Dan Chapman has done a tutorial on upgrading the factory subwoofer in the Land Rover LR3. There are a couple of sub’s that will “drop-in” the OEM location, but that’s not Dan’s style.. :-)
There is an excellent post on DWeb by Robert Page on how to replace the brake pads on the LR3, complete with tools list and part numbers. Thanks Robert!
I have archived a PDF copy of this thread, with the full size photos here.
I have a Jeep with 35″ tires, and an LR3 with 31.5″ tires. I have on board air in each vehicle, but slightly different set-ups. Today I tested them head to head to see what could be learned.
The Viair 400 fills Tire A as follows:
– 15psi to 42psi: 3:15 minutes (typical sand pressure)
– 25psi to 42psi: 2:30 minutes (typical off road pressure)
The Viair 450 fills Tire A as follows:
– 15psi to 42psi: NOT TESTED (typical sand pressure)
– 24psi to 42psi: 4:30 minutes (typical off road pressure) The Viair 400 fills Tire B as follows: (typical off road pressure)
– 12psi to 32psi: 3:28 min The Viair 450 fills Tire B as follows: (typical off road pressure)
– 12psi to 32psi: 3:45 minutes (First tire with charged air tank)
– 12psi to 32psi: 4:47 minutes (tires #2 – 4) Fun facts:
– For the Viair 450 to fill the 2 gallon tank from 0-125psi takes 1:45 minutes
– For the large 35″ tires to deflate from 32psi to 12psi using Stauns: 5:30 minutes (seems like forever!)
– For the smaller 31.5″ tires to deflate from 42psi to 25psi using Stauns: 2:20 minutes
– For the smaller 31.5″ tires to deflate from 42psi to 15psi using Stauns: 4:40 minutes
– The 400c is rated for about 30 minutes continuous use before it reaches critical temp and shuts off. I can easily fill all the tires on two trucks in that time.
– The 450c is rated for 120 minutes continuous use, and may possibly keep going at cooler air temps.
Summary:
– The 400 fills the smaller tires twice as fast as the 450, and about a minute faster on the larger tires than the 450.
– Having the air tank helps the pump run less and keep cooler, thus running longer.
I think a good combo is the 400c with a 2 or 2.5 gallon tank is a great set up to fill tires and run air tools if you are going to using it for time intervals under 30 minutes.
As we do several times every year, SCLR hosted a New Member Orientation run at the scenic Cleghorn Trail. This spring’s trail run was a lot of fun. We had 16 new members explore the scenic Cleghorn Trail, many of them venturing off road for the very first time! Everyone did great and made it though with big smiles all around.
Photos on SmugMug (37 images):
After several months of planning, I am happy to report the success of the first ever Land Rover Open House, hosted by Southern California’s preeminent Land Rover dealer, Land Rover Mission Viejo. The San Diego (LRCSD) and Los Angeles (SCLR) based Land Rover clubs partnered with Land Rover Mission Viejo and the local Vendors and independent service shops to have the first Land Rover specific Off Road Open House. The event was a major success, with several hundred people attending despite the heat ( 95 degrees!). Dozens of unique Land Rovers were on display, from privately owned vehicles from the club members, to fully tricked out vehicles created by the service vendors, to dealer demo vehicles. I did not shoot most of these photos. With few exceptions, the photos below have been compiled from images sent by Darrin Simmons of LRMV and Dennis Yard of LRCSD. Thanks to Rich Guzman and Darrin Simmons of LRMV for making this event a success!
To celebrate Land Rover’s 60th Anniversary, the local “Cars & Coffee” homegrown car show dedicated a portion of the site (located at Land Rover North America’s parking lot) for the Land Rover marque. It was a fun way to spend the morning, with LOTS of eye candy everywhere.
A number of people have ventured out onto the dunes in their shiny new “Go Anywhere” Land Rover LR3 or Range Rover Sport, only to be stuck in sand and teased by all the Jeep and Toyota guys, or worse, pre-IFS Land Rover owners! I see this discussion pop up on forums all over the world. So to help, here is my quick primer for newbies on how to drive in sand with this modern vehicles and all their high-tech electrowizardry:
The stock Goodyear Wrangler HP’s are going to disappoint you in the sand (and everywhere else too!). The Nitto Terra Grappler, Copper Zeon LTZ’s, or BFG AT’s, etc… are all MUCH better tires.
Once you are out on the sand, try experimenting with:
1. Air way way down – 15 to 20 PSI
2. Use Sand Mode with your Terrain Response, because it disables DSC
3. Physically turn off DSC
4. Use Low range
5. Use Command Shift. Your truck will work best in deep sand in 2nd or 3rd gear.
6. Keep the rev’s up! If you are hitting the rev limiter on occasion (hill climbs) you are doing it right.
7. Momentum is your friend
8. Know what is on the other side! If you crest a dune you don’t recognize, assume it is a sheer drop off on the other side.
9. Have a portable air compressor with you.
10. Have a large plywood plate (18″ sq) with you to act as a base for your tire jack should you need to change a tire or lift your wheels out of a hole
11. Buy a nice bottle jack to replace the silly sissor lift contraption Land Rover provides
12. Full size spare tire!
13. Buy a nice 30′ recovery strap, and at least two shackles to fit on the front or rear recovery points (they are hidden behind the plastic panels that easily come off with a large flat blade screwdriver or a small coin (10 cent dime works great!)
Photos of Pismo Beach with an LR3:
http://blog.nextstepdesigns.com/?cat=15
Cheers,
NW
Okay chaps, I compiled the listings you all have made, plus added a dash of my own, and created the following Recipe for the Disco3 MkII. I must note that many of you seem to have purchased the wrong vehicle. Perhaps a submarine would be more appropriate?
Anyway, here goes. I hope LR is listening:
D3/LR3 wish list
Safety
1. Rear view camera as a safety item, not a luxury package
2. Brighter instrument gauge illumination for urban city areas with high amounts of ambient lighting.
Durability
1. More rugged housings and better waterproofed electronics & connectors
2. Air breather vents for differentials, transfer case, etc… routed higher (to roof).
3. Better wearing tires, with more tire options (street, off road, or all-terrains)
4. Faulty light bulb sensor/indicator lights
5. Workshop manual on paper or at least on CD so can be copied to paper.
6. The window controls are of poor quality. The plastic is too thin/light and the switches flex when you push or pull on them. They should have a feeling of solidity to them.
7. Exhaust pipes should be re-routed above the rear driveshaft to prevent damage when off roading.
8. US option for TDV8 motor
Performance
1. Reduce weight overall, target weight should be 2.2-2.5 tonnes max
2. Proper tow hitch assembly that does not hinder off road ability
3. Fully controllable suspension height, with significantly raised speed limit in off road mode (up to 90km/hr), and manual access to super extended mode (below 15 mph)
4. Rear bumper mounted spare tire carrier, configured to be on the left, so it does not block the lower window niche of the rear hatch, and does not interfere will loading vehicle when parked alongside a curb. Tire carrier should be sized to accommodate up to 33” dia. tires.
5. Slightly larger wheel well housings, without the fin on the rear housing, and relocated rear air conditioning lines to allow the fitting of 33” tires. Will also require slight modification of upper a-arms in front suspension.
6. Fold flat front passenger seat
7. Bigger air reservoir(s) for
a) Tyre inflation hose/air wrench
b) Keeping car level and at the set height during auto-leveling, rather than always dropping.
c) Compact OEM Air Jack as standard
8. Bio-diesel compatibility.
9. Add more adjustment range to the rain-sensing wipers
10. The bins in the back of the vehicle should be sized to properly stow a 3” x 30’ heavy duty vehicle recovery strap and battery jumper cables.
11. Provide a KIT package for a secondary battery system.
12. Provide a dedicated 12VDC, minimum 15 amp power outlet directly connected to the battery (or preferably, a secondary battery) without requiring the use of the ignition key being activated. This should be in the front and in the rear of the vehicle, but if we must choose only one location, it would be the rear.
13. Glass roof should be a deletable option, regardless of trim package.
14. The skid plate for the gas tank should be replaced with a stronger/more durable unit.
Comfort & Convenience
1. Height adjustable instrument cluster mated with steering column
2. Proper clock up high on instrument cluster that can be viewed even with UV filtering sunglasses.
3. Centre armrest – centre rear seat head rest that like the old Disco 2 or Freelander
4. Adjustable (fore and aft) middle-row seats
5. Proper mileage/trip/mpg computer that gives MPG , distance + engine running time for the journey as well as overall similar to Nissan or Mercedes systems
6. Heads up display on windshield
7. Redline indicator on tachometer (diesel versions)
8. “Headlights on” indicator on instrument panel
9. Revise passenger seat height adjustment to go up and not angle forward
10. Revise front seat head restraints to move fore and aft
11. Add padding to the door armrests
12. Add fold-in power mirrors for the US
13. Add destination entry on-the-move to the Navigation system in all countries
14. An intelligent modern audio system with a hard disk for mp3s and an ipod like interface for the touch screen. Wifi syncing to home computers (for mp3s and whatnot) no messing with cables and moving the ipod about. Better iPod connectivity with input sensing volume adjustment
15. Ability to control interior illumination lights from rear dome light near tailgate
16. The LED light for the HVAC system’s “Recycle” button is not bright enough to be seen in the daytime when sunglasses are worn (such as on the trail).
17. Provide a 120V AC power inverter with a 30amp weather sealed, NEMA 5-15R configuration power receptacle permanently mounted on an interior panel at the rear of the LR3 would be a very handy accessory option (similar to the Toyota TRD package available for Tacoma’s). It should be standard with the secondary battery package, and not require ignition key activation.
18. The motorized seats and mirrors should be on permanent power and not require ignition key activation
19. The steering wheel mounted volume and scan buttons should always be mounted on the steering wheel on the side adjacent to the window. For left hand drive vehicles, that would be on the left! As it is now, the hand that is only inches from the volume knob on the console is the one that keys the steering wheel controls. This is silly.
20. Ford’s F-150 adjustable pedals should be standard on the LR3
21. The interior front door pull should be 1.5” higher on the door, to provide better leverage, and to allow more knee space (allowing the knee to fit underneath it)
22. The padding on the seat arm rests should be of a higher density foam.
23. The vertical beveled center console significantly reduces available knee space, and provides no functionality. The cavity below the steering wheel should be as wide as possible and able to accommodate our increasingly tall population.
24. The cup holders fit no known drink container sizes in common use in the USA. This includes the two primary console holders, the door pocket holders, the pull out drink holder for the second row occupants, and the round holders in the back shelf area. Adjustable spring or friction collar holders are common in virtually all cars these days. Land Rovers are designed to excel at radical off camber pitches and steep approach/departure angles when off roading, but the cup holders are simply not up to the task.
25. The rear seats should be spring activated or power activated to allow one hand, no reach operation up and down. Similar to a Lincoln Navigator.
26. The rear lift gate should have an option to be power activated, similar to the Nissan Armada, Lincoln Navigator, etc… A button available on the dashboard as well as a separate button in the back (on a short delay) at +50” – 60” above the ground should be provided to open or close the door.
27. User configurable warning bongs (similar to chosing the Nav voice)
Packages & Options:
While every Land Rover is an off road vehicle, it is a fact that many of these fine vehicles never leave the pavement. But for those of us who do enjoy them fully, there are configurations and options that should be available as a package from the factory. It’s seems a misnomer to call it an “Off Road Package” as all other Mfr’s do, but clearly there is a need for something like it. Perhaps “Safari”, “Rubicon”, or “Blackforest” trim packages could be offered. These packages should NOT be contingent on the trim level. Meaning, they should be available for Base models, all the way up to HSE. What kinds of things should be in this package? Here is the start of a partial list:
• Rear tire carrier (on the left please, don’t block the view out of the notched window!)
• Extended range fuel tank (where space saver rear tire was)
• Outback mode on the Terrain Control allowing speeds in excess of 30 mph for extended suspension mode
• Grommets in the roof (fore and aft), prewired for off road HID lights, with the wiring harness tucked into the headliner and accessible from above via the grommet.
• Front & Rear diff locker (regardless of engine or trim level)
• User configurable switches on the center console (for lights, lockers, air compressors, etc..)
• Secondary battery (and related outlets as described elsewhere)
• Secondary air compressor, or fittings front and rear for airing up tires.
• A choice of tires at vehicle purchase! (All Terrians, or Mud Terrians, etc…)
• Modified exhaust routing. With the spare tire out of the way, it’s possible to tuck that exhaust system up over the rear driveshaft and out of harms way.
• Heavy duty skid plates for front end, rear end, gas tank, and transmission bay
• No glass roof in the rear
• Roof access ladder as part of the package
• Better trailer hitch for off road towing (such as Outback trailers).
Extravagant Requests (thinking beyond the norm)
1. Bigger fuel tank, or dual fuel tanks (120litres plus)
2. Sliding doors front and back to allow us salad dodgers, and those carrying child seats to get out of the car in narrow car-park spaces.
3. Lock/unlock buttons with the second row passengers roof controls for parents confined to the back seats by young kids.
4. Waiver certificate system allowing user to waive Safety Stazi interlocks (raise/lower remote, max off road height speed etc) at the dealers.
5. Snorkel as standard – perhaps with low profile/hidden intake right across width of roof but hoses embedded/hidden in A-Frame or other pillars..
6. WithAuto transmissions, when stationary, allow move from Neutral to Drive without pressing footbrake, if park brake is engaged instead.
7. Before’n’After KleenTect protection or similar offered on all cars during production and before they first go outside.
8. Torque response dial next to terrain response dial – select between Towing, Extreme MPG, G-Force related organ collapse and a spare slot for bespoke upgrades from certain vendors. Auto box adapts to suit, including down-shifting for engine braking during towing and to maintain set cruise control speed when heading down hills.
9. Decent side steps accessory that are built for the car – like RRS not the tacked on numpty ones sold now.
10. The Command Shift transmission mode should be engaged by snapping the shift level to the right. On a left hand drive, it is more common to have some leftward pull when pulling back on the shift level to put the system in to Drive. Often, drivers are constantly popping into C/S mode accidentally, when starting the car in motion, or cornering, or whenever we bump it.
11. Night vision/heads up display
12. Weather Doppler image overlaid on the Nav screen
13. Vandal/Scratch Electroshock
Yeah, you heard me. The LR3/Disco III is the Best Off Road vehicle Land Rover has ever built.
I have a very strong opinion regarding the LR3, not often shared by owners of older Rovers. I think that stock off the show room floor, the LR3 is the best off roading machine Land Rover has ever built.
Unmodified (other than putting on some real tires instead of those GoodForOneYear’s they come with), the LR3 will do 90% of all the trails out there, and do them with ease. However, there are two limitations to the LR3 which are serious limitations for many hard core off roaders, and for good reason:
My own personal LR3 is somewhat of a novelty in the USA, but more common in places like South America, Australia, Belgium, etc…Unlike all the other LR3’s here in the States which are SE’s or HSE’s, mine is a Base model, with an odd assortment of NAS options. My truck is a pre-production model shipped over with 20+ other variants before LRNA settled on which options packages would be right for the US market.
I am often asked which is the better buy, a used Discovery II, or an LR3 (new or used). The answer of course, completely depends on what you want the vehicle to do for you, or what you want out of it. Most people are just a little uncertain of the LR3, though I highly recommend them. I use the following as really the only criteria you need to consider if you are thinking of getting an LR3:
And there you have it.
(Team Morocco from the UK, 2006)
I participated in a wonderful event this past weekend. Once again I assisted as a trainer/photographer for the “Dipped in Green” training event hosted by OffRoving.com in Sedona and Flagstaff, Arizona. On Day 1 we conducted a “classroom” training session at the lovely Casa Sedona bed & breakfast inn, then we ran the famous Soldier Pass and Broken Arrow trails. Broken Arrow is the most difficult trail listed in our Arizona trail guides. It is a terrific little trail, but certainly did not exceed the capabilities of the stock Range Rover Sports.
On Day 2 we visited the very interesting Cinder Hills volcanic park that is open to ORV’s. This park consists of 13,500 acres of unrestricted open wheeling, with some very challenging hill climbs. The entire park is made of volcanic cinders and rock. There is no dirt anywhere! The cinders are very similar to sand, and provided a wonderful training ground.
I really liked the Sedona area, and it shows. I shot over 1,700 photos! Each Participant receives a DVD with several hundred hand selected images as mementos of this wonderful weekend. Here are a few images sampled from the main galleries that best illustrate the entire experience:
Land Rover LR3 Tips & Info 