QT Front Diff Guard on Disco II

[thermidorthelobster]

Anybody got one of these?

I tried to fit mine earlier and it doesn't, basically.  Without major rework, which would lead to more problems, it just wasn't going on.

Interested to hear from anybody who has done it before.

TIA
David

[Hightower]

tried to fit mine earlier and it doesn't, basically.  Without major rework

I'm surprised at that.  I have an Allmakes front guard, but my rear one is QT and it fits like a glove.
Silly question I know, but are you sure that they've sent you the right one?

[karloss]

Er, as above really. Have you got the smaller bracket on the right two holes. It's an easier mistake to make than you might think. Or else I'm plain stupid.

[thermidorthelobster]

The rear one did indeed fit like a glove.  Couldn't have been easier.

The front one bolts on at the back of the diff (prop shaft end) and welds to the front, either side of the diff pan.  Only it doesn't.  The steering bar collides with the back of the diff guard, and if I were to re-engineer the guard to sit further back, the front of the guard would collide with the diff pan, and the mounting lugs would need grinding down, and the holes redrilling, and all in all it would be a real bodge...  :(

I'm awaiting a call from QT, because it does appear at first glance like I have the wrong one.  The instructions were misleading, but then they were for the back one too, which was the *right* one, so I don't know...

David

[thermidorthelobster]

Spoke to the chap at QT and he was very helpful.  He thinks that my diff assembly is at the upper limit of LR's manufacturing tolerances, and the diff guard I have is towards the lower limit of QT's.  So although the guard is right, it's sod's law that I have a combination of diff and guard which doesn't line up.

I may be going down to the West Country next weekend, and if so they've offered to fit one for me, including the welding, at no extra cost - CSFTT.  If not, I'll post mine back to them and they'll look at making one up at the upper end of the normal tolerance limit, which should then be fittable.

David

[karloss]

No expert on disco II ( or anything really) are the front diffs different to earlier discos, 90's etc. I thought the qt guard was the same one for both ends???? Ive got one on the back of my 90 and it certainly didn't involve welding. :?

[thermidorthelobster]

The panhard rod runs close to the front of the diff, so the guard can only go about half way up the diff before it would clunk the rod.  So the wrap-over guards QT use elsewhere (including, I think, Disco Is) don't fit on the Disco II.  Hence the need to weld 2 brackets on to the front of the diff, to give somewhere to attach the front of the guard.

On the bright side, whereas the Disco I steering gear was all quite low down and damageable, with the exception of the steering rod thing which joins the two wheels together (what's the damn thing called...) it's all out of the way on the Disco II, a la Defender.

David

[muddyweb]

with the exception of the steering rod thing which joins the two wheels together (what's the damn thing called...)

That'll be the track rod.