I just traded my old Alfa Romeo for the 96' Disco 5spd that I posted a thread about a few weeks ago. It was a very fair trade and ended up getting a great vehicle. That being said it is very rusty. From what I can tell it is all surface rust and after having it checked out be a well trusted mechanic I don't have any worries about the car. It's running great, but does make some strange noises. It has 83,500 miles on it, and has obviously had a rough life. What are the most common suspension components to need replacing at this mileage? All the components seem to be original. The ride is great and it performs well off-road but the rust on the the bushings and other components does worry me. Can anyone out there with a similar situation or that is more familiar with disco's offer some advice? Thanks!

 

Well, your shocks and coils along with your steering stabilizer died year back.
As for the rust, is it around the door frame or mostly under the truck.
If under the truck, might want to consider have the entire underside plasted with some soft medis to remove the rust then use some sort of treatment to prevent any more from showing up.

 

The steering feels very precise, I don't have any records on the car so I'm not sure what has been changed/ maintained and what has not. The shock towers are rusted and look terrible, and all the suspension components look old and rusty. The shocks don't feel bad, but I'm not really sure what they should feel like. Lots of rust under the truck but not too much on the door frames.

 

hopefully the alfa wasnt worth a ton?
this may turn into quite an adventure if its as rusty as im imagining...

 

Pics.....!!!!

Glad you joined the club bub. Need more real mechs around here.

 

I was a little optimistic with what I wanted to get for the Alfa, but it was worth a whole lot to me because I couldn't really use it for much. I'm really happy with the disco so far, it's going to need some TLC and some new parts but it seems to be pretty robust.

 

It sounds like something is loose on the passenger side in the front of the vehicle. I haven not been able to identify the issue but I can hear a knocking sound when driving over bumps or rough terrain. The suspension pieces all look old and pretty worn, but seem to be working well.

On another note the center diff lock won't engage, any solutions?

Thanks!

 

Tons of posts about the diff lock, do a search.
Check the front shock mounts, it is not uncommon for them to rust and the shock rattles around.
Just pop the bonnet, you'll see them.
The steering stabilizer does nothing, it wont make noise, except when it falls off from rusting away.
There are bushing kits, pick your poison on firmness.

 

Spike is close. My bet is shock bushings are toast.. Causing your clunk

 

The bushings and shock mounting points look pretty rough. After hearing your advice and looking at them again I think you're right. Probably going to replace shocks, front shock towers, and bushings. I'll search the diff lock issue.