Vehicle & Technical > Discovery

+2" lift...done it, never again...a few tips for you!

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Iain C:
Well, after much swearing and the loss of a few quid and a few knuckles, it's on.  \:D/

I've got quite a few tips which I shall pass on later, but here are some pictures.  If you are wondering "why" then it's because I have some 265/75s to go on.  Seems to drive fine by the way, bit more body roll but steering feels fine (albeit the wheel needing turning one spline or the tracking adjusting) and it actually rides a lot better for the procomps.

Before...




After...









Edited to add the following tips:

Don't even think about it unless you have a couple of jacks, axle stands, spring compressors, decent socket set, 13mm deep socket (for bolting the rear cones to the top plates) & stilsons. HUGE thankyou to Skibum for loan of spring compressors and another bottle jack! O:)

Don't bother fitting boots to the front shockers, they get in the way and you can't see them.

Consider fitting spacer washers to the bottom of the front shockers above the axle to stop the studs hitting the axle.

The rear shockers' bottom threaded bits on the ProComps are not long enough, you may need to re-use your old shocker rubbers, don't sling them just yet!

Consider having some paint to do under the spring mounts etc, you don't want to be waxoyling over your groovy new kit later on. (However, I was not that patient!  I'll paint it one day...) :^o

Be careful when seating springs, as you wind everything back off make sure that you can actually get the spring compressors out from where they are ending up! #-o

Be aware that should a spring retainer break when you are winding it up, the spring will expand with cataclysmic force, removing brake lines/fingers/head/testicles/anything else in it's way, just bear it in mind! :shock:

My kit did not have enough spring retainer plate bolts/nuts, assuming they all want replacing, you need 8, not 4.

Rear lower spring seat bolts...2 sheared, one undid, one rounded.  Problem is, the bolts come in from the top, so there was not actually enough room to get a ring spanner or socket in from the bottom (no clearance between axle and end of bolt).  Didn't have mole grips, and stilsons/grinder would not fit in to hold the rapidly decaying nut.  In fact, the only thing that did fit in there and saved the day was a tap wrench, the thing plumbers use to do up the nuts on the bottom of bath taps, they are a bit like stilsons with no adjustment, just spring loaded, held in place by a trusty size 11 boot!

Spring retainers...the rears had little washers underneath, they fit between the bottom of the retainer and the top of the lower spring seat, only spotted this when I did the second side and replaced with a new retainer, the first side had them rusted to the underside of the old retainer, will need to put back in at some point!

Wire shock retainers...in hindsight best to remove them and just compress the shocks by hand to get them in...my fronts still have bits of wire in there somewhere, will need sorting later!

Braided hoses, I've yet to fit mine, I'm going to change a few slightly scabby brake pipes at the same time, I'll soak everything in WD40 for a few weeks first!  Have some new pipes handy or perhaps a flaring kit.

Bumpstops...re-used the rear mounting bolts, they were fine, however the fronts really are a bit short, no harm in buying four new ones.  Also get 8 penny washers at the same time, did not come in my kit, sure they'll need them to stop the nuts dissapearing up inside the bumpstops.

Time...I was confident I'd do this in a day, it turned into far longer, allow time and don't start on Sunday lunchtime and be reliant on using it for work the next morning! [-X

Hope this helps!!!

Disco-Ron:
It would appear to have grown in size aswell...!!!

Do you have check straps on the rear?? i made some for mine from old seat belts!!

Disco_Stu:
Well done. Now get those big tyres before little girls laugh at those puny things :)

Iain C:
What, like these ones??? :twisted:

Lord Shagg-Pyle:
I will be atempting this mod on my nephew's defender. Thanks for the tips. Cheers.
LSP

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