Sunday, December 23, 2018

Problem with LR rims and Timm Cooper disc brakes

I have been chasing a noise since last spring early summer. I could only hear it when I hit 32mph and above, it was roatational and a shusch......shusch.....shusch kind of noise. With my bad hearing I couldn't tell from where it was coming from.
    I pulled apart the driveline to check u-joints, another time took apart the transmission brake to check for rubbing. Jacked up and spun all the wheels by hand. Drove to my neighbors flat drive and jacked up the rear wheels and put on jackstands and put it in gear then ran up to speed.
    I've taken the front wheel hubs apart and checked the bearings and the freewheel hubs. I dropped the rear propshaft and ran the gearbox only, put it in front wheel drive no hubs locked, locked in the front hubs and run it all up to speed each time. Several times I have prodded, shaken, examined by flashlight the whole front axle and suspension.
    Nothing no noise.   I took a non-car person for a ride they told me it sounded like water but not where it might be coming from.
    Yesterday my friend Don came over in his 88 and we went for a ride. He thought it might be the tire tread and was definitely coming from the front. We figured that I could swap the wheel on the front for my spares and see if anything changed.

    So today I spent around 4 hours mucking about with wheels. I got up and when it got semi warm(50°F) I went out and checked tire pressures. All were 35 except RtF it was 30. I had them all at 35 at one time. I checked for loose tread and tire wear, foreign objects. Next I check the toe in, it was fine at 1/8". I set up my dial indicator to check for runout and bent rims, all good.
    Taking off the wheels and putting on the spares was accomplished and I took it for a drive. I got down to the main road OK and went out, the noise was immediate and louder than before so I turned around after on about 50 yards.
    Once home I jacked up one side and spun the wheel by hand, it was hitting something. Both my standard and spare rims are 16"ers. The standard are aftermarket and the spares LR.
    I laid down under the car(again) and saw that the LR rim had one of those LR rim weights and it was contacting the Timm Cooper disc brake caliper(Defender).
    Taking off the wheel revealed the weight was hitting in 2 places on the caliper.


    My standard rims have no weights and clear the calipers just fine so this was not my issue.

The other spare had 1 weight on it and it was hitting too.


Since I didn't want to be without a spare I used a cut-off wheel on my angle grinder and removed about 1/8" of material from the weights. I had already put the standard wheels back on so have not tested clearances yet, but I am pretty confident that I'll be good.


Back to the noise issue. When I put the standard wheel back on I swapped right and left sides. After doing some clean up I went for a drive. Back out on the main drag and I got up to 32mph, 35mph, 40mph, 45mph and no noise! I was so relieved, it has really been holding me back and frustrating and depressing me, worrying that every time I drive it it will break down. I am just guessing that it was the low tyre pressure in the one tire..?

Thanks Don! Nicest Christmas present!

Saturday, December 15, 2018

Land Rover 109 LED light bar

I have wanted a LED light bar for years mainly for the better lumen output, but also for the lower energy usage. They were always TOO expensive! Now this Christmas season the price has dropped and I picked up a 50" Combo spot/flood light bar from SuperbrightLEDs for $139.00!
https://www.superbrightleds.com/moreinfo/off-road-led-light-bars-straight-and-curved/50-inch-off-road-led-light-bar-144w/3673/

  Well it arrived last night, Friday, and I have to ask, HEY UPS! What's up? You tell me it is going to be delivered on Friday. OK, I go online it's out for delivery at 0843. Now the warehouse is just over 13 miles from my house, I can ride my bicycle there  in an hour. Why did it take 10 and half hours to get to me? There is not 100 miles of roads in my valley! What .....grumble,..grumble.....

   It got here at 1830. All packaged nicely.






It comes with stainless hardware and aluminum brackets.



After breakfast this morning, Saturday Dec 15, I went out and took off my Hella 2000's around 9am. It was cold out almost 50°F. Next I had to center the light bar and see how I could mount it. I was hoping it would line up with an existing hole and go quickly. It didn't, it lined up kind of awkwardly on a rack mounting bolt, so I would have drill a hole and mount it to the side.




   With careful measuring I lined the holes up so the bar was in the center. For once I did it right and it bolted on the first time with no changing any of the holes! Without power and dark I just guessed at the light bar angle.




  Then came the wiring. I thought that it came with a fuse and relay but that was extra and I didn't order one. Probably 'cause I had looked at so many online and thought it came with it and a switch. As it was I ordered an extra female connector 'cause I thought it didn't come with one.... it also does not come with wiring diagrams.



I wanted to run it the same as my old wire but the new setup has the power(red) and ground(black) in the same housing and it is thicker cause of it. It wouldn't fit in the slot on top of the door seal.



Until I got out the Dremel tool and widened the slot.



Once the seal was pressed back on the door would still close.



On the inside.



I just ran the wire down the inside of the windscreen next to my other wires for the inside and backup lites. Then looked for a place for the ground and found a handy bolt on the end of my parcel tray. I put on an eye terminal and bolted it on, then hooked up the power with a posi-tap connector.



Then it was test lite time!




These things are FRELLING BRIGHT!

I tidied up the wiring with some zip ties that I intend on replacing with some better p-clips.



Here is with all lights off;



Just the lite bar;



Then at night in the dark;



First with the lightbar off;



Next is the anemic headlights and LED fog lights;



This is when I found the light was aimed too low, see the amount of light on the spare.



A look at all the lights on!



Then I adjusted the aim of the lights and moved out onto the street in front of my house. First the headlights and fog lights;



Then just the LED lightbar;



Again I re-adjusted the aim and went back out on the street, just the headlights and fog lights;



Then the lightbar you can see thee is not as much light in the spare this time;



Almost forgot here is the Hellas output;


I can't wait until LED headlights get cheaper! Headlights and plate/panel lamps are the only incandescent I have left on my 109.