheels were fitted after the MOT, so probably exacerbated any play in other components. Hopefully I'll get time to get under there and have a look this evening. At least I won't need ramps.
The 3 doors are ideal for me, I'll probably remove the back seats so I can fit more bails of hay in there.

All worth checking mate.i go to meathop fell alot with the kids and my van av to pop down and see it next time im up there

Shouldn't yer rear mud flap be behind the wheel ?

I think I found the problem

YouTube link

ecotack said:

I think I found the problem

YouTube link

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That'll do it. Can't see exactly where the play is on my phone but finding it is half the battle

If its the drop arm ball joint they can be a bit of a bugger so buying a complete drop arm is quite a popular option in case you need to cut the old one off.

I've had that same type of thing on my old RRC, the pitman arm securing nut came loose on the end of the splined drop shaft of the steering box, we had been on many hundreds of miles of corrugated dirt roads in central Australia at the time. Simple fix was repair the lock tab washer and re-tighten and tab the nut, no more issues.

Gazbo said:

Simple fix was repair the lock tab washer and re-tighten and tab the nut, no more issues.

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I'll give that a try tomorrow. I'd assumed the steering box was worn and I needed a new one.

ecotack said:

I'll give that a try tomorrow. I'd assumed the steering box was worn and I needed a new one.

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Looking carefully at that vid you made, I can clearly see that the arm moves but the exposed end of thread on the splined drop shaft is quite stable.
It is possible that if it has been loose and sloppy for along while the spline could be worn and not tighten, I'd remove the nut and pull the pitman off the spline and check it out, you would not want it to strip out when on the motorway, Disco's handle a bit like four masted sailing ships as it is.
When I did the repair to our RRC we were out in the desert and the spline was still in reasonable condition, so basically it just tightened up on the spline taper and got us home ok.

Once I bent the locking washer out of the way the nut was only finger tight. Unfortunatly I don't have a socket or spanner big enough, even my big adjustable was slightly too small, so had to use the pipe pliers. I hope its tight enough. Appears to have done the trick.

Next on the list is the rear step/back door, then the sills.

I very much doubt that will be tight enough you need to buy\beg\borrow\steal the right size socket as it needs to be TIGHT.Cant remember torque setting off hand but i usually do them up with a windy gun then nip them up with torque wrench