This is a list of things we hear often that just are not correct. By posting some of these we hope to help you avoid costly mistakes in your own projects. If you do not see something you have a question about listed here, try and FAQ or feel free to call or email us. We'll be glad to help you in any way we can.

" I just bought a R380 for my Rover (or my conversion) so I'm all set."
Maybe, maybe not. There are many different versions of the LT77 and R380. The LT77 or R380 just denotes that it is a 5 speed. You'll need more information to make sure it is going to fit your application. There is a 4 cylinder version, a Tdi version, a V8 version, etc., etc. Along with that there are also Discovery versions of the V8 and Tdi and Defender versions of the V8 and Tdi and they do not interchange. Make sure you know what you are getting as just saying "R380" may or may not do the trick in your Rover/project.


" I wanted the best I could get, so I put Old Man Emu Heavy Duty springs all around."
This isn't always the best way to go. "Heavy Duty" does not automatically mean better. Example: If you have a Range Rover Classic you can install OME (Old Man Emu) Medium springs (OME764) in the back you will get roughly 1.5" of lift. If you go for the Heavy springs (OME762) you can get 2" of lift, but what you might not know is that the Heavy rear springs are designed to carry a heavier load, not really for lift. So when you compare the same Range Rover with Medium springs to that same Rover with Heavy springs, the medium set up will actually flex better and perform much better off road. The heavy springs, in most cases, do not have enough load in the Rover so they do not flex as well and off road performance suffers, and so does the ride on the street. So in a lot of cases automatically going to a "Heavy" spring is not the right way to go. For most dual duty Range Rovers it would be a much better set up to go with a Medium spring and a small lift block. This would still give you 2" of total lift, but your on road ride and your off road articulation would be superior to the "Heavy Duty" springs.

" I want the LT230 transfer case with the 1.4 ratio vs. my current 1.2 so that I can have a better low range crawl ratio."
This isn't the right thing to do to lower your crawl ratio. The stated ratio for an LT230 transfer case refers to the HIGH RANGE ONLY. The LOW RANGE gearing in a 1.4 ratio LT230 and a 1.21 LT230 are EXACTLY the same. The only difference is in the high range. 1.4 ratios were fitted to diesel D90s and Defender 110s, where the 1.2 ratio boxes were installed in USA Defender 90s and Range Rovers and Discos. To alter your low range you will need a custom low ratio kit for an LT230 like those sold by Great Basin Rovers, or your can change your ring and pinion with a 4.11 gear set or ??, but changing your LT230 will gain you nothing in low range.

" The Series Rover I am looking at has an Overdrive, so it will go plenty fast."
Well... maybe. The function of the Fairey/Superwinch or other overdrive was to relax the engine rpms, not make the Rover go faster. In most cases a Rover with an old engine will go no faster with an overdrive engaged. The unit was designed to get the engine rpms down to acceptable levels on the highway. Most of the older 2.25 engines out there do not have enough power to then "pull more" with the overdrive engaged. Some strong engines or alternative power plants may have enough sack to use the overdrive as another gear, but in most cases... nope. To go faster in a Series Rover you need more engine power... not more gears. The overdrive is a good device. It slows your rpms at the same road speed and therefore saves fuel and saves your engine's internal bits, but don't think if you have a Rover that only goes 55 mph that by installing an overdrive you'll be doing 70. You won't.

" The Series Rover I bought is really slow, so I'm installing 3.54 gears from a Range Rover."
Only in special cases will this do squat. In most cases you will be making a big mistake. The gears on a Series Rover are set up to be as well rounded as the system could handle. They work OK on the road and work well off road. If you swap the stock 4.70 gearing to 3.54 gearing and do nothing else, you will have increased your low range crawl ratio to unacceptable levels. You will have stalling issues on the trail and you'll beat yourself up pretty bad going that fast on the bumpy bits off road. On the road you may pull it off if you live in Kansas where it is dead flat, but if you live near hills or plan long road trips you will have lost most of your ability to climb any sort of grade at speed, and try starting out on a hill with a 109 loaded with gear with 3.54's installed. You'll smell your clutch burning before you get any forward motion. The only time this would be the correct solution is if you have transplanted some monster motor into your Series rig. If you have a stock or even a modified 2.25, forget this option.

" I just bought a high ratio transfer case for my Series rig. This will solve all my speed issues."
Again, only in some cases will this do what you are looking for. In most cases you will be making another big mistake. For all the same reasons as the statement above, you will have all the same problems. Not enough power to pull a gear that tall. The benefit to the High Ratio Series transfer kit vs, 3.54 ring and pinions is that it leaves your low ratio alone, so your low range will be as it should be, but your high range still suffers, just as stated above. This solution would only be suggested if you have done something major to your engine's power (like installed a V8). If you have a stock 2.25, forget this option.

We see many Series owners trying to gain speed by changing gearing. In 95% of the Series Rovers we see, they all need more power and not more gearing. Its a power to weight ratio problem, not a gearing problem.

" A Land Rover is all aluminum, so I don't have to worry about rust when I buy one"
Wrong, big time wrong. As with most British cars of the period, rust is a major factor in a Land Rover. The frames rust out as do the bulkheads (firewalls). We also hear that people know the frames rust, but that everything else is alloy, so that won't be an issue as they plan a frame swap. This too is incorrect. The skin of a Land Rover door is alloy, but the structure that supports the door is all steel and very prone to rusting out. The leaf springs rust, the tub crossmembers rust, the door tops rust, etc. A Land Rover suffers from rust just like any other vehicle, maybe even a bit worse. If you are buying one, they all look great in pictures from the outside, but it is what is under the skin that counts. Go see it, crawl around under it, don't buy from pictures.

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