MyRovers.com

The Procomp shocks worked great for me. I liked the ES3000 for the front and the ES9000 for the rear. The ES9000 are highly charged with gas and cause a stiffer ride in the front than I like for daily driver. You need the ES9000 in the rear to control the springs there.

There are a few issues in mounting them.

1) You need to use some washers on the sides of the rear mounts to make up the width difference between the Procomp ends and the DII mounts.

2) I had to bend the rear shock mount ears so they didn’t rub on the shock body. A simple process with a wrench.

3) Make sure you choose the correct sleeve diameter size for the mounting bolts. If you don’t they will rattle horribly.

4) The stock front lower mounts are sort of weak. they use a slotted insert into the loop to hold them in place. A washer on the bottom bolts holds them down. If you can, get the RTE lower shock mounts that conver them to a loop mount. Then you have a rugged setup.

They are an inexpensive shock setup that can work for you if you take the time to get it right.

DII Suspension

Stock:
Front 18″
Rear 18″

Joe’s 3″ OME:
21.5 in the front OME 761
21.75 in the rear OME 763

Gary’s:
22.25 Front BB 3″
22.5 Rear OME 763 w D1 Perches and 1″ spacer.

DII Suspension

I spoke to Shane at Bilstein a couple months ago and he said there’s no difference between the 6100 and 7100 besides the 7100 being rebuildable and the opt res. In fact he told me NOT to get the 7100’s becuase I live in Utah?? He said people don’t realize that they will rust out really easy especially if you live where there is snow/salt.

The only thing is the 6100 doesn’t come in a 10in 360/80 valving only the 12 does. So, if you get them you’ll have to get them re-valved and that’s like 50+ per shock and then your above the 7100 cost.

I came to the conclustion after a lot of research that the 7100’s are the only way to go.

Bilstein recommended spraying the 7100 body with http://www.break-free.com/ IF you don’t want them to rust out.

DII Suspension

Default Re: Spring Rates….
Quote:
Originally Posted by Owen Birch
slu and mkr,

OK, so you have me sold on the higher spring rates for long trips with serious weight, but do you do that with your Rovers a lot? Doesn’t your Rover ride like crap when it’s empty? Would it make sense to have a set of springs with a lower rate for more everyday and low weight-hauling excursion, and a heavier set for the long trips? It takes what, 4 hours to change all 4 springs by yourself…. Bad idea, too much of a PITA, or is the ride not that bad empty?

Thanks!
I guess really thats what I’ve set the Discovery up to do. It has been built as a touring machine. The ride is stiff, and a lot of the stiffness also comes from the shock absorbers. I’ve run soft shocks in it before, and they ride really well, but the shock absorbers are the things that give you most of the traction from a suspension perspective. Soft shocks are nice until you run a rough road or you’re on corrugations and simply vibrate yourself straight off the side of the road. For those that read Bilstein specs, I’m running 400/100 rears and 360/80 fronts, they are stiff. On the flip side, the truck is totally controlled even when fully loaded. There is no bounce in the suspension to make you travel sick, the ride uncomfortable and the axles are always planted. The springs are stiff as they are what needs to carry the load, and there’s a hell of a lot on it. For the springs, I guess it just depends on what you want from the truck. If you’re not running a lot of weight then stiff springs definately are not the go, but the Disco2 is sensitive in the rear suspension to weight changes and in my opinion needs stiffer springs as the load is so overhung pas the rear axle. Ride and the other hand are different. To help compromise, the springs that I run I managed to spec up myself and have manufactured in Austalia. They are 300-340lb/in which reads stiff, but the 300 rate is effective until there is 1″ of further compression from static ride height, so that softens the ride a bit, and it stiffens as load goes on board. The front also is set stiff. I think the problem with most Rover and aftermarket Rover springs is that they are sprung to soft and are not able to support the weight of the vehcile, especially if a bullbar goes on. A winch just completely stuffs everything up. All of the 180lb springs that I have seen will drop back to standard under the weight of a bar except the long (HD) 180lb/in from OME - It takes about 220-230lb/in just to maintain ride height!

DII Suspension

10″ Short Body 24.29″ 14.06″
12″ Short Body 28.06″ 16.03″

10″ Standard Body 25.82″ 15.79″
12″ Standard Body 31.10″ 19.37″

DII Suspension

Erik,

If you order the 3 inch kit , tell Steve (at RTE) you want the short-body 7100 shock option for the rear. The shorter body will give you more droop in the rear. With that said, it would be wise to buy the Watts Linkage as well – they will give you more flex in the rear. Rear spring retainers come with the 3 inch kit. As for the sway bars, Steve recommends buying the Slick Rock quick disconnects for the front. They are adjustable (+3 inches I think). Then you want to move the stock front sway links to the rear (you’ll notice the front links are considerably longer than the rears – long enough to fix the problem and alleviate the binding from the lift).

When I order my 3 inch kit I plan to add a 1 inch spacer to the rear. With the rear sway attached, I don’t think the rear spring will flex out the of the spring pocket, but hopefully I am wrong! I asked Steve about cones for the rear (via email) – no word back yet.

The other thing you should order when you get your kit is the adjustable pan hard bar (like $160). After the lift (with stock pan hard bar) you will notice the axle has shifted slightly towards the driver’s side. The adjustable pan hard bar will fix this. (Note: after you install the lift and new pan hard bar, that it to a local tire shop and have it re-aligned).

Castor angle: Many people will tell you a 3 inch lift on a DII will not effect to the castor angle enough to warrant buying castor-corrected front trailing arms. The lift changes the pinion angles. Castor corrected trailing arms will fix that. The corrected arms are probably worth the money (like $250), but not necessary initially. You can buy the stuff below and wait on the arms.

Recap:
- Order the 3 inch kit and ask for the short-body 7100 shocks for the rear ($1254 I think. The short-body shock is slighty more $).
o You get springs, shocks, front lower shock mounts, rear spring retainers, extended brake lines, ABS extensions, crossmember spacers, and Bilstein reducer bushings.
- Order the Watts Linkage for the rear ($275).
- Order the adjustable pan hard bar for the front ($160).
- Order the front sway bar disconnects from Slick Rock (or wherever…$150?)

Hope that helps,

DII Suspension

With 2″ OME, BigBlue, RTE springs or 3″ OME (really 2.5″) springs:

1) Get longer shocks (+1″) OME, ProComp $150-$300
2) Smallist tire size that looks OK = 245/75-16 (30.5″)
3) Max tire size without rubbing = 265/75-16 (32″)

With 3″ RTE or BigBlue springs:

1) Get longer shocks (Bilsiens, Fox, ProComp) $150-$600
2) Get longer brake lines (RTE, EE, DAP) $100
3) ReBuild your Front Driveshaft with new greasable UJoints (It will fail) $150-$400
4) Replace rear Rotoflex driveshaft with Ujoint model. $200-$400
5) Smallist size that looks OK 265/75-16 (32″)
6) Max tire size without rubbing 285/75-16 (33″)

That is about it no matter what others say.

I wanted the extra ground clearance of 33″ tires so went with the 3″ lift.

DII Suspension

A vehicle w/ a 3″ lift only needs to lengthen the panhard bar by like 3/8th’s of an inch.
here’s a simply easy tech for you. though it’s not adjustable.

cut panhard bar towards the steering box side (leaving at least 6 inches of straight bar from the bushing)
buy a piece of 1.5 od X 1 id X 1/4 wall dom tubing (8″ long)
drill a 1/2″ hole in the center of the tubing
put a 3/8″ drill bit in the hole
slide the panhard bar pieces into the tubing until they touch the drill bit
tack weld at the ends of the tubing
remove the drill bit
and rosette weld the center hole
lastly, weld ends of tubing to bar and your done.

adjustable panhard bars are nice, but the heims tend to wear out quickly
when i made my adjustable bar, i used ends for the factory bushings
so i have a factory looking bar that screw adjusts in the center.

the above method i have used on several discos out here and it works well and is cheap.
once you get the measurement for you lift right it’s not necessary to keep adjusting.
the RTE 3″ springs need a 5/16-3/8 longer length. it’s pretty simple math

DII Suspension

I don’t think they’re the same shock but the NAPA #NS 76904 is for the M416 @ $38.49 online, but the RR 94038 @ $13.99 has a shorter compressed length (11.875 vs 11.250) and a shorter extended length (18.125 vs 17.875). Same mounts at either end, more travel length and considerably more inexpensive for the RR version - FWIW

DII Suspension

If you’re already replacing the bearings, you might as well replace
the races. At least on this go around. For about ~$10 it’s worth
it. Yearly repacking after that is all you should need for the short
term.

I used a brass rod and hammer to tap mine out. You don’t want to
score the inside of the hubs using steel or a chisel. Used a block
oak to hammer the new ones back in. Or get a local shop to press them
back in.

Check the database for replacement seals. The Timken ones went in
best. Do a search for message #106 and it’s related sub-posts.
My local trailer shop tried to sell me the ‘correct’ race (L68111) for
the bearing, but it was the wrong race for the hub. Had to argue
about the OD of it being the incorrect size, ending up going to NAPA.

Extract from message #106….
>”I beleive the actual inner bearing race part number is L68110.
>Part numer L68111 has a larger outside diameter(2.3612″ versus
>2.3280″)”

You could purchase one of the grease packers, they work OK (less
mess). But hand packing is OK too.

————-

Bearings and races should always be replaced as a set. Like Wally
said, it’s inexpensive and worth the peace of mind.

Sears sells a Brass drift set ($15) that is perfect for removing
bearing races. It’s manufactured by Mayhew and is sold online at a
number of places as well. http://tinyurl.com/abglo

If you are on a tighter budget you can find a hobby store or something
that sells round brass stock. Just get a 6″ length… something no
bigger than a 1/2″ diameter.

See if your local Autozone (or similar parts chain) rents tools. They
should have a bearing race/seal driver set. This will make quick work
of installing your races and seals. Should be able to rent for free.

—————

One more thing…

Sticking the races and seal(s)in the freezer for 10-15 minutes should
help them to go in a little easier.

DII Driveline, DII Suspension

there is a reason that LR put those things on the rover axles.
you just happen to be one of the few honest ones out there that can admit that their disco has vibrations… i actually run w/ a damper on the front and the rear of my D1. and it makes a big difference on the highway (4″ lift and 33’s) i just make sure i take them off before i go wheeling.

————————-

LOL…come on craig…keep up
he’s not talking about his driveshaft weights
he’s refering to the harmonic damper that hangs off the front axle on a disco 1, (both for disco 2’s) it’s shaped like a little wheel and gets hung up on everything, most simply remove completely, but they do help dampen vibrations.

———–

I love my training wheels. I keep them on the front and rear now for driving on the road. Like Marc said, we just take them off when were going to wheel. Pull the training wheels off and put the pinion guards on. When the trip is done we put them back on. It also gives you a reason to lay under the truck and check things out after a trip of beating on it.

————-

the damper bracket is held on by two 3/8-18 bolts, it just takes a quick second to pull off the four bolts.

and yeah, we added the damper to the rear too, just like the D2’s have.
seems to tame alot of little weird vibes for highway driving.

DII Suspension

What is the best way to assure that the axle is centered before tightening down an adjustable panhard rod. Measure from from to inside of tire?

I dropped a plumb bob off the frame and measured frame to wheel distance on each side. That should let you get it centered WRT the frame which I assume is the correct setup.

@ a 3-4″ lift the panhard rod will need to be 1/2 -5/8th’s ” longer.
lay new rod on the old one and adjust the eyelet openings on the new rod out by about that much.
then get a 4 wheel alignment and have them check theaxle track alignment.
fine tune adjusting can be done then, to insure that your disco doesn’t “dog track”, “crab walk”, or just plain look retarded while driving down the highway.

DII Suspension

You can use that or if you have lockers and want extra protection, use 140W for extra protection.
I run A GL6 rated 140W with my Detroit and T.T. and they stay nice and quiet.

It is just a more H.D. gear oil, that runs cooler and protects better.
Some people say it is too heavy and will cause poor gas mileage, well I get between 15 and 16 MPG.
Running this oil has eliminated all the funny noises my Detroit would make before I switched.
If you don’t want to go to this weight at least use a synthetic or GLS rated 90W.

DII Chassis, DII Driveline, DII Suspension

ProComp shocks for DII front and rear +2″ over stock length.

ES9000:

924500 Front +2″
925509 Rear +2″

ES3000:

324500 Front +2″
325509 Rear +2″

Part Numbers explained:
1st digit: 3=ES3000, 9=ES9000
2nd-4th digit: shock length extended. example:924500 = 24.5″ length extended.
5th digit: mounting option. 0=loop/loop 1=stem/loop 2=loop/stem 3=stem/stem 4, and there are several more options.
6th digit: hardware included

Example: ES325509 = Es3000, 25.5″ extended, Loop/Loop mounting

DII Suspension

Bilsteins are shorter than OME’s by almost an inch.
i ran them on mine for a bit.
i say save your pennies and buy some 7100 series (res or non res.)
or fox 2.0 (res or non)

the difference it tremendous.
10-14″ lengths are available
i’ve got 11″ foxes in mine
12″ bilstein short bodies are very popular here (7100)
lots of info on shocks, do a search, you’ll see

but food for thought, @ a 3″ lift, OME’s and standard Bilsteins are to ahort.

360/80 in front, and 400/100 in the rear for valving…it’s the cats ass!

Valving suggestions:

Fox 2.0, w/ no bumper or winch= 60/40
front w/ bumper and winch= 85/95

rear w/ stock bumper (light weight)= 80/90
w/ HD bumper and lots of weight= 95/105

7100’s no bumpers or winch=275/78
fronts w/ weight= 360/80
rears w/ weight= 400/100

for D1, yes all the mounts will need to be changed
for D2, rear mounts and lower front will need to be changed slightly.

i run the 11″ fox 2.0 valved @ 85/95(f) and 95/105(r) in my D1 w/ 4″ lift, retained

I did a 2″ OME lift and I have bottomed my ProComps a couple times on the stock rear mounts. I’ll be extending my bump stops to prevent that. I’d say you’ll be fine with the +2 ProComps, 3″ lift and stock mounts. Cheap & simple.
BTW, the ProComp ES9000s are great for the price. If you’re adamant about wanting maximum extension, ProComp makes the ES9000 in a +3 and up to a +5 I think. Either way, to take full advantage of the extra travel, you’ll probably want extended SS breake lines and a spacer or links for your roll bars. But as you said, you’re on a budget, so cheap & simple works better.

ProComp +2 from DAP-INC

I have a set of the Fox shocks on my 04 D2 and some modification was required to get them to fit.

In the rear I needed to grind and refinish the upper mounts because the shock body is closer to the eye on the fox shock then it is on the standard shocks. In the front a new lower mount was required. On all of the shocks spacers were required to stop the shocks from moving because they are narrower than the stock shocks. Unfortunately my D2 is in the shop so I can’t post any pics right now. If you are still interested I can post some on Tuesday when I get it back (damn leaking roof).

You will also need to change both your front and rear bumpstops. If you dont’ you will bottom out the shocks and ruin the valving.

I got my shocks and mounts from Safari Gard and I’m very pleased with the results. I’m currently getting another set of front shocks with increased compression damping.

I dont think the safari gard droop kit will work on a DII, i asked a while ago and i didnt find out that it could. Also some people who have it didnt think it was worth the money. If you want to run retainers in the DII you need to switch to the DI spring seats in the rear which will also give you a little more lift than the stock DII’s. When i put the 7100’s on the back if mine DII i had to use a 1/2″ bolt for the shock mounts or get the bilstien 12mm step down spacer, which is what i did and get some different spacers for the sides of the mounts since they are narrower than the stock shocks.

I’m running Bilstien 7100’s, 360/80 valving on Rovertym 3″ springs…pretty awesome set-up…very little body roll and a very nice ride on the highway. On the trail, AWESOME!!! and without spring retainers, they’ll pop right out on full articualtion…ask me how I know…

I’m running new RTE 3″ springs and Bilstein 7100 10″ Schraders front and rear. Front is valved at 360/80 and rear at 400/100. Had to put a larger bumpstop up front as the lower shock mount raises up about an inch, just enough to allow the shock to bottom without the stop. Rears are fine and won’t bottom out with the stock mounting positions.

I would highly recommend a short body shock up front, I did not do this and as a result, I had to get longer front bumpstops.

For a dII with 3″RTE springs + 1″ spacers, should the 12″ valved at 360/80

DII Suspension

i say save your pennies and buy some 7100 series (res or non res.)
or fox 2.0 (res or non)

the difference it tremendous.
10-14″ lengths are available
i’ve got 11″ foxes in mine
12″ bilstein short bodies are very popular here (7100) 360/80 in front, and 400/100 in the rear for valving…it’s the cats ass!

DII Suspension

3″ RTE 7100 360/80 400/100
—
i run about what Mike posted above but in the Fox equivalent. (85/95 F, 90/100 R)

DII Suspension

The fellow who does the work on our Disco II was previously a shop foreman at the local Land Rover dealership. He tells me there is two different front calipers on early DIIs, which means 99-01, I believe. There is a bulletin on it, but not a warranty replacement. This is because the grooves cut into the original calipers for the rubber seals are too wide, therefore the piston moves away from the pad too much when the brake is release. This causes a lower than necessary pedal, and a slight delay in brake response due to the extra travel of the piston to the pad. He tells me that there is an updated replacement caliper which the dealers use when doing full brake jobs, which has more pronounced ribs along its spine than the original. I think the part number is the same, and the only visual difference is the bigger ribs.

Source:LRO.com

DII Chassis, DII Driveline, DII Suspension

It’s a number 4 POSIDRIVE bit. They are hard to find, but no other bit will fit just right. The only place in my area that carries them for use with a ratchet is Sears. And you will need the torque of the ratchet as well as some penetrating lube, like Seafoam deep creep.

DII Chassis, DII Suspension