Upgrading the FREE LR4 for the North Star Rover Rally

Today we "borrow" some things from the budget LR4 to get Merlin ready to make a 1000 mile trip that includes a little off pavement at the North Star Rover Rally in northern Minnesota.
The LR4 also needed a few maintenance items taken care of after sitting for a few months.
What better way to make sure Merlin is ready to go to its next caretaker than the 1000 mile torture test. Hopefully the new owner will be enjoying it in the next few weeks after we have a little fun!
Video on the 1500 mile trip towing an LR4 with a LR4: • Land Rover Rescue! Can...
Huge thanks to William and his family, their links are down below. As you saw with the Lost Cause piece, they do some really neat work!
aelhaus.com
/ aelhaus
Link to the Wheels Used: lucky8llc.com/...
Lift Rods: lucky8llc.com/...
www.TheLostCauseRanch.com

[@aimbrock]

A lot happened in the last 4 years and where I’m at many people are still processing those events and what they experienced in their own lives. Your videos are very much appreciated by all of us! I look forward to your videos and seeing what you’re working on. Take care and enjoy your off-roading trip.

[@Stu_2112]

There goes Joe.....never knowingly taking the path of least resistance 😂😂 Good luck with Merlin....think youre gonna need it

[@LostCauseRanch]

Haha. I tend to like to swim uphill in life. Makes things interesting.

[@ajones5683]

Oh man, my 4 is same color as Merlin. Love to see it. Good luck in MN it’ll be a blast! I am switching out my poverty spec wheels and getting better tires for a trip up to northwoods WI in Sept to do the off-road trail again. I put a 2.25” X pipe in the center muffler in spring, used the link you provided in that video thank you so much. Still has rear muffler doesn’t sound as meaty as your silverlander but it def makes itself known and I love it.

[@realguy268]

Good luck. The eco challenge breaking down broke my heart. Hope this time around is much better.

[@fitzventure]

Audio was great. I just graduated form a D2 (actually a few of them) to a 2016 LR4 with HD package. Loving the LR4 stuff.

[@LostCauseRanch]

Neat, that’s a good one to have. Not a ton of the facelift ones with the HD pack. I love the 8 speed.

[@fitzventure]

It's a thing of beauty. But of course, it has issues. Key not found. Good times.

[@jstokvis]

Audio Excellant just like your content so good that your are back making videos.

[@LostCauseRanch]

Appreciate that! Always enjoy hearing from you. Glad to be back on a little more regular schedule.

[@andrewtraudes2425]

I replaced the bearings on my metal pulleys on my L322 with some Timken 6203-2RS. $15 for a pair is substantially cheaper than the absurd price they were asking for the full pulley.

[@LostCauseRanch]

Thanks for saving me a little research, that was my plan on this one. The last time I did it I just measured out our pulleys we had in stock and I believe it was an e class Mercedes pulley that I used for the silver one. It is absurd the price to get it from Land Rover.

[@andrewtraudes2425]

@@LostCauseRanch I thought that plastic pulley looked out of place, but also familiar! I also own an e-class wagon.

[@MegaSkypes]

Merlin needs the exhaust pipe mod My son loves the exhaust mod I made thanks to you! Those mods to fit the larger wheels and tires I don’t have a problem with as in Australia wheel spacers are banned!!

[@roverdogs_keithwhelchel]

Yes last minute things got to love them lol. Next February come to winter romp 3 days snow wheeling or mud depends on the weather. Actually its more like both lol

[@AddictedMotors]

MAR tickets go onsale tomorrow. Come to VA!

[@LostCauseRanch]

I should check the schedule out quick, I may try for Alabama in October too.

[@AddictedMotors]

@@LostCauseRanch Be quick! It sells out in minutes!

[@LostCauseRanch]

That’s what I heard. Good stuff!

[@pgtips6143]

Hi Joe, Great to see old Merlin back in front of the camera, looking forward to seeing how he performs on your little adventure. Great also to see Sasha out and about, is she off with you for the trip in Merlin as well? How’s the bespoke LR Defender dash coming along? Keep up the great work. 😎👍

[@LostCauseRanch]

Sasha definitely gets to go along. She’s not as spry as she used to be, but still enjoys the traveling. I have the passenger side tweaked in the program, so just need to free up a little time to cut that out and get it fitted.

[@Skagitrover]

Hi Joe! Wish I had planned better, would have been fun to meet up in Minnesota. I need a road trip.

[@LostCauseRanch]

That’s would have been fun. It was last minute for me too. I signed up the day before the event and hammered everything out and showed up later on the second day.

[@iadubber]

Audio sounds good man!

[@LostCauseRanch]

Good deal, I think it will help when I’m bouncing around the shop and not directly by the camera.

[@zech007]

Suggest to play car roulette, you set your running vehicle keys in a bowl and everyday you draw up one key out of it and you drive it for the day, after days end you put the key away, and draw another key tomorrow until the bowl empty, keeps your vehicles running and healthy. Audio is only on the right ear on headphone users,, might have to set the mic on the middle of cap visor!

[@markbielawski]

Love me the Merlin story! I hope the trip was fun, or was it "fun"? 😉

[@LostCauseRanch]

It was “Fun” haha. But no, great time and love me some Merlin as well.

[@josuegonzalez6059]

Hi, your video helped me a lot!! But I will need the tork on the chain tensor and gides. Do I need a new bolt 🔩 , the big one for the pulling??

[@graham-martin5847]

you need to use rubber grease i am sure vaseline actually destroys rubber i could be wrong but i use red rubber grease,i would of capped the chassis back off or even turn the buts round you took off and weld em back in just my opinion my ocd would not let me leave that open it will fill up with crap

[@davelr3x474]

Good move with the mic. Not sure the AT wheels enhance the look. I’m a little bit of an OEM look kind of guy. When you’re ready for a timing chain job +supercharger project let me know. I can turn a wrench and know Dubuque;-)

[@18436572LR]

Great video again but audio only on right channel when using headphones.

[@LostCauseRanch]

Good to know, I’ll figure out what setting I have messed up. Thanks!

[@yupieatcrayons5331]

12 is not enough. But a tow truck and 12 more

[@LostCauseRanch]

That’s funny, at one point in time Ted and I did have 24 rovers. No tow truck though.

[@consolidatedmanufacturing]

Did you see Jeff Aronson and Gustaf Kupets. My old stomping ground.

[@LostCauseRanch]

Yes I did, the whole group was a blast.

[@opticaldilusion6381]

14 cars does that mean you still have the ls swapped disco 2 ?

[@LostCauseRanch]

That one is with a new owner. Still local here though.

[@stlwrx]

Hey Joe... just letting you know most of the video only plays audio in the right speaker.

[@LostCauseRanch]

Yeah I must have had a setting off, did you listen with headphones?

[@grogheaton8833]

I'm only getting your voice on the right channel with the new mic for some reason. Old footage is through both channels.

[@LostCauseRanch]

Were you listening on headphones? I’ll have to figure out whatever setting I screwed up in the mic.

[@grogheaton8833]

@@LostCauseRanch yes I was on headphones as my speakers are failing on the right channel so I couldn't here anything.

[@Boostforthecure]

Seeing this one on wheels makes me feel like a idiot for selling my lr4

[@LostCauseRanch]

It is kind of amazing what a simple little $100 lift and a set of wheels does to these.

[@ryanhood721]

With Bluetooth headphones, your audio plays only in right ear. FWIW

[@LostCauseRanch]

Appreciate letting me know, I must have had some setting off. I’ll get it fixed for the next one.