by Tom Pearson
Click on images for a larger picture
Introduction
The following outlines the install of the RoverTym
A-Arm Extension on my 1997 Discovery SE. The point of this product is to assist
in moving your rear axle more towards the rear of the vehicle. The goal in doing
this is to make more room to clear larger tires without trimming the rear door.
This product can be found at RoverTym.Com.
I can't say enough good things about the products and service I get from RoverTym,
always top notch.
The install was carried out at Aedofab's
shop. Once again, thanks to Mike Aedo for all the help with my Disco and for
the on-the fly improvisations that he came up with to save my brake lines (see
bottom of page).
The following is a picture of the A-Arm extension as delivered to me by RoverTym.
I would also recommend that you purchase new bolts
and nuts, as the existing ones that you will remove during dissasembly may get
destroyed or need to be cut. I sourced some from Roverconnection.com.
The part numbers are 253952 (bolts) and NY608041L (nuts). Roverconnection has
a really nice blow up of the area on their web site (Link
to Pic)
Installation
Here are some shots of the stock setup. A bumper jack was used to raise the
rear end up offering more room to work with and alleviating the problem of working
under the weight of the Disco. The tires were still able to rest gently on the
ground, so it wasn't at 100% full drop in the rear. Be sure to take the proper
precautions and utilize jack stands and wheel chocks for safety.
Step 1
In the picture below, you can see that the axle breather tube is zip-tied to
the upper link assembly. Clip off the zip ties and move it out of the way. Now
is also a good time to extend the breather tube up to the gas tank if you haven't
already.
Step 2
Secure a ratchet strap to the rear axle from the
trailing link mount. This will prevent the axle from scooting backwards as you
remove the bolts.
Step 3
Remove the bolts from the upper link assembly.
A good shot with PB Blaster couldn't hurt. In the case of my truck, the bolts
were not seized and came out pretty easily. Be careful removing the second bolt,
as the Link assembly arms popped back up.
Step 4
Bolt on the A-Arm extension to the upper links. After the axle is freed from
the upper links, it likes to move forward a bit. Use the ratchet strap connected
to the rear hitch to pull the axle back to make it easier to line up the holes
prior to bolting it back together. Also, use a c-clamp to hold everything together
until you get the bolts through and tightened up.
Step 5
Bolt the extension down to the axle. Use a brass hammer to tap the assembly
to line up the holes properly if necessary. After the bolts are through and
tight, you can remove the ratchet strap. It's a good idea to use some anti-seize
on all the bolts.
In my case, I also inserted 7/8" worth of spacers into the trailing links to
line up the pinion for the use of my rear CV shaft. Use
Brake Line Issues
In the case of my truck with the RoverTym cones
and long shocks, the stainless steel break line extensions were proving to not
be quite long enough. Also, the ABS wiring was extended to it maximum. It is
rare that the entire axle would be at full droop, but better be safe than sorry.
Luckily the install was happening at Aedofab, so Mike whipped up a new brake
line mount to make up for the difference. In my scenario, the stock one was
removed and replaced with the new version. The pics show the stock one on the
left and the new one made to be taller and move the brake lines forward.
Wrap-Up
As you can see, there now is plenty of room for
the rear tire behind the door with the 3/4" A-Arm extension and 7/8" worth of
trailing-link spacers. I may have to do more trimming to the rear fender behind
the wheel, but that is a lot easier than dealing with the door.
I still haven't had time to do some flexing tests to make sure everything is
perfect and my rub problems on the rear door have been solved. Also, chatting
with some folks has led me to believe that I may need to use some wedges to
angle my lower spring mounts. I'll post an update in a couple weeks or so after
I have had some time to test it all out.
