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What Should You Take, and Why?
Once you leave Europe, and particularly if you're heading to Africa,
spare parts can be difficult to obtain, even from those rare Land Rover
dealers along the way. We've shipped something as simple as a Discovery
clutch kit out to Dakar, despite this modern city having its own Land
Rover dealership.
Even if what you require is in stock, the price
you pay will almost certainly be far higher than the UK price. On the
other hand, labour is cheap. At Land Rover Casablanca in Morocco the
overall price charged for a 12,000 mile service is about the same as in London,
but the labour charge is only about £20.
Start by taking everything you are going to need
for the periodic services en-route - if you're letting others do the
work you will find Land Rover garages scattered along the way - our
garages page is a good starting point...
Equipment Checklist
● Oil Filters
● Air Filters
● Fuel filter
● Master and Slave Clutch cylinder repair kits
● Suspension Bushes
● Front and Rear brake pads
● Oils, Lubricants, Brake Fluids
● Bulb/Fuse Set
● Vehicle Specific Spares Pack
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One for the Road
The driving conditions will dictate what you need to take with you. Bad
roads mean suspension wear and tear - add dust to the equation and you'll
need extra air and fuel filters. We'd recommend at least one spare air
filter (bulky), above what you'll need for periodic services along the way.
Extra fuel filters are a must as you will find you pick up lots of dirty
fuel - make sure you know how to drain your filter and sedimentary if one
is fitted.Before you set out check your
vehicle thoroughly for things that are on their way out - shocks, bushes and
seals in particular - as they will definitely suffer on African roads.
Certain bushes, such as radius arm bushes, are tricky to replace without the
benefit of a hydraulic press - so consider fitting Polybushes - a set of
Ploybushes in the UK will cost less than a replacement set of standard
bushes anywhere North of Namibia.
Springs and shock absorbers are components that are
bound to take a beating - make sure you have sufficient suspension travel
once your vehicle is full loaded, including fuel and water loads. Old Man
Emu suspension sets from ARB are designed to cope with the rigours of
expedition driving, although Land Rover heavy duty shock absorbers have an
excellent reputation as well.
It will pay to gauge the life left in your brake pads
and take spare sets if necessary. Gravel and dirt roads cause increased
wear, particularly on rear break pads, and you can be confident that these
will need replacing at least once along the way. Timing belt failure can be
a disaster on a Land Rover, so consider renewing your belt if it's getting
anywhere near the end of its service life.
What Will go Wrong?
Although inspection can go some way to determining components that are
nearing the end of their life, it's unfortunately impossible to know exactly
what is going to fail on your vehicle. We can
help you out with a list of suggested spares in the event of a breakdown. If
your route takes you into the Sahara or other arid regions you may
experience heavy wear on rubber components, so we recommend repair kit for
things like clutch master and slave cylinders.
Be sure to include spare lubricants and fluids for
your vehicle type - this is discussed further in the
Fuel and Oil section.
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