DastardlyDan · Feb 1, 2015

Hippo said:
The bit I find unsafe is messing with suspension.

of course - fitting different springs to make it slightly lower, is so different from fitting different springs to LIFT the same car, and shoving in homemade spacers to lift the suspension even further, and lifting the bodywork...

So sorry...

dave21478 · Feb 1, 2015

see what I mean?

DastardlyDan · Feb 1, 2015

lol, it was expected tbh.

Anyway, may have found a nice solution that doesn't involve chopped springs or the like. Just need to get some spare hubs and struts to start measuring and modeling in 3D to check

disco_mikey · Feb 1, 2015

DastardlyDan said:
some people like something known as a "challenge"

I was told I wouldn't get the 1.8T from a Rover to work in a Freelander

Dakta · Feb 1, 2015

But what if you crash? It isn't safe

Nah, I'll be honest I love threads and projects which break the mould.

Someone once told me a 500bhp FWD diesel wasn't going to be very effective on a quarter mile dragstrip.

WRONG.

gstuart · Feb 1, 2015

i admire u for wanting something different but what about

mot

insurance

passing an emissions test

been reading through this and don't normally get involved , however I think this is madness, freelander was designed by land rover which have put billions of research into the safety of there vehicles

can't get my head round why u would wish to lower an off roader , doesn't make common sense , why not buy a suburu forester which is 4 wheel drive

sorry if this comes across as rude but surely u won't put ur baby at risk,

have u asked yourself what IF something goes wrong with the little one in the freelander and have a crash with something you've caused , what happens if u crash into an innocent person

can't see it getting an mot or insurance

car engineers improve cars , not make them worse

well just my two cents

dave21478 · Feb 1, 2015

Because mega-lifted 4x4's with winch bumpers, external roll cages, snorkels, monster-truck tyres and a quarter ton of chequerplate are much safer arent they.
And of course they are all declared fully to their insurers.

Dakta · Feb 1, 2015

there's a lot of compromise within engineering, so by and largely the more you give one direction, you take with another. So you can't really make things better or worse, you just arrange things to bias in favour of your own interests or goals.

The child i think is a moot point by and largely because there's nothing to stipulate he/she would spend any time in it - it's also questionable as to whether it would be our place to regulate this. That doesn't reduce anyones right to an opinion of course!

It also raises a question of how you decide if something is unsafe or not, a lot of cars I've tuned in the past have turned up to be done with with kids backseats in the back. Is this unethical? I think it's fine personally because giving a car power does not change the fact it won't deliver it unless requested by the driver. A bit different from suspension perhaps, but it's also worth noting there are hundreds and thousands of cars on the road currently with 'non-standard' suspension. I'm sure some of these cars have been in incidents where the vehicles capabilities hasn't met the demand placed on them, but I'm actually quite sure these circumstaces can with stock suspension too.

Some common sense is needed of course and a 'go do it if you want to' attitude can be counterproductive towards safety, but any reason for not doing something wants to be explored to make sure it's a solid one.

DastardlyDan · Feb 1, 2015

gstuart said:
i admire u for wanting something different but what about

mot

How many hippos pass an MOT with raised suspension, and the rear propshaft removed? Then tell me how removing the front driveshafts, and swapping springs is any different?

gstuart said:
insurance

Yes, what of it? I fully declare all my mods. I doubt many others declare their removal of driveshafts, remaps, etc

gstuart said:
passing an emissions test

it's an old diesel - as long as it doesn't smoke when the throttle is floored in neutral... it's a pass. It's not as delicate as a petrol for emissions

gstuart said:
can't get my head round why u would wish to lower an off roader , doesn't make common sense , why not buy a suburu forester which is 4 wheel drive

1) it's a challenge
2) it's fun
3) the wife prefers the look of a freelander, over a Rover 75 :lol:

gstuart said:
billions of research into the safety of there vehicles ..

at risk..

something goes wrong..

if u crash..

Again, bit hypocritical, thinking slightly lowering a car, is going to make a car less safe than removing the plastic bumpers, fitting a massive steel winch bumper, shoving in massive fabricated spacers on top of the towers, "jungle wires" (or whatever they're called)... I could go on.

gstuart said:
can't see it getting an mot or insurance

I raise the exact same point, again.

gstuart said:
car engineers improve cars , not make them worse

Yes, I am. Just because it's not how you would class it an improvement, doesn't make it not so.

gstuart said:
well just my two cents

Thank you, for your insight....

I've had PMs from other members who have been asking for information on this subject, but daren't ask openly due to the many shallow-minded individuals who are offended at the thought of someone who doesn't want to access their car via a rope ladder, and can't see beyond the known market.

PS: This was fully declared, passed a few MOTs, and the local Police loved to chat with me when they saw me, as they knew I'd fully researched the law on everything I put on it.

Enjoy

gstuart · Feb 1, 2015

I see ur point and agree if we were all the same it would be boring

but as everyone has different opinions it may make common sense to one person but not to another

im certainally not offended, nor not shallow minded but as u put the post on here for opinions don't expect everyone of course to agree in the way of ur thinking

maybe I'm personally a boring old sod, but have in my nearly 50 years seen some horrific modifications which has caused bad accidents due to modifications changing the handling etc of the vehicle and owned land rovers for over 30 years

i of course wish u all the best in your forthcoming projects and must be a gluten for punishment in the challanged u have in front of u but that is what u obviuosly enjoy doing

there are on here some extremely clever people who arnt shallow minded in the least

good luck with ur endeavours and of course don't mean any offence what so ever

may I ask have u been doing engineering along time

that truck is defentely an interesting concept , would worry me about taking someones head off , me just being an old bore, lol

Alibro · Feb 1, 2015

I love seeing people do things that are a little different and a bit eccentric, and I suspect a car carefully modified by someone who really cares about what they are doing will probably end up safer than many of the cars out there owned by people who never held a spanner and just keep driving until something breaks.

I guess the big thing to bare in mind is the Freelander is heavier than most ordinary cars so the springs chosen will need to be up to the job.

DastardlyDan · Feb 1, 2015

gstuart said:
seen some horrific modifications which has caused bad accidents due to modifications changing the handling etc of the vehicle

This is something I wholeheartedly agree with - but I will admit, even I went to uni thinking there wasn't much to learn on the subject.... and I got a massive slap in the face from reality :lol: It's an unfortunate subject, where all it takes is one wrong "opinion" on how something should be done, and it can turn from something that drives perfectly fine, to something that's a mobile deathtrap

Only been a Graduate for about 2 years now, but been mucking about with cars for a good 10 years previous

And no offence taken

And as for the weight - an early Di Freelander, is listed as only being 1525kg. My Rover 45 is 1230kg - a measly 200kg difference (less than two of me, lol)

Dev · Feb 1, 2015

RealBeale · Feb 1, 2015

This is Dan Lofthouse's Freelander based racer. A good indicator of what a lowered Freelander may look like, despite the massive wheel arches.

DastardlyDan · Feb 2, 2015

Sill height looks excellent for my needs - if a bit *too* low :lol:

gstuart · Feb 2, 2015

there's always the challange of air suspension for a change,lol

Jam1 · Feb 2, 2015

DastardlyDan said:
And as for the weight - an early Di Freelander, is listed as only being 1525kg. My Rover 45 is 1230kg - a measly 200kg difference (less than two of me, lol)

Hmmm, you sure?

DastardlyDan · Feb 2, 2015

well, they're quite small (for an offroader) monocoque chassis, a largely standard FWD drivetrain - so makes sense to me.

Numbers just gleamed off various websites though - so can be taken with a pinch of salt

Jam1 · Feb 2, 2015

Yeah but 1525 minus 1230 is still 295

DastardlyDan · Feb 2, 2015

errrr.......

it was late.... that's my excuse, and I'm sticking to it :lol:

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