[mbruneaux]

I've started a few threads with questions on what I need to make our daily driver '02 Discovery II a horse trailer tow rig.

It's an old two horse steel trailer with tack room and weights about 3,500lbs without horses 5,500lbs with. We had a '99 Suburban that we used but it is no longer an option. Fixing it up is on my long list of things to do.

Other than basic maintenance I've added a few things as well as upgrading a few others.

Changes with towing in mind;
* Bought an Ultragauge to monitor engine temp (Very cool tool).
* Hot weather thermostat
* Slotted and cross-drilled rotors and ceramic pads (Powerstop)
* Reman calipers front and rear
* Stainless Steel brake lines including the two chassis lines
* Added Electric trailer brake set up from etrailer and a great Tekonsha brake controller

Maintenance history (in the last 12K miles 2 years)
* Head gaskets w/ARP bolts and replaced all rubber hoses
* Rebuilt front driveshaft with non- China parts
* All fluids w/Synthetic except transmission (still considering it)
* New pusher fan (works a LOT better when it's wired the correct way )
* Three Amigo's fix
* CPS

Need to do;
* Maybe an additional trans cooler
* Oil pan gasket
* Install the low coolant sensor I bought from down under
* Maybe the Evans coolant
* New shocks and springs (will call Lucky 8 for either HD or MD TF)
* Saudi spec grill since a deer cracked this one.

Now for the preliminary road test.

I went way overboard and bought a load distribution system and it just won't work with my set-up. The bars are about two inches from the ground and the extended length shank I needed wasn't very much higher. I will need to sell that whole setup. I bought a plain old ball mount with a 6" drop and took it for a spin. I am very surprised how well it works. I took it up some very steep hills and the revs were around 3,500 and a couple of times the Ultragauge went off warning of 4K. I actually passed a semi hauling a big dozer up a steep hill. Momentum will be important but it did very well. The engine temp didn't get over 206 with 90deg ambient temp and the A/C on. In horse show trim another 1000lbs will be added so I don't know how big a difference it will be.


Pardon the filthy Rover....

 

[gurunutkins]

I think the most I have towed with my Landy (just illegally) was a 1976 Cadillac sedan deville (5127 lbs) on my car trailer (net 2120 lbs) for 7247 lbs. I do have double axle trailer brakes and a good controller. Towed the car from CA to WA state around 1000 miles with some heavy passes on the way. Landy performed flawlessly but I have to be honest I didnt try to go over 65 top speed and I seldom dropped below 55 even on the worst grade at grants pass in OR.

I do run the 180 degree thermostat and the ultragauge showed the temp seldom went above 202 or 203 tops on the whole trip.
I frequently tow cars around on my trailer and the landy always performs well.
good luck - I think you will be fine
cheers
Barri

 

[mbruneaux]

Thanks, that's good to know. My biggest concern is my wife off to her hunter pace or "Fox hunting" excursions without me while I'm watching the kids. She does know how to drive it but that's about it.

 

[gurunutkins]

Im sure she will be fine. Just make sure she checks the ultragauge when she sweeps her mirrors. One thing i did find a help was to install an oil pressure gauge next to the dash. I'll take a picture tomorrow if it will help.

 

[disco biscuit]

It seems like some sort of helper springs would work wonders on a disco. I tow a lot of crap and have thought one day I might try it...

 

[mbruneaux]

I plan on replacing the springs with TF medium duty which I am told will lift it up an inch or two, I don't want to lift the truck too much because it will raise the trailer and add more weight to the hitch. I couldn't' feel the front end being light, the picture makes it look higher than it is.

 

[mbruneaux]

Im sure she will be fine. Just make sure she checks the ultragauge when she sweeps her mirrors. One thing i did find a help was to install an oil pressure gauge next to the dash. I'll take a picture tomorrow if it will help.

What!!! I have to teach her to sweep her mirrors?!?!?? Oh, the insanity! I will post an update next Sunday night after the horseshow when she drives it.

 

[gurunutkins]

What!!! I have to teach her to sweep her mirrors?!?!?? Oh, the insanity! I will post an update next Sunday night after the horseshow when she drives it.

LOL
just delivered this one back to its owner with a rebuilt engine and transmission total weight was just on 5100 lbs for a 70 mile roundtrip.
Your wife will do fine just "remind" her to sweep gauges!
looking forward to the update

 

[NVDiscovery]

I'd consider adding an engine oil cooler just to be safe. This set up looks pretty nice and very affordable. Oil Cooler Kits - Oil Cooler Kit with Thermostat

 

[NYChaze]

I'd consider adding an engine oil cooler just to be safe. This set up looks pretty nice and very affordable. Oil Cooler Kits - Oil Cooler Kit with Thermostat

A Disco 4.0 oil cooler will mount up to the 4.6. Cheaper and no modification needed.

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[mbruneaux]

It already has an oil and trans cooler being an '02. If I were to add a cooler it would be a trans cooler because with the cooler T-stat the engine runs cool enough.

 

[gurunutkins]

What!!! I have to teach her to sweep her mirrors?!?!?? Oh, the insanity! I will post an update next Sunday night after the horseshow when she drives it.

dont forget the update this afternoon to let us know how your wife does!
cheers
Barri

 

[mbruneaux]

The Rover did great, I drove because my wife wasn't feeling well and she is still not comfortable backing up the trailer. I will teach her again so she can go on her own next time. Backing up the trailer will be much easier with the Rover versus the long Suburban.
My biggest concern was one particular long steep hill which we crawled up at about 45mph.
The engine only went up to 212 deg but that was the very top of the hill ambient temperature almost 90deg. I also kept in 3 instead of D when not on a level coasting road.

 

[gurunutkins]

glad it all went off OK. Hopefully your wife is now confident in the landy!
you are right too as the landy is so short it makes reversing a trailer an absolute doodle
cheers
Barri

 

[NVDiscovery]

A Disco 4.0 oil cooler will mount up to the 4.6. Cheaper and no modification needed.

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I doubt that a D2 oem oil cooler and lines would be cheaper than this unit. Look on line for what the oem parts cost. BTW, don't ever buy a used oil cooler since you don't know its history.

 

[mbruneaux]

I doubt that a D2 oem oil cooler and lines would be cheaper than this unit. Look on line for what the oem parts cost. BTW, don't ever buy a used oil cooler since you don't know its history.

What? you don't like someone else s metal flake in your oil cooler?

 

[NVDiscovery]

Some used parts are fine but not cooling lines where nasty metal things float through them and they can't be thoroughly cleaned.

 

[mbruneaux]

Occasionally the trailer light in the dash will blink when hooked up and directional is on. It's usually not on.

 

[BierNut]

With only 188 net hp w/ 250 tq at the crank, a lot less at the wheels after the slush box, transfer case plus two diffs sucking up hp & tq there is not much left pulling only the Disco's weight before adding your double axle trailer with horses and tack.
This is asking too much from these short stroked 3.9/4.0 (same B&S) engines.
A 4.6 engine of 3.22" stroke vs 2.80" (3.9/4.0) would dish out more needed torque for pulling heavy trailers backed with a 5 speed, high flow cats with a cat back exhaust. Borla comes to mind after port matching the intake to heads, heads to exhaust manifolds. Factory port alignments are rather sad, sick at best with regards to gained airflow that can be found including exhaust gas flows this all helping with pulling heavy trailer loads.
I would go with HD springs all around at stock factory height not lifted as you want gained stability not stupidity as D1's and D2's are already marginal from the factory. Stiffer anti-roll bars front and rear with urethane bushings, also urethane suspension bushings, trailing arm bushings. Heavy duty shocks all around another plus to match with the HD springs.
With your hitch and receiver I would add stainless shims, top and side for snug hitch to receiver fit removing "clunk" as well adding two thin wall sleeves to the receiver pin holes for a snug pin fit this also seeking removing hitch to receiver clunk vs the already sloppy factory clearances.
Another upgrade if your D2 still have Lucas single hole injectors (POS old 90's era tech) to replace them with later Bosch 4 hole injectors allowing for a finer a fuel spray or atomization. Go with a matched balanced flow set tested.
Another item I found is the 2.5 bar fuel pressure regulator is already below minimum pressure spec by Rover's factory service manuals, this sucks.
BMW's the baby six (2.5 litre) of the late 80's plus run at 3 bar fuel regulators, this raises the rail pressure within Rover's specs. Altering the TPS (pot) by slotting the screw holes, increasing voltage to the ECM telling the puter throttle is opened more richens the fuel mixture as your already running too lean overall. This is required with a RPI chip to perform properly with RPI's tune specs. With a RPI cam swap, true double roller timing chain indexed properly also passes Calif. smog which is the strictest in the country.
Many more items added like a electronic timed delay pre-oiler with the above mods to my 95 D1 w/5 speed. Steel rear U joint vs that rubber crap joint another plus. for a happy long living Rover engine.
I pulled a U haul trailer, in it a 70 Ford F250, three complete 390/428 engines, two C6 trannies, two 18' custom steel ramps 125# each, total trailer wt of 8,840 pounds. Pulled grades in 4th at 63 mph. Must add I run a distributor in this 4.6 engine tuned mechanical advance, vacuum advance unit from Oz. as 49 state has limited advance degrees, Calif. a couple more reduced degrees advance. USA advance diaphragms shrink and fail like clockwork vs Oz. units. Another feature with distributor engines only vs coil packed electronic advance, the intake vac nipple has a very small (smaller than a small sewing needle) restriction for slow advance action, drill or ream out larger results in quicker vac advance and throttle response, perfect for a 5 speed equipped Disco as well a milled out 1 1/2" aluminum plate extending the intake runners. Torque if 3.9/4.0 at 3,100 rpms factory, the math came out at 2,715 rpm's. A vast increase in lower rpm pulling difference a 5 speed requires at lower rpms like with off roading. No dirt my D1's street only.
Thicker recored radiator (100% brass) plus added drain petcock valve on the lower radiator cold return pipe another added feature with draining without removing hoses. Replaced the plastic radiator fill plug with an early RR plug made of brass, had the OEM fail on the highway as well a stat that would open less than an 1/8", temp went up above 40 mph.
Restricting the hot water to plenum reduces the inlet air temp to engine as well pulling cold air to the filter box from behind the left headlight at the radiator support a hole for the headlight socket vs the engine inhaling hot under hood air. The grill is solid hence no rain water entering the intake plus it's cold ram air a difference you can feel in power. JMO what was required to get what I want out of my 95 D1. Future a 5.3 top hat engine build.
Nuff B S N 4 NOW!

 

[justinthorpe]

Towing with a D2

We use our 2000 D2 for towing a tandem horse float around the country loaded up with 2 med horses and gear, approx 2.5 ton (5500lbs?) all up. The D2 tows this very well, vehicle is std with regular maintenance. Our tow ball arrangement is a lot different to your set up. the trailer draw bar is very long, with the axles set way back. Ours are approx set just behind the midway point.
The D2 was an upgrade from a D1, with the biggest improvement being the self leveling rear air bags suspension (both replaced soon after purchase just in case) this makes a huge difference in how the vehicles tows.