Underside protection on Discovery 1

Hey all,

What underside protection hardware do you use? Or anything you have custom made?

I have D1 300tdi 97 EDC front and rear diff guards and adding a rear tank guard.

But wondered if there was any other underside protections that would be advised?

Thanks,

Ben

Depends what you plan on doing. Take a look at rock sliders to protect the lower body and doors. You could also get a sump guard.

bendisco said:

Hey all,

What underside protection hardware do you use? Or anything you have custom made?

I have D1 300tdi 97 EDC front and rear diff guards and adding a rear tank guard.

But wondered if there was any other underside protections that would be advised?

Thanks,

Ben

Click to expand...

Protection from what? what sort of terrain, use etc...

More weight you add, the more protection you need.

I would recomend a steering guard.

Knappster said:

Depends what you plan on doing. Take a look at rock sliders to protect the lower body and doors. You could also get a sump guard.

Click to expand...

Thanks for your reply, i was looking at rock silders but was thinking i wanted to rebuild the sills first. Some i noticed we weld on and others bolt. The sump guard is a good shout, i was struggling to find one for the D1 though, unless i make a custom aluminimum / Steel one. I can find the steering and fuel tank and diff guards but nothing else for this age. Unless you know of someone that makes one?

300bhp/ton said:

Protection from what? what sort of terrain, use etc...

Click to expand...

@300bhp/ton

Rocks mainly, but also if it needs to be driven in water you never know what could scrape or hit the underside and cause damage. The farm land we have looks like a war zone as a utility company replaced a massive pipe. The last one failed.

Lands not safe to drive over it yet before anyone asks if they can the last time they put the pipe in it sunk a bit when a VW golf went over it. Funny to watch but not for the driver.

Also to protect the car from my family! One reversed their 4x4 on to a boulder on the land and split the fuel tank.

Even if it cost's me £500 to armour the underside its cheaper than a full day on my back in flood water, diesel mixed with animal mess to remove and replace a fuel tank.

I have got the Front and Rear Diff guards and the snorkle and breathers are fully linked up, need to get the fuel tank guard installed and have seen a front steering guard but wasn't sure what else? If there is anything else i can add?

I've not seen a tranferbox guard anywhere or propshaft's other than upgrades. Or is it worth upgrading the running gear?

Seen an upgrade for the hand brake to a disc as i've read somewhere mud make them stop working quickly.

Just would see what others thoughts are as its not really an area i have experience in.

Thanks,

Ben

lynall said:

More weight you add, the more protection you need.

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@lynall i did wonder about that and was debating upgrading to heavy suspension kit to give it extra strength and or bigger wheels to raise the diff height.

I did put 1 ton in the boot of wood and it hardly moved but I have never owned one before so i don't know if thats normal or not.

The only weight will be me and probably 4x batteries and some kit for my volunteer work, drones radios etc. It all gets taken out after event's 200kg or less. Maybe people in it with me as the car is snorkled for water just depends on what happens.

bendisco said:

@lynall i did wonder about that and was debating upgrading to heavy suspension kit to give it extra strength and or bigger wheels to raise the diff height.

I did put 1 ton in the boot of wood and it hardly moved but I have never owned one before so i don't know if thats normal or not.

The only weight will be me and probably 4x batteries and some kit for my volunteer work, drones radios etc. It all gets taken out after event's 200kg or less. Maybe people in it with me as the car is snorkled for water just depends on what happens.

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Decent tyres will get you out of most things, taller they are the more useful they are off road as they offer more ground clearance.
Heavy duty susp will mean less axle flex/travel, if it hardly moved with a ton in the rear then you may already have hd susp?

I kind of think diff guards are a waste of time unless you are into rock bashing.

I have a gearbox/transmission guard on my 90, but that is purely to protect the pto which hangs quite low.

Snorkels are very handy, and mean deep water has holds no fear, though I have seen an edc 300 conk out as as water got to the ecu, though they did dry it out and off it went again.

lynall said:

Decent tyres will get you out of most things, taller they are the more useful they are off road as they offer more ground clearance.
Heavy duty susp will mean less axle flex/travel, if it hardly moved with a ton in the rear then you may already have hd susp?

I kind of think diff guards are a waste of time unless you are into rock bashing.

I have a gearbox/transmission guard on my 90, but that is purely to protect the pto which hangs quite low.

Snorkels are very handy, and mean deep water has holds no fear, though I have seen an edc 300 conk out as as water got to the ecu, though they did dry it out and off it went again.

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@lynall Thanks for your advice, i did wonder about the suspension. The previous owner used to take it to portgual offroading but there are no markings to tell what they could be. You might be right.

The ECU, I suppose i could make it a waterproof box and seal it up?

One of my family suggested i clean all the contacts and dieletric grease them but its alot of work for the off chance.

Thanks,

Ben

bendisco said:

@lynall Thanks for your advice, i did wonder about the suspension. The previous owner used to take it to portgual offroading but there are no markings to tell what they could be. You might be right.

The ECU, I suppose i could make it a waterproof box and seal it up?

One of my family suggested i clean all the contacts and dieletric grease them but its alot of work for the off chance.

Thanks,

Ben

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I doubt many sane people would go through water deep enough to get the ecu wet, the one I saw was on a pay and play site.

I have seen dielectric grease cause contact issues on a truck ecu, guy cleaned it out and it was running again, that is not to say there was not a slightly bent pin causing the initial non start issue or some other thing that he inadvertantly fixed when he disturbed it.

Wurth contact spray is quite good.