Who Says a Land Rover Defender Can't Do The Rubicon Trail? Here's How I Did It! 

Agreed lol

Not 1 photo or snippet of this vehicle doing the Rubicon.

I mean I saw it do the trail so… it definitely did it also I think they might have posted footage on the lr Denver channel

Exactly.

Okay tough guy haha

I don't agree... You have to go over kill to get this things Rubi capable.. Seems pointless, but that is just my opinion... I own my second Range Rover, and had a Defender.. I'd never do this lol

Funny when you think of an $80k Wrangler 392 XR as the cheap option hahaha

why don't they just add portals?

@@matShanghai I’d assume no one makes portals for a Mall Crawler Defender thus making it dramatically more expensive than it already is. Not to mention the custom suspension work required. This thing is actually cheaply lifted by truck standards.

@@KTMcaptain I can't even

It was a great trip with a great group!

So rare for a Land Rover

Talk to Ralph Sarek. He's making Custom suspension, bumpers and roofracks for the new Defender. This guys is bolting stuff on. Sarek is making stuff from scratch. In fact the subframe lift he used came from Sarek.

@@krover01 I've wheeled with both and although both are doing subframe drops, this truck does not use one of Ralf's.

@@krover01 Sounds like the one Steve has is made from Scratch as well. It really doesn't matter in the end they're all Toyz of Guys, be thankful.

I feel like you're describing the new Bronco.

That works too and we do that also. Our old CJ’s don’t go 100 and they don’t pull out 8k pound boat though…

The Denver land Rover guy usually posts it on his channel. Last time they talked defender they did the same thing.

Check Instagram there is footage there

Take your crap honda over to his instagram and look for yourself

In edit and coming soon. Have to find time. Been wheeling every weekend since

Should be out next weekend

40K plus seat time in New Defenders. Haven’t broken anything to date…

Viscous coupling uses agitated fluid to vary torque transfer as it heats and cools. This uses clutches and varies the pressure to them electronically like the WK/WK2 ELSD. The WJ Quadra Drive used gerotor pumps to energize a clutch making them lock up when wheel spin occurred.

Right ?🤭

20k max, less than a Jeep which needs litterally everything replaced and would be twice the cost, but its not a competition ;)

Not every trail is the rubicon dumbo

@@newdefendermods Stock Jeep Rubicons run the rubicon trail. I’ve done it. No damage, no issues, drive home afterwards. This thing is a wannabe.

Super cool build!!!

Depends on the state. Most require at least a back plate.

I don't know what your looking at on the defender for the winch, but having the winch behind the front number plate is a good idea it's hidden away so you haven't got this part sticking out the front of your vehicle. Least you won't hit something when off road.

You can get a Hawes plate mount that attaches to the winch opening

It’s very capable and still pulls your boat 100 mph with 5 passengers

It still has slight slip until it needs to lock. It’s nano seconds

Most ppl do the caliper swap or grind the caliper by 5mm

@@larrysmith6797 not exactly, they are running larger brake calipers because of the disc. The P300 engine that runs 18 have smaller brakes

We’re running 20” wheels on KONG so no caliper swap

I believe (so I could be misinformed) the only hang up for running 18" wheels are the rear calipers. Lucky 8 sells a caliper swap kit which enables the use of 18's.

@@bobwall6673 you can do the rear caliper swap on the P400. The V8’s have too large of front calipers to clear the 18” wheels. You could probably grind them down and make them fit but would be an issue in heavy mud situations with so little clearance

Editing and coming soon

@@Nathans_Margarita_Salt Not so much "reliably" but more "dependability".... breaking a halfshaft in your driveway is a lot different than breaking it on the trail, miles away from recovery. on my rig all I do is pop 7 bolts off and I can swap out a halfshaft pretty easy but I'm guessing on a new Defender it ain't so easy. All the money in the world isn't going to help when you and your buds are getting rained on in the middle of nowhere under your rig :)

​@@nothingtoseaheardammit Its completed Rubicon with a V8 and 37s so that says sonething 👌🏽🦾

@@Nathans_Margarita_Salt reliability range rover are synonymous, oh wait i think its antonymous

I had a 1987 Grand Wagoneer that took a four inch lift and slight trimming of all four fenders to fit 32's. Pretty embarrassing really. When I first got it I put 29 inch BFGs on it and the rear fenders covered about an inch of the top of the tires. One day as I was walking up behind it in a parking lot I noticed the rear bumper was dead even with the rear bumper of the 1985 Ford LTD parked next to it. The next day I was making arrangements for the lift. Similar situation I guess, both designed for luxury with no real intention for customers to take them off road even though the drive train is quite capable. Then again I don't believe Jeep advertised the Grand Wagoneer as the greatest off road vehicle either.

Just like the Bronco, we need to beef up the tie rods l, front axle shafts, and steering rack for these builds. In process now. 40k seat time to date and zero breakage

Sure does. All day long…

@@cotrails8356 how's the Land Rover Servicing center at your purchasing dealer? I only ask because I'm sure you have been there a couple times since taking delivery.

@@Billyjack-Two-Crows our service center one of the top 5 in the US. I have almost 40k seat time in new Defenders and zero breakage

They are stock. We need an aftermarket upgrade…

Editing and coming soon

You are so right. They are a rolling joke of look at me. All sun faded and no dirt to be seen. I still find Moab sand 3 months later and over a dozen car washes.

I think we needed more light bars🤣

In edit and coming soon

@@cotrails8356 Can't wait

In edit and coming soon

All new defenders are vc

@@peopleschamp7258 thats a pity.

Super capable and climbs like our Jeeps with selective lockers…

@@cotrails8356 im not saying is not cabable, but certainly not as capable or reliable

Woot woot!!!!

V8110?! We get compliments at stop lights, gas stations, on the Ebicon Trail etc🤔

We’d have to cut them so much they’d be absolutely useless

How is a lift, slight trimming, and bigger tires “changing nearly every part”?😂 Ever see a jeep made for off roading? You’re a clown if you actually believe that.

@@SavoyPrimeable I agree that it isn't "changing every part" but they are critical parts and op does have a point, as a wrangler from factory or bronco from factory is capable enough where there is not a chance with this one stock

We do the same to our Jeeps… you have to build to your trails with all brands

40k of seat time and zero breakage to date

Let me know when you get it in 4 years.

We’ve wheeled with the Bronco too. I have one on order (still). Very similar Offroad. Defender tow 8200 lbs at 100 mph and can seat up to 8… just depends on if you want premium and those capabilities as well…

I have one on 40’s as well…

Parts can go on back order for all companies 🤦🏾‍♂️

350 mm

All looks no bite

Thanks

Video coming soon for the Rubicon

Not really. We own 5 Jeeps and that isn’t the case stock. We modify them as well as they aren’t that great out of the box. We’ve wheeled the New Bronco and have one on order as well… same story

Agreed. No flex… But they still March right up everything we point them at

The answer: a house

@@KTMcaptain with a pool and garage!!!

Let's say if your asking, it's out of your price point.

@@peopleschamp7258 good point!

A lot

In edit and coming soon

40k seat time. Zero breakage including lots of level 7-8 trails

all the way to starbucks?

Do you realize that Steve wheels a 392 called Poncho? He owns several dealerships and check out his RU-vid channel.

I have a 392 on 40’s as well… one is a Howitzer and one is a scalpel.

40k seat time to date with zero breakage

All solid points you make…you did answer yourself at the end though

The current Defender was never intended to be a serious crawler or yes, it would be on solid axles. But....how may solid axle vehicles are even on the (US) market new at all? Jeep and .... er .... uh .... not much else. Why is that? People like you or me would prefer simple and durable and easy to modify but the average 'off roader' is more likely to drive on the road 90% of the time and occasionally do a dirt road or light trail and think they are "extreme". So for them on road comfort of IFS or fully independent is better. Add to that government requirements for economy, crash standards, etc and over-all that's why the solid axle vehicles are going away. Sad but true. As for the ride quality or tipsiness of air off-road, I don't know what your experience has been but I find so long as you don't run a rod lift (high air pressure) it's pretty good; certainly good for the majority of buyers/owners. It's when you start doing rod lifts that the ride gets very stiff and you loose down travel. Although it has some negatives such as cost and complexity, Steve's using a subframe drop that retains all the stock suspension compliance and travel and not using rods. And the tippy? Well, he was far more stable than my D1 on 37s with 5" RTE coils and a 1" body lift! He just had the ability to drop the truck by a couple inches when it did feel sketchy to make it a bit more stable.

@@jeffforbes70 True, but the W463 gen II (not mil-spec 464) switched to IFS in the front for all the reasons mentioned.

@@jeffforbes70 I did include the Wrangler - so that's pretty much also the Gladiator only with about 18' of rear overhang. I didn't include any full size trucks since they are obviously a different game. I never really think of the G as a real off roader despite it's past abilities (I mean come on - side exit exhaust? That will get crushed the first time you go off road and find anything bigger than a pebble) but didn't they go independent on that anyway other than the uber-rare/expensive portal version?

@@jeffforbes70 g wagon in 2019 changed to IFS

Yes. Same same

@@cotrails8356 not same same. Might as well be called body lift.

@@TJY2K tomato tomato

Already ran it on the Rubicon and video in edit - coming soon

@@cotrails8356 Sweet 👍

Land Rover Denver. I’m BP/GM there

Not a body lift, its a subframe lift which is below the body/chassis combo of the unibody

Clearly the Wrangle Rubicon is a different animal all together. As a Rover guy I readily admit it's the single most capable off-roader you can buy off the lot. However you're really reaching here - First, no need to spend $100K on a Defender; that's for the V8 top-of-the line; the smaller engine option trucks can wheel as well or better for half the cost. Second, this has far more comfort, road manners, luxury, towing, cargo, tech, etc than the Wrangler. Do I hold that against the Jeep? No - that's now what it's aiming for. By the same token the stock Defender wasn't built to go head to head with the Wrangler as a crawler. But it can do a lot more than Joe Average would think. And as for price comparisons, what does a new 392 Wrangler sell for anyway? $80K?

@@donhappel9566 I certainly appreciate Rovers but these new Defenders are selling so far over sticker you can’t find a new one for much under $100k. The new V8 models are significantly more and are selling for $150k or more. Maybe once they’re more available and selling for MSRP or less I could see your point. I just don’t see why they modified this one the way they did just to complete the rubicon trail. I agree it’s not the Defender’s purpose.

@@dfwxjer Like a lot of cars/trucks it is possible if you try hard enough to find something at MSRP; I bought a new pickup this year and was able to get it $1500 under MSRP but it took a lot of looking (plus I wanted an unusual combination...an actual usable bed!). A couple of local friends have been able to find 110s at MSRP; though both bought the 4-cyl version. Myself, I may consider the Defender2 as a replacement for my aging LR3 in a couple years but no, I'm not willing to spend full retail (or more) for one right now. And yes, I'd keep it to the moderate trails and let my D1 handle the crawling.

People spend thousands on Jeep Mods and thousands on Rover mods. When it is all said and done, they still have a Jeep.

@@clintnix8780 the Jeep doesn’t need thousands in mods to cross the rubicon trail. I took mine bone stock.