Coyote; aka my 96 D1 5 speed build thread

[Ray_G]

Thread resurrection. Long winter with a lot of stuff going on (moving, engagement, work, etc) coupled with mild but annoying weather so a lot of stuff was planned, less was executed. Still made some progress. Changed out the wheels for RRC Cyclones (retained the steel wheels which will get a set of MT's on them). First shot shows them at the gate leading from Spruce Cabin

Wheeling there was fun, mild weather mitigated snowfall in the Poconos so it was a little muddy but still good fun.

Though a few folks had less fun

The other big milestone past re-doing my rear cargo setup (next post) was going past 90k!


For that the truck got treated to some preventative maintenance, D90 front calipers/rotors, and stainless steel brake lines.

 

[Ray_G]

The other thing that has come to fruition lately is the opportunity to re-do my rear cargo setup. I posted my previous truck's version early on in this thread and was never satisfied with some aspects of it, nor with the interim solution I had in the back of this truck pending a better working area where I could weld and fabricate more stuff. A few weeks ago timing worked out for me to pull out the old setup and start anew. Here's some shots as it progressed.
This had to go:

Needed to retain access to the fuel pump, just in case:

Fabricated and welded together a shelf frame from angle iron:



Will add a following post to detail how it all came together in the truck.

 

[Ray_G]

The frame bolted into the bracket around the rear ac on the driver's side, feet bolted through the floor on the passenger's side. The flooring is sealed plywood with tan carpet on it. The center area forms a storage area accessible via the hatch on the shelf. The hatch was sourced from Cabelas. Tools are in the Peli on the driver's side. Final setup looked like this:

The center storage area has spares in it first. A number of things were put in there based off the 4.0 GEMs or 'normal' issues with Discovery's such as: Coil pack, MAF, spark plugs, fuel filter, brake switch, relays, fuses, 2xu joints (can get the rear DS working worst case), wheel bearings/seals/washers, hub removal socket, spare brake line, brake caliper bolts (b/c finding one of those is a PITA), serp belt, zip ties/JB weld/tape/hardware/gasketmaker/etc:

On top of that I added in some summer weight stuff just in case (snugpak, spare clothes, Nalgene survival kit, etc). There is more elsewhere in the truck and I still have space to fill

The passenger's side wheel well got the Powertank-finally back from hydro testing-and the orange ammo can that is secured in the bracket beside it contains tire repair kit and air tools.

The right side pelican case now holds some of the recovery gear. Roof rack has tree straps, winch controller is elsewhere, and the truck has recovery points front/back but this is stuff beyond that like clamp for hi-lift, lift aid for the same, snatch block, shackles x4-5, tow hitch shackle receiver (for the inevitable person that doesn't have recovery points), soft shackle, and kinetic rope. Still have more to add (winch extension) but it's a start for basic stuff.

Rear door was configured to cut back on rattles and added in a base camp radio for the heck of it. Doesn't offset the VHF, CB, or other FRS but is in a good location for when the kids go running off with FRS while I make camp.


Still got fine tuning with this, and of course a list of other mods to do-but the good news is she'll get used this weekend!
cheers-
Ray

 

[MedicalCowboy]

Awesome disco bud looks fantastic! Any chance you could give me some info on how you did the rear door. Also thanks for your service and everything you've done for our country. I'm in ems and it seems like other than our troops people cold care less about us.

 

[Ray_G]

Awesome disco bud looks fantastic! Any chance you could give me some info on how you did the rear door. Also thanks for your service and everything you've done for our country. I'm in ems and it seems like other than our troops people cold care less about us.

Well I can tell you I definitely appreciate EMS folks, for a multitude of reasons starting with seeing those skill sets needed too often makes one value folks willing to do it a great deal.

Rear door was a piece of alum diamond plate ordered from metal depot (I don't remember gauge/size right now, but it was a rectangle that I cut to fit. Fairly thin). Use the old door card as a template and just a jig saw with a metal blade and it should go fine.

First time/truck I mounted it to I used self tapping screws. This time around I've got 1/4 rivnuts so it is easier to take on/off. From left to right:
-Fire extinguisher sits on an l-bracket to hold up the weight and is held on by 2xquick fists. When mounting stuff make sure it doesn't cause bad fitment by rubbing up against the door's existing frame (I ended up cutting holes throughout the door at times in non-essential places to make the new setup fit flush.)
-Table is from Pit Posse (easy to google/find on ebay), they make stuff for racing/motorcycle trailers and the like.
-12v outlet is from WestMarine, wiring goes through the door's existing wiring loom back into the truck. A PITA but worth it.
-Bottle opener from New Belgium just b/c Fat Tire & 1554 are personal favorites.
-Switch controls light on the rear of the roof rack that is useful if offloading in the dark. Wiring runs along with the 12v outlets through the door loom.
-Basket is from the container store or something...took awhile to find it to be honest, as I wanted something that would hold the modified 1st aid kit but not interfere with the rest of the cargo area. Its mounted using brackets from tie downs to hold it in place/minimize rattles.
-Pelican case holds ratchet straps that I use either on roof rack or in the cargo area (it has 6x straps in it)
-First aid kid is modified to mostly work ABC stuff; i.e. I'm def not EMS and know what I know mostly from the Marine Corps so it has a lot of pressure bandages along with some 1 arm tourneys and stuff.

It was a fun project done a long time ago that I tinker with here and there. Overall I'd say focus on what you want out of your rear door but less is more; in the past I'd had a bunch of stuff hanging off it and found it to be less useful than when it was just fire ext/table/basket.
r-
Ray

 

[MedicalCowboy]

Thanks very much I find your writeup very helpful. That's exactly what this community is. Enthusiasts helping other enthusiasts and I love it. Thanks bud.

 

[Ray_G]

Some shots from finalization of further interior storage. Recent birthday gift from fiancee was a pruning/climbing chainsaw so that gave rise to the need to sort out the rear seat floorboard storage.
Built a frame that bolts into the front seat bolts:


All told it integrates the chainsaw strapped down (blade is inside a 3" piece of PVC quickfisted to the frame), winch controller (inside the little pelican case) and the hi-lift inside the jackall carrying case which is secured via straps that touch both the new frame as well as the rear seat frame.



Testing this weekend with 5yr old (booster seat) and 10yr old will see how much it hurts ergonomics. Everything is built to be removed but leaving the frame in place for when the vehicle is solo or two person mode.

The journey continues...
r-
Ray

 

[Ray_G]

Hella DE's and Scan Gauge II

Continuing my infrequent build updates.
Got a pair of Hella DE fogs to add a little more light down low:

A decent amount of light for their size; pretty happy with them:

Lights are wired to come on with low beams along with rear fogs (switch on left side of binnacle). This shot also shows the install of the Scan Gauge II which I'm still toying with. Figured it would be good to keep track of temps and the like...then again, maybe that's info better not seen...

 

[Ray_G]

Cabelas Seat Covers

With my leather seats cracking and generally abused I decided to pick up some seat covers from Cabelas: http://www.cabelas.com/product/Auto...eat-covers/_/N-1100765&WTz_l=SEO;cat104558580

While I'd love to get some high end canvas covers, that's just not in the cards right now with other projects on the horizon. With the genuine covers being impossible to find in tan, I decided to give these a shot for $20 each. Add to that some shock cord from REI to replace the nylon, the LR ovals on the covers themselves (much mockery ensued from the fiancee over those), and cutting/sewing an opening in the back so I can still access maps/repair manual. All told I'm not unhappy with the end result:



Even if they just last a single winter, I'd call it worth it.
r-
Ray

 

[MedicalCowboy]

Hey bud not sure if I missed it in the thread, but that is not a stock grill is it? I really like the look of it.

 

[Ray_G]

Hey bud not sure if I missed it in the thread, but that is not a stock grill is it? I really like the look of it.

Nope, that's a homemade 'Saudi' style grill-the real deal was on a lot of the middle east spec vehicles and catches quite a premium when you can find them. Since mine had to be chopped to accommodate the winch anyway it just wasn't worth trying to source one of those.

Basically I used a dremel/jig saw to remove the plastic grill portion and then grabbed some mesh from Home Depot (believe the stuff on there right now is from the gutter section). Used small bolts with fender washers to hold it since my attempts with epoxy ended in messy failure (also facilitates changing it if it becomes damaged). The lip on the bottom is rubber tubing split and then wrapped over the mesh to prevent cutting of the hands or what have you.

Pretty easy project to do, and I like the look better than the stock grill.
r-
Ray

 

[Ray_G]

Truck's gone bald...

No roof rack...no rails. Feels a bit naked, but doesn't look that bad. Temporary condition, with luck approx 1 week from now it will have an SD low rack on it.

 

[mrwizard]

Really like the build up. I've been bit by the Rover Disco bug. Just waiting patiently to find the right one. I really like your platform in the back with the DI essential spare parts. Good call on keeping access to the fuel pump. I'll look forward to future mods. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Ray_G]

Odds & Ends: baby Rotopax integration

First off, thank you for the comments on the truck.

Lately I've been in a quasi-lull, finishing up some stuff but also waiting for sequencing of parts to come together (SD low roof rack, X-brake shipping, and the big project for this winter...a 4.6 build).

In the meantime I've been doing preventative maint and need to update this thread with some of the smaller things that end up on the never ending list. Awhile back I got a pruning/climbing chainsaw for my birthday (best fiancee' ever...) and thus I was looking for options to securely carry spare fuel/oil mix for that. I also wanted a little on board H2O to augment whatever is carried and/or what could be filtered. A friend got a bunch of Rotopax stuff for another application and after handling the products I decided to give some of the small 1 gallon models a shot for tucked away utilization:

The seats can still be folded down, only minor manipulation compared to unhindered folding:

With the seats in their normal position it is possible for the rotopax to move slightly, and I've considered either strap retention or building a small bracket but the fore/aft movement is so limited I'm not sure that's necessary. Side to side movement is nearly nil b/c of tolearances in where they are tucked:

Rearward movement is stopped by the Pelican cases:


All told I'm very happy with the quality of the rotopax and the way these integrate into the truck. Most of the time I will leave the water in the truck stored per rotopax's instruction. I'm seriously considering getting larger fuel/oil versions and mounting them flat on the roof rack for when more trail building/clearing is taking place. A potential/eventual rear bumper/swing away build would also likely see some integrated.

More to follow...
r-
Ray

 

[Jeep Rescue]

I'm a huge Rotopax fan and have both the fuel and water cans on my 110 (2x 2gal each). They are expensive and so are the mounts, but I like the versatility and the light weight of the 2gal package.