Anti Roll Bars on My 300 tdi

[MudRat]

Just lifted the back from 1" to 2" and been off road. Great time, but my roll bar brackets are now pointing up rather than down. Does this matter, how can i solve it, do i need to solve it, shall i remove them?????????

[Damonski]

You need to put spacers (tow bar ones are good) under the brackets.

[MudRat]

which brackets?

[Jake]

Have a look at this picture
You can see the silver spacers on the roll bars.
You need 2" spacers for a 2" lift.
I used tow bar spacers from Halfords
 :D

[MudRat]

Cheers I will look into getting some. Lee

[Tyke]

Rip em off, roll bars, and chuck em in the shed untill next mot, all they do is restict your axle movement and get in the way hung down underneath if you space them.

Took mine off and have suffered no noticable adverse handling effects . . . . certainly no worse than from lifting it in the first place.

[MudRat]

Taken the roll bar off so i shall see if it affects the ride, do i need it on for my MOT?

[Tyke]

Been discussed on here a lot has that question.

In truth, i reckon it should be fitted, but it seems down to the individual testers discretion and whether or not they are 'Land Rover Freindly'.

My tester loves the machines and appreciates a nicely prepared motor so no problems there  


As for the handling, Just try to avoid rapid changes of direction at high speed. i.e. 'lane hopping' on the motorway at 70mph. It will wallow a bit if you do. Otherwise, no noticable difference on the road. I plonk about at 55-65mph all the time anyway on the muds so I've no problems there  

[Porny]

If an anti roll bar is not there, then it can not be tested... and in fact they are not tested as part of the MOT - although a tester, if being picky may pick up on a worn axle to bar linkage.

A tester does not know if it was fitted or not, and most of the time Land Rover won't know either (even if you check the build spec against the chassis number)

Not all Discoverys had anti roll bars, on a 200Tdi and an early 300Tdi they were optional - in fact I don't think all later 300Tdi's had them either.

And if you had the option of heavy duty suspension fitted by the dealer, then they also removed the rear Anti Roll bar.

How would a tester possibly know whether an anti roll bar was ever fitted??  My 90 has all the anti roll bar mounts, yet has never had the anti roll bars fitted... was on option on every thing bar the CSW Defenders.

IMHO unless anyone can prove me wrong with actual facts, all this stuff about removing anti roll bars - thus causing MOT faliure's is complete rubbish.  I seem to remeber it LRO that started all this off - though John Pearson has asked the question on the MOT Testing Q&A page:

DEFENDER ANTI-ROLL BARS
I was wondering whether you could help with the following, or put me in
touch with someone who can give advice? Some Land Rover Defender drivers remove or disconnect their rear anti-roll bars to help improve rear wheel articulation (indeed, a lot of Defenders don't have them fitted). But we've heard from a reader that the MOT rules are due to change and this would result in a failure. Is this correct? John Pearson, Editor-in-Chief, Land Rover Owner International magazine.
I am unaware of any changes to the MOT regarding Landrover Defenders’ anti-roll bars. In any event anti-roll bars are not Tested in the MOT so it is difficult to see how their being removed would have any effect. – MOTT.

here: http://www.motester.co.uk/qanda.html


Ian

[Tyke]

Yeah, thats fine, but it particularily states and names 'Defenders.'

Is the same true for The Discovery and RRC ?

Considering they are more 'road biased' than the Defender, as standard machines, then maybe it is more questionable as to whether the arb should be fitted.

Not a problem though, it's only a fifteen minute job to put them back on if they are needed for the Mot test. Just more 'standard' clutter to fill the garage/workshop with meantime.

[ChrisW]

OTOH where in the MOT testers manual are Land Rover Defender's specifically mentioned?!

I had mine MOT'd the other week and the tester was asking me why I hadn't took them off yet! He said he had a shed full round the back of the garage off all the LR's he'd owned.

As the text says, if the bar is not there how can it be tested? I think it's only really a case of a notification if the links are worn anyway - as the above says the bar is not part of the MOT anyway.

[Tyke]

where in the MOT testers manual are Land Rover Defender's specifically mentioned

They aren't as far is I can make out. Just responding to what was written by someone in the Q&A link regarding the manual.

To be honest I don't really give monkey's if they should be fitted or not. Mine are off and until it is proved that they must be on or the law says otherwise then that's how it will stay. Even then I'll argue the point.

It's just that in some peoples eyes they are there for safety reasons and to avoid Mot failures, which is apparently dependent on the testers discretion, then it would save hassle all round if they were re-fitted before testing.

I for one begrudge paying for Mot tests and with the new system not allowing free re-tests I'll be damned if I'm gonna pay twice if it can be avoided. So when I prep the machine for the next test, I'll ask the testers advice and if needed I'll just slip 'em back on. Problem solved.

[Range Rover Blues]

I for one begrudge paying for Mot tests and with the new system not allowing free re-tests I'll be damned if I'm gonna pay twice if it can be avoided.

My local garage allowed me a retest, FOC :)

[PUX]

BIN THE ARBS  :lol:  :lol:  :D

[Range Rover Blues]

No, take them off and post them to me, I need a set.

[large]

The arb is part of the mot thats why it can fail on arb bushes but if it's not fitted it can't fail (bin it).

[MudRat]

Thanks for all the help! I have removed them and as yet apart from rolling (a very small amount) when changing lanes at speed or on roundabouts, its been fine. Have yet to go off road but i am sure they will be fine. Lee :D  :D  :D  :D

[Range Rover Blues]

I'll take those off your hands then if you don't want them anymore