doing some mods very soon

[2002DiscoII]

I want to make the Disco look a little more rugged, and I am going to start doing some mods (well as soon as the garage is clear). But I have a couple of questions.....

1) I am going to run the Koni Heavy Track Shocks, is there any reason I should consider another brand?

2) I want to avoid a lift, since it will piss the wife off, so I want to put the biggest tire possible on the truck without serious modification to the car. I'm running the stock 18" wheels right now, and have purchased 16" Land Rover wheels to switch to, my question is this......Should I use the 16" if looking at doing some offroading, or are the 18" wheels just as capable?

Keptin and I have spoke and pointed out a thread with a dude that got 285/60R18's on his truck with very little rubbing...that is a 31" tire, but I was considering the 245/70R16 for the 16's but seems those are only 29.5". What does everyone think?

3) Lastly, how hard is it to put a 2" or so lift on the Disco? I mean that would be small enough that she (my wife) might not notice? Is it something that can be done by oneself? Is it require just replacing springs, or are there other parts that must be needed?

Thanks!

Andy

[Funrover]

First off....glad you are makeing some mods....

Koni - great shocks...Just pricey...

16" rims are great for off roading.. A lot better than 18's for comfort etc... 18's ar capable but 16's will be much more enjoyabole

2" lift doesn't seem bad at all to me..... You can do it by yourself.. I have before, but if you have someone willing to help take it!!! Makes the job a lot easier. With the 2" you DO NOT need extended brake lines or any of that,,,Just springs and shocks!

[llesra]

1. konis are nice and are adjustable. youll like em.

2. 255/70/16 should be a good size.

3. new springs are easy to put in. just give yourself a lot of time. disconnecting the sway bars makes the job much easier.

[2002DiscoII]

with 2" of lift, what size 16" could be run without rubbing or major modifications to the body?

[drum655]

265/75 R16...that is roughly a 32" tires...it is what i run and they look very balanced!!!

[Disco Mike]

Originally Posted by 2002DiscoII

I want to make the Disco look a little more rugged, and I am going to start doing some mods (well as soon as the garage is clear). But I have a couple of questions.....

1) I am going to run the Koni Heavy Track Shocks, is there any reason I should consider another brand?

2) I want to avoid a lift, since it will piss the wife off, so I want to put the biggest tire possible on the truck without serious modification to the car. I'm running the stock 18" wheels right now, and have purchased 16" Land Rover wheels to switch to, my question is this......Should I use the 16" if looking at doing some offroading, or are the 18" wheels just as capable?

Keptin and I have spoke and pointed out a thread with a dude that got 285/60R18's on his truck with very little rubbing...that is a 31" tire, but I was considering the 245/70R16 for the 16's but seems those are only 29.5". What does everyone think?

3) Lastly, how hard is it to put a 2" or so lift on the Disco? I mean that would be small enough that she (my wife) might not notice? Is it something that can be done by oneself? Is it require just replacing springs, or are there other parts that must be needed?

Thanks!

Andy

Andy,
I am a great believer of Koni's, but as far as I know, no one has has had a chance to really put them thru a good test.
So what are you wanting to use your new truck for, how much off road and how hard?
How many miles are on this truck?
How tall is your garage, you will need to take this into consideration when looking at lifts and tires?
As for the tites, sell your 18'ers and plan around the 16's like a 245/75/16 or a 265/75/16. Two things to consider around tire height, gas mileage, which you will loose around 2 MPG with 265's. and your garage clearance.
If your new truck has at least 50,000 miles on it, the factory springs have already settled a little so whatever you do for a lift is going to show up. The good news though is that the truck will ride better then it now does, this will help sawy your wife hopefully.
You might want to go to the toy store, http://www.expeditionexchange.com/
and look up and read what they have to say about OME shocks and springs. They are one of the more popular lift combinations to consider.
So with all that being said, think height, it is going to happen and MPG, they will fall with too much tire as well as some of the trucks power.
Have fun with your new truck, send pictures.
I am including a picture of my 99 DII with a 3" lift and 265's just to give you an idea of what you may come close to looking like.
Mike

[-MOSES-]

She's gonna notice a 2'' lift a 265/75's , but it would look Sweet !!

[bruinlad]

Definitely 265/75's but you'll need at least a 2" lift. I did mine myself following EE's instructions but only for the front. Removing the sway bar and the front bolt of the radius arm allows more articulation to enable the springs to pop out. The rears were different, I did the same procedure as the front but still wasn't enough to allow the spring to pop out so I still had to use a spring compressor. If you don't want to lift it, 245/75 will most likely fit w/o rubbing.

[O.B.]

Originally Posted by bruinlad

Definitely 265/75's but you'll need at least a 2" lift. I did mine myself following EE's instructions but only for the front. Removing the sway bar and the front bolt of the radius arm allows more articulation to enable the springs to pop out. The rears were different, I did the same procedure as the front but still wasn't enough to allow the spring to pop out so I still had to use a spring compressor. If you don't want to lift it, 245/75 will most likely fit w/o rubbing.

X2--245s would be good tires with no lift. Buying offroad tires for your eighteens seems a waste of money if you already have sixteens.

Another possiblity is getting the 2" lift and 265s; also buy your wife 4" high heels, then maybe she won't notice

[keptin]

yeah yeah.....265/75s...but this guy on dweb....STOCK, 285/60!!!!! Damn those are wide!!!




I think they would rub while articulating still......I think 265/75-16s are the best way to go.

[built2crawl]

245/75 is perfect with no lift. I had 245/75 on my prev d2 before I lifted. You will not want to go bigger because you will rub if you were to take your truck offroad.

[2002DiscoII]

you guys have all been extremely helpful. I can't believe how much information can be found on this site. I am going to get pics up real soon of my truck (stock) after I get the computer hooked up, my wife and I just bought a house.

my next questions are these, if I go with 265/75's are there a lot of options for tires that are both nice for the highway and great for off-roading. I'll be starting lightly on the off-roading hoping to get to places that are more adventurous then OHIO (boring). Also, which OME's do you guys suggest for the 2" lift? 751, 762, 779? Does Big Blue's come for the DiscoII? Also, $80 each for a spring seems reasonable, with a 2" lift, all I need are springs and shocks right?

thanks dudes!

andy

[2002DiscoII]

okay another question......are OME, Big Blue, or RTE all good brands? Which are good for daily driving and offroading? Will all of them work if I really get into off-roading and buy a winch? Please give me some specs or point me in the right direction to where I can find the information I need.

[Disco Mike]

Originally Posted by 2002DiscoII

okay another question......are OME, Big Blue, or RTE all good brands? Which are good for daily driving and offroading? Will all of them work if I really get into off-roading and buy a winch? Please give me some specs or point me in the right direction to where I can find the information I need.

Andy,
All thre brands will work well, it is like the old question of which is better a Chevy or a Ford, it is all preference.
If there is any possibility of you adding a winch and bumper, like I did, use the 751's for the front, also use the 107/108 combunation not the 107c/108c, they are too light.
Just remember the fuel draw of the 265's, I had to go 4:11 gears to regain my lost MPG and torque. 245's are a great way to start and see how your wheeling develops over the next couple of years.
My last 2 cents worth, buy BFG Mt's, they are awsume on and off the road and will wear forever, usually 50,000 miles.
Have fun,
Mike

[fvbrry]

I put 265/75 on my 2000 D2 before I installed my 2 inch lift. It didnt rub but did look a bit stuffy. Youll also have to raise your spare tire mount to fit a bigger tire. I simply removed my mount and drilled new holes an inch below the factory holes and remounted it. It raised it enough to fit my bigger tires.