Mr Burns the Disco
New Member
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This year I took the Discovery to Scotland, a little croft me and my mates rent for fishing in the middle of the Hills.
The track to this place is pretty extreem, it climbs up a 300 meter plus mountain and crosses several rivers but it is rocky and not muddy but very steep, loose rock and solid bed rock in places its a 5 mile track.
I never really understood how capable these vehicles were until the day I took it over this mountain. I set off at 5am with 7 men in the car from Blackpool, a bit cramped but nobody complained. We were followed by a transit with 3 more friends and all our gear and we drove 400 miles north to the isle of skye in comfort. At the gate to the mountain track we got rid of all the passangers and filled the disco with all the gear, me and a passanger and set off. I am not an off road driver and this track is rough.
THe Disco is an ES, leather seats,a trim and side skirts and mud flaps. I bought some sand waffles to get me over the steep rocks but found that bythe time I was on the rough bits if I had stopped to check clearance I would have lost the momentum to get me up so I jusat closed my eyes and went for it.
At the top I could not beleive the only thing which bottomed out was the skirts and flaps, this beast was amazing, I couldnt beleive its capability in the hands of such an amateur. However on stopping on the way down the other side for a photo we had a flat tyre (left rear).
Coming down a steep mountain there was no chance of changing it so I carried on and I could not tell there was a flat tyre, it was amazing. It got us all the way to the lodge and because there was so much rubber in these big tyres (and we kept an eye on it making sure it stayed on the rim) there was no damage to the alloy.
I cant explain the track but I promise you it is not a lame track, having walked it for 5 years I could not beleive how easy the Disco went over it, the guys who were with us were amazed and I will not now hear a bad word about this cars off road potential. It is an amazing beast.
The only downside was the Pirelli Scorpian AT tyres were all nipped and the rubber was removed down to the white underneath, the flat was fooooked where stnes had ripped a 2" gash through it. I will post pictures when I can get them from my mate.
After a week there and some torrential rain which turned the track into a river, we drove out with everyones gear, again, no problems and no further flats luckily, transferred all the peopleand gear and drove the 400 miles back home - what a versitile beast!!
There are now 10 MORE people who have seen what this car is capable of and everyone is impressed.
But
Can anyone recommend tyres which have thick enough sidewalls which wont get puntured by rocks?? We were thinking next year to take a set of off road wheels in the transit?
I love this thing but recently (and unrelated to this off road experience I think as it is 3 months later) I have just started getting a groaning at over 40mph but only under power and mainly in 4th and 5th (I think because 1 and 2 dont get to 40mph and 3rd is revving loud enough to drown out the noise).
It only happens when your acclerating so if at 70mph you goto neutral its silent and steering doesnt affect it (not wheel bearing??)
Also, you cant seem to hear it in low ratio.
Im thinking new/ recon gearbox but that I cannot afford!!
Any ideas?
Cheers guys.
The track to this place is pretty extreem, it climbs up a 300 meter plus mountain and crosses several rivers but it is rocky and not muddy but very steep, loose rock and solid bed rock in places its a 5 mile track.
I never really understood how capable these vehicles were until the day I took it over this mountain. I set off at 5am with 7 men in the car from Blackpool, a bit cramped but nobody complained. We were followed by a transit with 3 more friends and all our gear and we drove 400 miles north to the isle of skye in comfort. At the gate to the mountain track we got rid of all the passangers and filled the disco with all the gear, me and a passanger and set off. I am not an off road driver and this track is rough.
THe Disco is an ES, leather seats,a trim and side skirts and mud flaps. I bought some sand waffles to get me over the steep rocks but found that bythe time I was on the rough bits if I had stopped to check clearance I would have lost the momentum to get me up so I jusat closed my eyes and went for it.
At the top I could not beleive the only thing which bottomed out was the skirts and flaps, this beast was amazing, I couldnt beleive its capability in the hands of such an amateur. However on stopping on the way down the other side for a photo we had a flat tyre (left rear).
Coming down a steep mountain there was no chance of changing it so I carried on and I could not tell there was a flat tyre, it was amazing. It got us all the way to the lodge and because there was so much rubber in these big tyres (and we kept an eye on it making sure it stayed on the rim) there was no damage to the alloy.
I cant explain the track but I promise you it is not a lame track, having walked it for 5 years I could not beleive how easy the Disco went over it, the guys who were with us were amazed and I will not now hear a bad word about this cars off road potential. It is an amazing beast.
The only downside was the Pirelli Scorpian AT tyres were all nipped and the rubber was removed down to the white underneath, the flat was fooooked where stnes had ripped a 2" gash through it. I will post pictures when I can get them from my mate.
After a week there and some torrential rain which turned the track into a river, we drove out with everyones gear, again, no problems and no further flats luckily, transferred all the peopleand gear and drove the 400 miles back home - what a versitile beast!!
There are now 10 MORE people who have seen what this car is capable of and everyone is impressed.
But
Can anyone recommend tyres which have thick enough sidewalls which wont get puntured by rocks?? We were thinking next year to take a set of off road wheels in the transit?
I love this thing but recently (and unrelated to this off road experience I think as it is 3 months later) I have just started getting a groaning at over 40mph but only under power and mainly in 4th and 5th (I think because 1 and 2 dont get to 40mph and 3rd is revving loud enough to drown out the noise).
It only happens when your acclerating so if at 70mph you goto neutral its silent and steering doesnt affect it (not wheel bearing??)
Also, you cant seem to hear it in low ratio.
Im thinking new/ recon gearbox but that I cannot afford!!
Any ideas?
Cheers guys.
