Newby Question: What is wrong with the LT95?

Technical questions and answers
F**kw*t
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Newby Question: What is wrong with the LT95?

Post by F**kw*t »

Now before I came on htsi forum I had it that the LT95 was the best and strongest box ever fitted to a series. Or so I thought... only now I'm here I hear talk of almost nothing else but its shortcomings. It is not entirely clear to a newby what these are. Why are you all wanting to get rid?

I've done some leg-work before posing thsi question, I read reports of it being noisy, but it was designed for hte RR, so that doesn't sound right. 4 speed is OKish. What gives?
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Geoff
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Re: Newby Question: What is wrong with the LT95?

Post by Geoff »

I'm not complaining - I like my LT95s - I like pulling away in second and not having to change down much - if I forget and pull away in third or even top, it still pulls away. Can't see the point of buying a Stage 1 and trying to change it into something else - if you don't like them, why not buy something else in the first place.
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F**kw*t
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Re: Newby Question: What is wrong with the LT95?

Post by F**kw*t »

OK, its just that there seems to be quite a bit of chat about 'other' boxes.

Away in thrid you say? Now as I said, I've never driven a Stage one, I will be pulling away in third? Well I can't do that in my 2.5 petrol.... not if I still want a clutch

Torques, I like the sound of that.
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disco2hse
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Re: Newby Question: What is wrong with the LT95?

Post by disco2hse »

Me too. They are not hard to drive and rebuilt kits are not expensive.

I think the main thing is the four speed and ratios mean top end speed is limited.
Alan

1983 ex-army FFR 109 Stage 1
2005 Disco 2 HSE TD5
F**kw*t
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Re: Newby Question: What is wrong with the LT95?

Post by F**kw*t »

I've just gone to look at the one on Ebay you put to me. Has an overdrive. Now the Fairey overdrive on the series box is pretty useless, they go noisy after 15000 miles at best. Does the RR Fairey suffer the same issues? I have to say the one I saw in use was OK, but was a little noisey.

Equally are O/D units ahrd to get hold of?
Looking for a Stagey now. Have you got one for me?
disco2hse
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Re: Newby Question: What is wrong with the LT95?

Post by disco2hse »

Overdrives are not common and freakingly expensive.
Alan

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Geoff
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Re: Newby Question: What is wrong with the LT95?

Post by Geoff »

I think the main thing is the four speed and ratios mean top end speed is limited.
Limited to what? I've kept up with Range Rovers on the motorway at over the legal limit with a family of five on board plus dog and a fortnight's holiday gear, and overtaken newer Land Rovers on the motorway. If your V8 won't do the legal limit plus some comfortably, there's something wrong with it somewhere.
Last edited by Geoff on Thu Jul 02, 2015 5:25 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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disco2hse
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Re: Newby Question: What is wrong with the LT95?

Post by disco2hse »

Not limited to what? Limited in speed.

Range Rover and Stage 1 high range gearing is not the same. This is why numbers of Stage 1 owners have installed Range Rover LT95 high ratio components.
Alan

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Geoff
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Re: Newby Question: What is wrong with the LT95?

Post by Geoff »

Every vehicle has a top speed. The top speed of my Stage 1s (unlike my old Series 3 109 2.25) is quite adequate for just about anywhere except possibly a German autobahn. If a quiet ride at high speed is more important to you than all the other things these vehicles can do, then buy a car. As I already said, I don't see the point of buying a Stage 1 if you don't really like it and then trying to make a Range Rover - no doubt folk do it for the technical challenge and the fun of personalising their vehicle, but really the factory went to some trouble to design a specific compromise (and every 4x4 is a compromise between offroad and on-road abilities) and, as I also already said, I for one am not moaning about it and am happy with it - that's why I own them and why, personally, I am on here. You can change them but, personally, I don't particularly want even Solihull's attempts to improve on them, let alone most other peoples'.
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disco2hse
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Re: Newby Question: What is wrong with the LT95?

Post by disco2hse »

:D

You forgot to put in the \rant tags.

You know, no one is advocating change. It was a fair question.

You choose not to change (as I have done too), which does not mean others cannot change.
Alan

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Geoff
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Re: Newby Question: What is wrong with the LT95?

Post by Geoff »

Where are these rant tags you speak of? - might be useful! :D

(Ok, my youngest daughter just explained rant tags to me - I'll remember in future)
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disco2hse
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Re: Newby Question: What is wrong with the LT95?

Post by disco2hse »

hahaha

Once, children were for milking the cows...
Alan

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Raggylad
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Re: Newby Question: What is wrong with the LT95?

Post by Raggylad »

Nothing wrong with the LT95 as far as I'm concerned (1983 110 V8). Even before I fitted an overdrive it would cruise on motorways very comfortably at legal speeds and still have enough grunt to overtake. The O/D lowers the revs required to achieve this, reduces noise and fuel consumtion - but doesn't like long hills. The O/D (though also a Fairey item) is much more robust that the Series model. Pretty rare in the Stage 1/110 version, however. The basic unit is the same as on a Range Rover but the linkage and actuating lever are different and as rare as hens' teeth; it took me 2 years to source alll the necessary bits.
1983 110 V8 Station Waggon - LPG converted

There is nothing, absolutely nothing, quite so much fun as messing about in boats
F**kw*t
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Re: Newby Question: What is wrong with the LT95?

Post by F**kw*t »

I'm no longer a Stagey virgin. I've been out in my first stagey. I have to say my one fear, that 50-60 mph it would be noisy was largely groundless. Didn't get it up to motorway speeds but it was very good. I may not have been long enough in it, but in a 10-15 min drive I saw no issue.

I can see I've stumbled on a hot-potato here. Sorry.
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llandes
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Re: Newby Question: What is wrong with the LT95?

Post by llandes »

I have a 2.25L petrol 109 and a Stage 1. I had the 2.25L first and living in Southern California, driving it on the freeway was a necessity. It has a Fairey OD and while it will do 65 or 70 mph, the temp gauge goes up and it's noisy. Then I got the Stage 1. LT95 with OD. It happily cruises at pretty much whatever speed I want. I've taken long drives to Mexico and gone between 75 and 80mph without issue at all. The temp gauge never moves and I guess my point is that there is no comparison between these rigs. Yes, the LT95 is a bit noisy and clunky, but in my opinion, the overall performance of the entire truck far outweighs any drawbacks to the 4 speed. While I have OD, I've driven other Stage 1's without, and since the gears can be changed in the box, the LT95 can be set up to travel at high speed even without an OD. It's a robust box that may lack some creature comforts, but as stated earlier, creature comfort is not what these are all about.
Just my opinion, but the Stage 1 is the best of all Land Rovers. Mine is a daily driver and some days I put over 100 miles on it. It takes clients out to lunch on the freeway and it claws it's way through sand and rocks down in Baja, and it's equally capable in both environments. I see no reason to change a thing as long as you can deal with a little noise (far less than the 2.25) and brakes that don't match the performance of the drive train. :D
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