OK... so I've had my Disco I now about 3 years, and I've put my fair share of repairs in already... here's what's already been done (going back 3 years):

1. Brake Pads (done and now to be replaced again)
2. Front Axles (independent due to 4wd)
3. Starter Motor (replaced 2x with the NAPA part, saved me big money as it was still under warranty)
4. Power Steering pump
5. Alternator
6. Replaced Serpentine belt with Belt Tensioner
7. a few oil changes, one with the rear main seal addidive (does a pretty good job by the way if you have a rear main seal leak and you've got the slow oil leak going on this will stop the ol' drop a quart of oil in 'her every 4 days issue lol!)
8. Fuel Pump (apparently I'm missing a couple hoses though... including the filler neck hose and something else... only sourcable from the dealer I've been told... haven't chased it down yet, although I think it might improve my gas mileage when I do get these hoses... will also help prevent the tank-overflow issue at the gas pump!)
9. Radiator kit (new hoses, etc.)

And now for the undercarriage overhaul!

Here's what I'm looking to do, as we're eventually going to turn this from just a Euro Work Truck (EWT) into a shop project car....

and right now, as of today actually, the brakes are TOAST! complete brake fade due to the front right rotor being completely gone. Thank God my gf wasn't driving the car today quite frankly... as a side note, for those of your that ever encounter this situation, your emergency brake WILL help, but you will need to be deliberate and extremely careful. These things are TANKS w/out brakes. Luckily no one was hurt... and the shocks are BLOWN as well... highway ridding is like doing an amusement park ride!

Performance brake upgrade, and Lift Kit for some moderate mudding or offroading for kicks from time to time...

I've identified the following as my current top choices, but I could use some help from those of you that have more experience with the Disco than I do (I've been doin BMW stuff for about 10 years, but haven't done any serious mods to my Disco... yet )

I've broken this down into categories, but any input on adjusting the categories would be useful...

Drivetrain, and Suspension
DO THIS FOR SURE:
1. Driveshaft Rubber Coupling (BMW calls these a Guibo) x1
2. Steering Ball Joint Kit x1
3. Polybush Kit - Front & Rear Suspension (Blue/Soft) x1
4. Shock Mount Bracket - Rear - Upper x2
5. Washer Shock Mount Upper Outer x2
6. Bushing Steering Damper x1

DO THIS but WHICH BRAND?:
1. Steering Damper Shock - Bilstein x1
2. Steering Damper - Old Man Emu / ARB x1
3. Shock & Spring Kit - Front/Rear - Old Man Emu / ARB Shocks & Springs - Medium Duty x1
4. Edelbrock Performance Shock Kit - Front/Rear x1
5. KONI Steering Damper x1
6. KONI Heavy Track Standard Performance Shock Kit x1
7. ARB Shock/Spring Kit Hd Frt/Med Rear x1

NICE but NOT NECESSARY at this time:
1. Shock Tower - Front Suspension x2 or Shock Tower Kit - Coil x1
2. Spring Stop - Front - Coil - 1987-1997 x2?
3. Sway Bar Kit - Heavy Duty x1
4. Spring Retainer - Front & Rear x4?
5. Shock Absorber Brackets - Rear (Twin) x1
6. ARB Suspension Caster Kit 1987 On x1

on the brand of suspension, the only kit above that will give a lift off the bat is the old-man emu kit, which should provide a 1.5-2" lift from what I've researched compared to a truck with blown shocks and worn springs... however, the other kits might sway me over and back to a pure street truck if they are vastly superior... but to the plan the main converion for this portion will be the old man emu, however, I am wondering if anyone has any input on doing any mix n match on the duty level of the springs... I wouldn't mind have a slight downward stance on the truck with the front end slightly lower than the rear, and I imagine I might be able to accomplish this with a MD / HD combo on the old man emu shock kit...

As for the steering damper... I'm all ears... on the one hand I could go old-man emu for a matched tuned system, on the other hand, bilstein and koni are great brands too... if there are some guys with expereince with any of this stuff on your Disco, I'm all ears!


Brakes
DO THIS FOR SURE:
1. Caliper Reseal Kit - Front - 1987-1995 x1
2. Brake Spring Kit From 28D28320SE x1, 2, 3, or 4?
3. Performance Stainless Steel Brake Hose Kit - Raised Suspension x1

DO THIS but WHICH BRAND?:
1. Brake Fluid - Castrol GTLMA Synthetic - 32 Ounce / Quart x1 (how many for a completely fresh fill?)
2. Brake Rebuilding Kit - High Performance - Front & Rear x1 (this kit has drilled and slotted rotors, with kelvar pads... brand of rotors is unknown at this time)
3. EBC Performance Brake Rebuild Kit - Front & Rear x1 - this kit is with EBC slotted and dimpled rotors and the EBC Green Stuff 6k 4x4 specialized pads


NICE but NOT NECESSARY at this time:
1. Brake Master Reservoir Kit x1
2. Sensor - ABS - Rear x1
3. Sensor - ABS - Front x1
4. Brake Adjuster Kit From 28D x4?
5. Caliper Piston Kit - Front x1 or x2?
6. Caliper Piston Kit - Rear x1 or x2?
7. Caliper Bolt - Metric x?
8. ABS Pressure Reducing Valve x1
9. Clip Brake Line Retainer x1
10. ABS ECU x1
11 Bolt Brake Rotor To Hub 10MM x?

My front runner choice on the performance brake kit is the EBC performance kit...

I'd really love to hear from some guys that have upgraded beyond stock with some of this stuff to get your responses as to how this stuff really feels on the road!

 

Looks like you've done you reasearch. I would go with OME lift and steering damper, but theres nothing wrong with any of the others either. As far as brakes im using the EBC slotted an dimpled rotors with there "green stuff" pads and they seem to work great for me. Thats just my $.02 I'll have to let someone else chime in on some of the other stuff

 

Great info.

So it looks like you're echoing my core brake choice front runner and also you have the OME... your sig says you have a 4" lift... how did you get that goin on? the kit I'm looking at right now for OME would probably be good for a 1.75" or 2" max since my shocks are blown out.

Any input for me on anything else to swap out / change from my brake list while I have the rotors swapped?

Have you replaced or reparied your rotors or spring mounts, shock towers etc too or all of that is stock?

 

You won't need to replace your shock towers, just make sure to hit all of the retaining nuts with some PB blaster really well before trying to remove them. The rear upper shock mounts tend to be the worst for breaking off.

The OME kit is the most tested set up out there (in the US). The 2" lift is all you will need, no need to correct pinion angle or lengthen your brake lines. You can do the 2" lift without changing anything. Make sure to get a new steering dampner.

I have EBC's and love them. Some one here run DBA rotors with kevlar pads, but I have had no problems at al with my EBC's and they are priced right. You should look into re-packing your wheel bearings, if not replacing a few, while you are in there. You will need new grease seals, and there are some for a Defender??(search on here) that you may want to use if you do much wading. Of course, if you have not changed your fluids in the diffs, this would be a great time to do so. I would also suggest a new set of brake hardware (little springs and retainer pins), and plenty of anti squeal compound on the backs of the pads when installing.

Hope this helps.

Cheers

 

This is great info... love the "saudi grill" that will be on my list soon too

 

Quick Q: would a camber kit be needed or not for an OME HD shocks and spring setup? (ARB Camber kit)

From my research so far, the answer is "no" for the MD kit, and "probably not" for the HD (looks like 4"+ is where you would really need to dial these back with a camber kit?), but I just want to confirm... I'm looking at about 2k in parts right now to get "Big Red" back on the road with her new upgrades and climbing...