Advice on making 80' coil sprung trialer

I want to make an 80' coil sprung trailer with Series 1 body panels from a Discovery V8 rolling chassis. I want to use the 5 speed discovery gear box but I think it's too long and the prop shaft will be too short. Any advice?

Why does your trailer need a gearbox?

~You'd be better off using a std series box or ideally a one ton box. I have a series 1 trialer:



Uploaded with ImageShack.us

Still building it up its not a coiler its still a leafer however it has super soft springs to ALRC regs. Still not ready to roll but starts and runs. I would say your cheapest option is to strip your original motor to chassis, get whitbread or whoever to build the cage and then assemble it. Factor in twice the initial cost somewhere around £3.5 to £5K. Time unless you have no other hobbies and have a place to work on it come rain or shine it will take 4 times as long as expected.

Regards gearbox a series box is just as strong as an early LT77 but considered agricultural and only 4 speed. You may get away with a defender LT7 and conversion plate if you get the engine as far forward as posisble but you will have similar issues to me where your rear propshaft is silly short. I have a salisbury rear axle which has a longer "pinion nose" so thats even less space.

Ultimate for me would be a rangie LT95 with the centre difflock welded up a 101 bellhousing short but maybe a tad long for an 80 might get away with it on an 88 tho I you can get super short front end on the engine if you look around I think some Early 3.9's had a really tight front end. I have a rebuilt 3.5 on carbs just rebuild nothing special will run alot better than some of the usual unhealthy spunky old misfiring 3.9's you see trialing. I am running a new 200 Tdi Rad with a viscious fan (I want to standardise as many parts to my 90 as poss. Blowing a Rad or something else I want to be able to use the tow motor as spares. At a big event years ago a special bespoke 6 core rad went and nothing and i mean nothing we had woulf fit so he was pouring water in as fast as it was pouring out ruined his weekend and I think the engine suffered a wee bit.

and 80 feet is fecking long for a trailer, or even a trialer!

Personally I would leave the engine where it is in the chassis and use an auto box. The engine right over the front makes the front suspension flex better. use a basic ALRC cage with tube wings and try and keep the weight down.
Best advice is go to some events and check out the motors, the Majors memorial is on this weekend the top guys will be there.

This is a V8 auto (first pic) and he wins a lot, I am pretty sure it has a ZF box. there is also the option of a Jag auto and series transfer. I just realised that pic of the 80 on it's side isn't a V8 so heres another.

Huge where about's are you based..???
Im tring based (HP23) so about 10 miles from jai_landrover

I run a 2/300 tdi 80 manual my self, (ill chuck photos up at some point)
I had to go for a defender box so I could shunt the engine back as I wanted the series 1 "notched" front, I have seen them left exactly where they are but weighting seem to be a bit out (and yes I am talking about v8's not dervs)

what are your aims for the vehicle .... ALRC, AWDC, generic non ALRC club competitions???

where abouts are you based http://www.landyzone.co.uk/lz/members/hughie20.html

I run a 200(ish) tdi 80, had to go for the defender short r380 as the disco one was too long as I wanted the "notched" front of a series.

As an idea you don't really want to go much shorter than a 12" rear prop, so have a sit down and do the maths, basically.... you need to do allot of tape measure work before you start anything

[/URL][/IMG]

I do have quite a few build photos around some where as well. I know how hard it is to find info online to build one as I tried years back!

I know where there is an 88 ALRC tagged rolling frame/body needs engine gear box electrics and brakes sorting. Pm of interested I think he wants around 850 for it has been raced at this years nationals.

trying to sell Ed's old racer jai ?

Yep!! only saw it at he nationals but for a rolling frame 850 is cheap!! Then he has some cash for his new one he is building!!

Plus 8 procomps its a good deal good project or someone with a workshop some spare cash and time!

jai_landrover said:

I know where there is an 88 ALRC tagged rolling frame/body needs engine gear box electrics and brakes sorting. Pm of interested I think he wants around 850 for it has been raced at this years nationals.

Click to expand...

Jai, I don't suppose you have a picture of it do you?

Yes it's online when I grab a minute ill pm link to you J

jai_landrover said:

Yep!! only saw it at he nationals but for a rolling frame 850 is cheap!! Then he has some cash for his new one he is building!!

Click to expand...

I'd have it straight off if I could

Legoverover said:

where abouts are you based Land Rover Zone - View Profile: Hughie20

I run a 200(ish) tdi 80, had to go for the defender short r380 as the disco one was too long as I wanted the "notched" front of a series.

As an idea you don't really want to go much shorter than a 12" rear prop, so have a sit down and do the maths, basically.... you need to do allot of tape measure work before you start anything

[/URL][/IMG]

I do have quite a few build photos around some where as well. I know how hard it is to find info online to build one as I tried years back!

Click to expand...

Welcome Legoverover, nice to see a piccie of it running, havn't seen you in Tring since I got those springs from you. You were just finishing the beastie off when I visited you.

Ahh feck its just started raining . was gonna go for a lunch time walk along Wendover canal

KJ

hey KillaJoules
yeah its all sorted, bent straightened broken fixed and got some nice paint scuffs now.

Been bitten by the builders bug again and kinda of want to build something else now

I have just built a 80" trailer with a TD5 in it
clive34 | TD5 Trialer

Billy0 said:

I have just built a 80" trailer with a TD5 in it
clive34 | TD5 Trialer

Click to expand...

Smart looking trialer, I like it.