Hi All!


I wanted to introduce myself, as I am now a Disco 1 owner - sort of.


I recently drove a 20 hour round trip to pickup my new '71 International Scout 800B shell, and it's sitting on a 1998 50th anny Disco frame. The wheel base is identical at 100", the track width is a tiny bit wider than the old Scout frame (which I like), and I get all the modern goodies that the Scout didn't have; 4 wheel discs, 4 link, all-time AWD, power steering, etc.

The frame is about 1 foot longer than the Scout body (in the rear), but I am going to notch the frame behind the back crossmember and re-angle & cut to have the same mounting height for the rear bumper.

Anything else you can tell me about these frames, capabilities, things to be mindful of, etc?


Also, I wanted to see if y'all could help me with a few things, as I'm novice with this frame and suspension and plan on pulling the body off to do a full refresh & paint the frame.


1. Wheel adapters. Wheel options are EXTREMELY limited with these bolt patterns! Obviously I'm in a different boat than everyone else here, but I need more wheel options than OEM Disco wheels... I noticed there's no chance to use a hub centric adapter - is anyone using a wheel spacer or adapter, and is lug centric the only route I can go? Could I theoretically change the entire hub for a different bolt pattern?

2. Bushings. I'd like to refresh frame bushings, it seems there's a LOT there. Is there a one-stop shop or a kit I can buy? Also, I definitely need a ball joint for that rear A-frame mount, suggestions for where to purchase would be great.

3. What can the axles handle? I know that the Disco axles are about equivalent to a Dana 35, but I am unsure about what tire size they can handle. I assume 33" is the max any Disco owners use, but would 35" be ok in my scenario, or am I doomed to blow an axle shaft? Any upgrades to these axles I can do to ensure I can reliably run a 35" tire? Ideally, I'd like to run a 33" tire, but as you can tell from the pics, there's quite a bit of wheel gap and I worry that 33" wont look proportionate. The total weight of the vehicle will likely be in the sub-4000lb range, so not as much stress on the axles as a full bodied Disco 1.


I can't post pics (I'm sure I'm in some sort of probationary period), but here's an imgur link of what she looks like now. I'll be documenting a lot of my build on instagram and youtube (theatxscout).

I'd love to hear your advice as I tackle this frame & suspension, and I'll be sure to post more as the build comes along!

 

Very cool project!
if it’s an automatic disco 1 drivetrain and axles, you may want to regear the differentials If you want to run 35” tires.

I run 35’s on my 90, running stock rover differentials and it’s fine. I haven’t broken a half shaft yet !

 

As for wheels, you can also run any Defender wheel, including the original Series/ early 90 steel wheels. I have a set of 16x8 steel wheels on my 90. I needed something that wide to run the big tire.

 

Saw that truck for sale on the facebook marketplace. Should be an interesting project.

Welcome to the forum

 

Today I found a local Defender addict (had four 110 wagons & a 130 truck in his lot) that was parting out a Disco 1. I was able to pick up a LT230 transfer case, shift linkage & shifter, and driveshafts today for cheap and all seem to be in good shape.
Tomorrow I go to pick up a L83+6l80e out of a 2015 Silverado, and those trucks run a stock 3.42 R&P so I don't think I need to bother with regearing just for a big tire. I'll have bigger problems with wiring this drivetrain combo! Also, this Scout will be cruising more than offroading (80/20) and basically zero rock crawling. I think the stock gears will be great for a 355hp/380tq motor.
Mark's
As for the wheels, again this is an IH Scout so I don't want any wheels that resemble a LR, I believe that would clash the wrong way. I'm still weighing my options and I really don't want to hassle with custom axles at the moment, so I may have a custom wheel adapter made so I can open up more wheel options.

I'm glad I am allowed to post pics now! I'll keep updated as the build progresses.

 

Best use of a Rover yet! How ironic....... if you find a decent LT1 to toss at it we'd be brothers from another Mother.

 

My last post was flagged or is waiting for approval, so I guess I still can't post photos (sigh).

So, I am picking up a L83 + 6l80 combo tomorrow, and I'll be getting a 6l80-lt230 adapter to run stock driveshafts (I just hope the engine mounting point works). For that reason, I won't need to regear because the stock 2015 Silverado gears are 3.42, so running 35's shouldn't be a big deal as long as the half shafts hold up.

In regards to wheels, I really don't want to run a LR wheel on a Scout. I think the combo wouldn't clash well. I am leaning towards having a custom wheel adapter made, unless someone has an idea on how to swap hubs without swapping axles!

As soon as the mods allow me to post pictures, I will!

 

Picked up the motor & transmission, going to be a couple weeks for Nick over at RW-Eng.com to get me the motor mounts and trans/tc adapter. Lots of parts have been ordered and/or picked up, including 35/12.5/17 Toyo R/T's, new wheels, wheel adapters, rotors and pads, all the lights (headlights/tails/reverse etc). and a few miscellaneous items.
Since the Disco frame was about 16" too long for the Scout body, I cut the rear frame behind the rear wheel cross-member and have it mocked up to re-weld it back together with some 3x5 sleeved steel inside of it. I also plan on laying bolts to reinforce the frame where I cut off, for added insurance in case I ever want to install a rear wench. I have also completely gutted the interior & engine bay, taken off the front grill/headlight sections & radiator support to make test fitting the new drivetrain easier on me. The entire body harness has been ripped out & scrapped so I can take the body off the frame and have some bedliner sprayed underneath, and I can't wait to get these motor mounts in so I can weld them in & get the frame painted.

Lots of work done, much more to do!

 

Hey Y'all,
I'm looking for shift linkage and the passenger frame mount for the transfer case, does anyone know where I can find those parts? I have the in-cabin shifter, but need everything in-between the the shifter & case. Pic attached for the bracket but any suggestions for these two parts?

Some updates though, the motor is in! I used Nick's TC adapter and Gen 5 motor mount kit (rw-eng.com), and they worked really great. The only issue is that the motor is sitting way too far forward, so I'm going to have a new bracket machined to adjust the motor mounts more forward on the block, which will push the motor back towards the firewall a few inches & make room for the fan setup.

Wheels & tires are on, I am really liking the stance! There's some suspension sag from the motor being in, and it's noticeably soft. Once I get close to the finishline and all the weight is in the vehicle, I'll figure out what spring & shock package to go with in order to achieve & keep the stance that it has in this first pic.

 

Does anybody know where I can find that "L" bracket (passenger side t-case mount)? There's not even a part number when I see frame diagrams online.

Also, where to find the t-case shifter linkage? I have the box that sits on the transmission, but need the linkage/cable. It doesn't seem like a universal cable will work since it has a 4 way shifting direction.

Starting to research suspensions. What would be your suggestions for a spring/shock setup to keep the same stance in the pre-motor picture above (side profile)? Just adding the 700lb motor/trans really sunk the old front suspension quite a bit - so I'm sure with seats, electronics, roll cage, roof, fuel tank, etc it'll drop it quite a bit all around.

TIA!