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My 00 disco was recently diagnosed with terminal frame cancer. Refusing to accept this diagnosis, I secured a used rust-free frame that will be arriving next week. I have never taken on an automotive project of this magnitude before but I'm a mechanical engineer so I figured I should be able to figure it out. Anyone done this project before and have any advice on specific unexpected issues I may encounter? I've seen a youtube timelapse video of two guys installing a galvanized frame, but I haven't heard of anyone doing a DIY disco II frame swap. I'd like to be as well prepared as possible before I get into it so this doesn't turn into a year long project. Thanks!
Hey Shaky Disco, I was reading through the thread and was wondering if you ever got around to the swap (sorry, I did not read the entire thread) I have a discovery 2 and recently purchased a new frame from down south (for the price of one of the retrofit pieces) my frame is also rusted beyond the areas need for the retrofit pieces as well. I am also an Engineer, Civil.
I was just wondering how it went? If you had any advice? If there's anything that you wish someone had told you? Did you replace any of the hardware or bushings? How did your set up work without a lift? I plan on doing this without a lift as well. I was thinking of using jack stands, removing the front end, the axels and then dropping the frame and rolling it out with motor and trans attached, swap all components from one frame to the other and then reverse the process...
Any information you can give will be greatly appreciated! Thank You!
I love how clean the under carriage is. Helps keep rust at bay?
Do you still apply a bottom coating such as wool wax?
Thanks! I'm not putting any coating on it yet. I'm going to see how the galvanized holds up over the next year or so and go from there. I plan on garaging it for the New England salt season and pulling it back out in spring so the only salt it should see is summer beach driving. Even though I think the frame itself is going to hold up great, I'll probably eventually do a "New Hampshire Oil Undercoating" application to keep everything else fresh (axles, driveshafts, nut & bolts, etc.). I definitely will NOT ever do any kind of hard coating like a rubber undercoat or Waxoyl. Those type of coating hide rust better than they prevent it, and if I'm ever developing rust then I'd at least like to see it so I can stay ahead of it instead of being taken by surprise.
Frame swap advice
