Hi jai, I'm glad that I am not one of your pet hates Ha Ha.

You are right on many of the points you raise.

There are numpties who just engage diff lock and leave it, without thinking.

Used correctly they are wonderful things.

Personally I didn't like the feel of my vehicle on tight bends - due to tyre scrub.

Of course I have encountered situations when it was needed for much more than just starting off, but I was talking generally.

We even had one goat in Bosnia who drove around the centre of a major town (Tuzla) for more than a week with the diff-lock engaged and must have done hundreds of 90 degree turns before a half-shaft broke.

And yes, we must be careful that we are indeed discussing exactly the same thing, otherwise we may quickly disagree about something that we are probably really in agreement about.

Since Kosovo, I've been going to Bosnia and Croatia 3 or 4 times a year for up to a month at a time (2000+ miles each way by Freelander of course) - quite a few ex-mob types saw things there that made us want to do something more meaningful off our own bat once we were free to do so.

Happy New Year mate.

Hi Singvogel,

My brother and I talked about driving back from Kabul. After a year stint out in the sticks living in a container I'd had enough and jumped on a plane. To Dubai and then home. I'm sure he would be up for doing a serious trip maybe elsewhere else a bit tricky later in the year in his soon to be completly rebuilt tdi IIa and my 90. Keep me informed if you have anything sussed out. IIa sounds bad but it will cruise at 70/75 and be ultra reliable built as new. If I'm not on the freelander section I can be found in Herts Laners section.

Happy new year to one and all

Jai

Off topic:

Thinking about this Rear diff I'm sure you can get limited slip bolt in units because Alot of kit cars use Freelander rear diff units and they are always fitting limited slip diffs.

So far I have only found one source and at £1050 its serious money and only limited slip

MNR Ltd

Without seeing a freelander rear diff in bits its hard to say but with machining tools maybe its possible to fit a Kaiser locker internals or maybe a locker from a suzuki (somthing with a smaller physical size) to adapt/fit into a diff unit.

Yu can fit a Rover 220 Turbo LSD in the front.



but whyeeeee?

Thanks for all comments a lot for me too look at so shall start having a read please keep them coming it's also nice to c such harmony between 4x4 owners and a nice change

Hi gjudge, I didn’t know there were FLs without TC. I’ll take this in consideration when watching FL videos on Youtube. Maybe TC is better than I thought and the FLs that failed didn’t have this.
Hippo, I totally agree that Freelanders (the ones with TC) don’t need difflock. TC is what we need, especially because the vehicle is lighter than the big ones (Discovery, Toyota Landcruiser etc.). TC is there all the time, doesn’t need to be engaged/disengaged. But I still hold that a difflock adds off-road capability to any car. That’s why cars like the Mercedes-Benz G-Class have front and rear difflocks. IMO TC acts a little late, when one wheel is already spinning a lot, and the breaking makes the car lose momentum. I am also not sure if break pressure generated by the vehicle itself is enough to prevent excessive wheel spinning in some situations (e.g. when only one wheel has grip).
About the video, it is more advertising than information, of course, but is still helpful. We just can’t fully believe in it.
Regards.

I think a Freelander with a rear true Locker and a front limited slip would be truly awsome. Yes Awsome and Freelander and I'm not taking the ****. Yes ground clearance will always be a problem. But with the tallest size tyres that will fit without issues and lockers it would be so very good over standard it may even upset some Tratctor Drivers!!

jai_landrover said:

I think a Freelander with a rear true Locker and a front limited slip would be truly awsome. Yes Awsome and Freelander and I'm not taking the ****. Yes ground clearance will always be a problem. But with the tallest size tyres that will fit without issues and lockers it would be so very good over standard it may even upset some Tratctor Drivers!!

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Now Now Jai I know it's new year and goodwill to all men etc etc.. But don't be getting there hopes up too high...

Maybe!! Hehe

Quaife do an ATB Diff but they won't be cheap if its Quaife

Sorry - Off topic a little but off-road as well mostly.

Here's a pic or two - 10 actually - hope this works - these were taken on good days - these were on the good roads. Nuff said.

Good pics,

Do you tow the trailers 3.5T ones delivering aid to the Bosnians??

I was asked 3 or 4 years ago by an old friend if I could tow a trailer over there on behalf of a childrens orphanage aid. Twas 3 weeks away and all paid for except vehicle maintainance. I would have loved to have gone but I felt that my mota back then wasn't up to it being n/a and not very comfy. I will have to look into it again see if its still going was a good organisation very organised and serious all about the kids and the challenge. It seemed better than all the other ones I had the misfortune to deal with.

jai_landrover said:

Good pics,

Do you tow the trailers 3.5T ones delivering aid to the Bosnians??

I was asked 3 or 4 years ago by an old friend if I could tow a trailer over there on behalf of a childrens orphanage aid. Twas 3 weeks away and all paid for except vehicle maintainance. I would have loved to have gone but I felt that my mota back then wasn't up to it being n/a and not very comfy. I will have to look into it again see if its still going was a good organisation very organised and serious all about the kids and the challenge. It seemed better than all the other ones I had the misfortune to deal with.

Click to expand...

We used to do that in the past. Very little of that now though. I've still got my 2 tonne trailer - carries 1550Kg of cargo - max for a Freelander.

Lots of well-meaning but naive people tried to help years ago but they have all dropped away now. Most would have been better staying at home and giving us the cash to do it right - but that's how it is. Some ex-paras I've lost contact with from a pub in Birkenhead are still going out though - I think.

Most of the probs used to come through using anonymous 3rd party distribution. We only distribute ourselves direct into the hands of the kids or the pensioners etc. There was always at least three of us with every aid trip.

Our group are now concentrating on 'Vulnerability Monitoring' - getting folks to hospitals and clinics over the mountains in the winter. Checking in Autumn that those pensioners, who have been left on their own as a result of the war, have got enough firewood to see them through. Things like that mostly.

Not so much needs to come from the UK now - we source things nearer to the 'end-user' - most stuff is available locally - just the poorest ones ain't got no money to buy it. We're still repairing grenade / shell damaged houses from 18years ago.

Not enough mine-clearing going on - another 60 years at least at the present rate - kiddies still losing legs, out looking for rasps and mushrooms, in the woods.

Great kids very grateful.

Kids make everything worth while. Your kind of aid I support goes to end user straight no problem. There is many organisations I will never give a penny or time to.

I can imagine you have to put up with planty of numpties on these trips. Just keeping any vehicle in a servicable condition to last a trip there and back let alone those that have zero mechanical skill would let the whole team down. My main concern about my motor was making it seriously reliable and winterizing it in the couple of months I had til the next trip. Plus my old engine was not great it worked and was reliable but no guts to it. I wanted to get sump pan heaters and fuel tank heaters. Back then they were serious money only available in the states but now can be picked up for about £50 each here in the UK.

In Afgan we had plenty of people shouting about how great they were. Only problem was when it came to the crunch they lost their minds. Most seemed to have a mental age of a 10 year old when things got a sticky. I learnt alot about myself. I was only 20 at the time but I think I had a far older outlook on everything than most of the others around me.

jai_landrover said:

Kids make everything worth while. Your kind of aid I support goes to end user straight no problem. There is many organisations I will never give a penny or time to.

I can imagine you have to put up with planty of numpties on these trips. Just keeping any vehicle in a servicable condition to last a trip there and back let alone those that have zero mechanical skill would let the whole team down. My main concern about my motor was making it seriously reliable and winterizing it in the couple of months I had til the next trip. Plus my old engine was not great it worked and was reliable but no guts to it. I wanted to get sump pan heaters and fuel tank heaters. Back then they were serious money only available in the states but now can be picked up for about £50 each here in the UK.

In Afgan we had plenty of people shouting about how great they were. Only problem was when it came to the crunch they lost their minds. Most seemed to have a mental age of a 10 year old when things got a sticky. I learnt alot about myself. I was only 20 at the time but I think I had a far older outlook on everything than most of the others around me.

Click to expand...

I agree with everything you've just said.

I've worked for loads of aid agencies in my time - my role is normally one of 'Convoy Leader' - that means if it goes 'tits up' it's my fault and if it goes well no-one gives a thought as to why there were no problems!

The big hassle is the paperwork - that's my job. We have guys (and lasses too) with HGV licences who say things like, "Just gimme the keys and let me get on with it -I know how to get there."

Once you've loaded up and shut the door, it doesn't matter that it's for a worthwhile cause etc - the same rules as for all other trucking ops need to be right. CMRs, Carnets, Motorway Tolls and Ferries, etc. etc. We've had up to fifty-five 40 tonne artic trucks in a convoy. Imagine the paperwork.

Then you get the guys who shout for you to get a move on at every border post you're negotiating with, but when to need to pass a front line, they are little mice.

To deliver Humanitarian Aid usually means passing through the country or the territory of the folks who last week were shooting the ones you are on the way to help. It don't matter that they were given goodies themselves last week, they want more this week too, and don't you dare go and give any to those bad bastards over the hill. I trust no-one till the trucks are unloaded where I want stuff to go finally - NOBODY takes it the last mile for me. The c**ts will sell it in the market. "Who wants to buy a Red Cross parcel? Form a queue, please." The Chairwoman of the Red Cross in Republika Serbjia during the war was Radovan Karadzic's wife for God's sake.

I've been at this too long to be hood-winked. But.... the day I'm no longer scared in a war-zone is the day I stop doing this.

Most folks think Aid trips are sunshine and roses - it's mostly sunshine and ****, or snowfalls and ****.

Sorry - cue end of rant now -the look on the kids faces makes it all worthwhile.

Happy New Year All, Singvogel.

Yea all sounds so easy on paper. Get there and get the job done. Its totally different!!

You try and tell a farmer to stop growing poppy seed in favour of food. His response as a buisnessman: Why would I want to do that? They give us free food I can sell this poppy.

I had a good time I wasn't working for an aid agency but worked as a Private Military Contractor and was being paid. (Alot of aid agencies hate PMC's and sometimes I can understand why). I was working quite closly with aid agencys, US Military and all our work on site (my soul responsibility) was inspected and approved by the US State department and a very very friendly Turkish Engineer on site.

One company supplying the Afghan Police Program got X ammount of russian jeeps for the police. They left Russia complete by the time they got just past the Afghan boarder the drivers had stripped them all of engines axles wheels gearboxes you name it.

Funny now but at the time it wasn't good. Thats when I first got there.

Dollars and whiskey helped us alot but try and explain that money away let alone the ethics especially if your an aid agency.

Trying to clear our imported Prefab building at the airport and then transport them to a secure compound. Collect them at 2am for 6 hrs of serious offroad driving over a mountain pass to site. 20 jingletruck armed convoys over night Oh the fun. Hard work but it was an experience!

Sometimes I wish I could be back there. Puts us to shame back in Blighty. We have a bad hairday we need councilling! Maybe one day I will find another job that pays enough to survive on and get a similar kick out of it.

I only ever had a bad time with a so called Pakistani Engineer that treated some of my my Afghan guys like crap but he paid the price and never screwed me or them about again.