Disco 1 Steering protection - Straw Poll

Hi All
I'm becoming obsessed with giving the steering rods on my Disco the best overall protection I can afford before the onset of winter and the inevitably treacherous conditions off-road that come with it.
Having scoured various forums and weighed up the various pros and cons I'm still undecided.
The way I see it there's a choice of either installing a steering guard, or simply upgrading the steering rods to something a bit more heavy duty. As I can't seem to make my own mind up over this I'd like to ask fellow Disco drivers to put forward a case for either option, based upon their own experiences.
In terms of usage I'm planning on doing a lot of greenlaning (some in the dark), and the occasional P&P over the coming months.
Thanks in advance.

Do both? You can still bend HD rods, or break other bits if you hit something hard.

On the other hand, steering guards can get stuck on things and act like a plough if you need to get out of deep snot backwards

A good quality set of HD arms and TRE's seem to work well. A recent club trip left Dad's RRC with very bent steering arms (and scuffed new BFGs ) and another guy who was there in his D1 gave his truck a far bigger hammering, and I think his HD arms were the only things back unscathed! As 'theflyingvegetable' said, guards can get caught up, especially in reverse. I'd try a good quality set of HD arms and TRE's and see how who go. I'd also consider moving the damper (Terrafirma sells a relocation kit or you can make them yourself).

Thanks for the replies.
Based on the above I think I'll go with the HD steering rods for now, and see how that works out for me.
Replacing the rods seems straightforward, but do you have any advice on relocating the dampers? Is it a horrible job or relatively straightforward?

Sorry if the question seems a bit basic, but I'm still on a steep learning curve when it comes to cars. It's one of the main reasons I bought a Landy

Should be relatively easy. Either buy a kit or make your own. If you make your own I should be able to get some photos if you like.

have a look on gywn lewis site, he has a guard that encloses the rear steering bar, bolting to the diff, top quality product

Hi Johnlad

That looks like a nice bit of kit, and unless I'm mistaken it looks like you can bolt a diff guard on to it aswell. Incidentally a front diff guard is also on my wish list......

I've got some HD steering bars from this chap - not stainless steel though: Encompass 4X4
I also got the extra relocation kit which is brilliant, though I'll still put my bash plate on when I get a chance - there's just no way that a bit of 30mm bar isn't going to bend if you boing it on a rock with a 2 tonne hammer

Make sure whatever HD bars you get, that they're the best. There's different grades, and personally, steering something I wouldn't skimp on. Sumo Bars are definitely a good brand. RTE and Rock Ware are also good

I think after looking at Terrafirma HD bars, GL/Sumo bars etc, they all looked a bit wimpy compared to the Encompass ones, and I got a very good deal on the steel ones as he only had a few left - I think the stainless ones are still cost competitive, but much more beefy. THe chap even said I could upgrade to a 35mm bar, but I think that is a bit over kill for my needs, as the standard HD ones I bought are solid bar anyway

AdamL - my SS Encompass 4x4 bars arrived yesterday and were fitted this morning. My standard steering bar (with ball joints) and with a Dan-Bar fitted is up for grabs at £35.

Hi All, an update on where I currently am with protecting my steering...

So I went ahead and bought the tracking rod guard from Gywn Lewis, got it home with plans of installing it over the weekend, only to be reminded that the steering damper on my Disco is on the tracking rod, and not the steering rods. So, once I'd removed the egg from my face I decided that I would push-on with installing the guard (especialy as I've already got my heart set on a fron diff guard). Due to other commitments this won't happen now for a couple of weeks.

So, my next question is......Has anyone modified the tracking rod guard to allow for the damper, or am I better off removing the damper and relocating it to the steering rods at the front?

Note to self - Check and double check what you actually have fitted to your truck before ordering add-ons

All I did to my Disco was use HD bars and a steering guard. I didn't relocate the damper, indeed I never used it after it broke and locked steering up ...

Since I changed the axles from the Disco to my 90 I still don't use a steering damper, I also don't use a steering guard, and havenm't been stopped due to broken rods at all. I know people who have, mind ..

OK, last question on this (I promise) and it is still kinda related to the original topic....

So I've resigned myself to re-locating the steering damper, but having trawled multiple forums I'm a little confused. Is there a difference between Defender and Disco/RRC steering dampers? for example, if I move my existing damper from the track rod to front drag link, will it fit? Or will I require a Defender steering damper?
Some guidance in this matter would be appreciated to add to my steep learning curve.

Cheers

standard disco damper is fine - I used a cheapo britpart yellow one worth my encompass clamp and relocation kit. Just make sure you fully open the reamer and turn the wheels on full lock to get your maximum open position, them add a tad more for margin of error.