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Alaska D110 Build for expo use

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110 d110
52K views 196 replies 39 participants last post by  Wolf Fabrication 
#1 ·
Hey guys thought I would start a build thread for the 110 and try and Get it ready for May time frame.

It is a 85 EX MOD three door 3.5 v8 lt77 sals rear . Up grades to include 4.2 injected V8 r380 ARBs front and rear, 3" lift and 35" tires .

The suspension is up in the air at this point ? I have a safari gard 3 link laying around as well as some RTE stuff. It has a ARB bumper will get an 8274 winch and LED lighting from KC .

Most of the work will be turning the inside into a camper and creating a minimalist list of spares and gear . Don't want to run a roof rack on this one and keep the weight low so I can run the larger tires needed for Alaska type wheeling.

I'm open to ideas and suggestions so don't be afraid to speak up share your ideas or experiences . Im looking at a rig that will move down the highway at 65 and have the power to turn the 35" tires in the mud and on long hill climbs. Would love to go diesel but not in the cards at this time .

As it sits now with no roof rack
 

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#2 ·
Well started tearing into the 110 , Founds lower bulkhead rust from carpet holding moister . Ordering floors from Northwest Defenders as well of a few other odds and ends .
The trans is an LT85 and the Tcase is a 1.667 Ratio so will be good for what I have in mind .














 
#4 · (Edited)
Sounds like a terrific build.
I like all your stated goals for the build. It will be great to watch it develop.
My ideas run along the low tech and simple approach much like the old VW camper interiors. We spent a lot of time in an old 64 split window years ago. Lots of storage space and minimal gadgets. Mid bed layout, basic ice box, portable toilet and no pop top. The kitchen was in the rear over over the engine bay with the rear hatch acting as a rain fly.


Keep the pictures coming :popcorn:
 
#5 ·
great build! congrats and thanks for sharing. I'm going to highly recommend the RTE (safariguard) 3" front progressive coils. I could not imagine anything better. I'm 100% satisfied with them and their on-off road performance.
 
#6 · (Edited)
Jim

The interior will be basic and will focus on keeping the weight down to a minimum . The end goal is a larger Version of my D90 . I want to be able to get out on long range outings and still drive the highways with ease .


Mark

Thanks for the tip on the 3" coils that's the route I'll take . Checked out your registry and your NAS is incredible . I really like the look , is that 255/85/16 tires ? Good job and very nicely laid out . Ed
 
#9 ·
Safari gard has been out of business for awhile now . I just happen to have one that I have been hoarding for many years ;-) . This one was custom built by safari With longer upper and lower arms to push axle forward for larger tires . Minor amount forward , thinking it was 1-1.5" .
 
#10 ·
With my current 110 expo build I am having a bit of heartburn over whether I should be running 35s with a 5" lift, or drop it down a bit in height. My goal is like you, 65mph on the highway and still be safe. My last 110 I accomplished this, but now I will be carrying a family of 5 and my intent is traveling longer distances.
 
#18 ·
This is the stance I keep going back to :)
 

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#21 ·
Nice can you get pics of the rear shock setup ? Sounds like a nice setup.
 
#22 ·
Here are some extremely random pics. The first 5 were sent to me from Qt and show the various parts. The last one is my cobbled together suspension:

Rear: Qt heim jointed rear links and shock relocation brackets. 3" TF HD springs (I actually LOVE these springs and prefer them). Qt heim jointed A Arm bracket. COR4 2" spring spacers/relocation ramps.

Front: Qt shock relocation brackets to move shocks outside the springs. Qt castor corrected arms. L8 5" springs.

Shocks will be FOX remote reservoir 12" or 14". I won't decide until the truck is complete and leveled out.

Hopefully I'll have some pics of this stuff on the rolling chassis in the next few days.
 

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#25 ·
Thanks for posting up the pics, the new angle isn't all that different than a lot of US trucks . I to prefer a stiffer ride , the truck seems more predictable as speeds with a firmer suspension. My current shocks on my 90 are 400/100 and I love how they feel :grin at speed .
 
#28 ·
You are correct, TerraFirma 2". The HD ones seem to give a bit more lift depending on the weight of your truck.

------ Follow up post added February 20th, 2014 09:09 AM ------

Cool, I'm interested to see how that ends up working. I've been toying around with a few non-traditional ideas myself to combat the poor ride quality and body roll inherent with a lot of these setups.
I fought body roll for a long time in my 110. I cured it with stiffer springs (TF), better shock valving, and a X-Eng rear X-Dflex sway bar. The truck took sharp exit ramps off the highway like NASCAR.
 
#34 ·
Help me understand, guys: what's up with the enthusiasm for 35" tires and 5" lifts for an "expedition" truck? That's a huge, huge setup for a Defender. That's how you'd set your truck up for rock crawling at the off-road park. Add a RTT on the roof and a bunch of heavy Pelican cases in the back and you're dangerously top-heavy. For long distance overlanding, you generally want to shoot for something that's as close to stock as you can get and super-reliable. Super-reliable to me means:

No dual cardan driveshafts. They always blow up at the worst of times, usually on a long trip and in the worst circumstances:



Super-reliable also means spare suspension components that I can share with every other truck in my group:



I think it's a myth that you need an incredibly built truck to do an "expedition". I ran our last Utah trip in my completely stock 110: 7.50 XZLs, no lift, no lockers, crusty old MOD-spec shocks. 1,200 miles mostly off-road in Southern Utah and the truck did fine. I was rolling with a bunch of Discos with 3"+ lifts, HD axles, fully locked, etc., but we never once ran into anything that I couldn't make it through with careful driving. The stock Defender is an amazing 4WD vehicle!

Can someone explain the whole 5" lift + RTT + trailer thing to me?
 
#44 ·
Dammit, I hate breaking shocks.

OP, if you're planning on forging rivers like the one posted; you chose the wrong engine. Is there a worse engine to submerge in water than a Rover V8.

aka rover said:
s far as CV joints go I have never broke one ? And I have traveled around Australia and through the Rainforest's of Malaysia with them in some pretty extreme situations . If your suspension is set up right you'll be fine with them . Yes I know more moving parts means more to break .
Huh...? Suspension set up right... Be fine with them...? Whaaat?

I believe you never broke a CV in the rain forrest of Malaysia... Mud=less or no friction. I'm guessing you'll find a lot more rock in Alaska. Rock=friction=CV explosion

I appreciate your enthusiasm but I think you need to rethink your build. It's not too late.:icon_peace:
 
#35 ·
Your correct you don't need a large built rig for Expo type over landing. But the places I see in Alaska and the type of back country I'm looking at visiting 33" tires just don't cut it . My D90 is but on 5" lift and 37" tires and drives great at freeway speeds . But I want to go out longer and into the woods deeper . I won't have a RTT I will be sleeping in the back ,away from the brown bears :) . So my current build is going to be able to handle the places I want to go with the ability to cruise at 65 to get there .

Yes this build is a little different than the cookie cutter expo builds but it will be self sufficient and take me where I want to go . As far as CV joints go I have never broke one ? And I have traveled around Australia and through the Rainforest's of Malaysia with them in some pretty extreme situations . If your suspension is set up right you'll be fine with them . Yes I know more moving parts means more to break .
Here's my D90 most of you will hate it but it's purpose built for this area . It's on 37s .




And here's a poor pic of my old jeep on 36" tires crossing one of about 20 crossings to get to some of my favorite remote areas Alaska has to offer .





So that's my .02 on big Goofy Rigs :)
 
#36 ·
Those look good for the terrain your in. Those are tiny compared to the rubber they put on arctic trucks. For purpose built, there is no such thing as lame. It's the posers that put big tires on their trucks for the looks, with no intention of using them in the correct environment that will attract disdain.
 
#37 ·
Those look good for the terrain your in. Those are tiny compared to the rubber they put on arctic trucks. For purpose built, there is no such thing as lame. It's the posers that put big tires on their trucks for the looks, with no intention of using them in the correct environment that will attract disdain.
I personally take offense to that remark...(hater)...

------ Follow up post added February 20th, 2014 03:22 PM ------

I think it's a myth that you need an incredibly built truck to do an "expedition".
It's the resolve of the man and the machine that finishes the expedition!
 
#41 ·
I will agree with Chris, in that I believe 5" lift and RTT/laden rack are not compatable. I have 3" and for my overland configuration I am at the max for tolerable height, and I know it's a tradeoff for driving parallel to any inclines.
 
#43 ·
serpentine belt

I have a 94 disco in the shop that we are parting out that has a serpentine belt setup. Was wondering is there any down side to swapping all the components over to the this set up . Is the PS pump as good as the 3.5 . I like the alt up high for sure and the space to run a AC type air pump . Looks like I can just take timing cover and all brackets and be good to go.

Thanks Ed
 
#67 ·
I have a 94 disco in the shop that we are parting out that has a serpentine belt setup. Was wondering is there any down side to swapping all the components over to the this set up . Is the PS pump as good as the 3.5 . I like the alt up high for sure and the space to run a AC type air pump . Looks like I can just take timing cover and all brackets and be good to go.

Thanks Ed
Hey Ed,

I know that the crank on the serpentine belt engines has a longer snout, so you need a spacer going from serp to V belt, but I think you can do it the other way without too much trouble. The only issue might be that the crank is a little short inside the damper, then again, you could always have someone alter the damper or just run a spacer on the crank end.

I think for water crossings serp belt is the way to go, and the alt up high is a good idea, I say why not.
 
#56 ·
I bought a disco about 8 years ago that had most all of these parts . I wheeled it with the 3-link and really liked it . After parting out the disco and keeping what I wanted I probably have 4k total into the drive train .
Ed

------ Follow up post added March 4th, 2014 03:47 PM ------

The X-Deflex definitely kills your ground clearance in the rear, and I would expect to start seeing issues with the locking 'hubs' on it over time, especially if you aren't using it with much frequency. The Currie is the way to go, and there's room for it in the rear, just forward of the crossmember that your upper links attach to. If you haven't driven a truck with a 3-link yet, I should warn you that you're going to experience a lot of body roll compared to what you're used to with the radius arms. I'd try and squeeze a swaybar up front as well if you can find the room, otherwise that big 110 is going to feel uneasy at speed, and even more so when fully-laden. Also, I've been able to bottom out a 12" shock with a retained spring, so you ought to plan on running a limiting strap. It's cheap insurance. I'm interested to see where this build goes...I'll be getting started on a 110 Expedition build myself in the next month or so. -Ash
Ash
Good point on the hub on the X-deflex , and you are correct about limiting straps being cheap insurance . I see what you mean about the spot to run the Antirock . Yes might just run them front and rear . I really like the ability to tune the Antirock to each trucks needs .

Thanks Ed
 
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